“Her liberty is dependent upon the grace of her host, which in this case is me. If she does not learn to respect the rules of her environment, then it will only foster a rebellious spirit.”
“Giving her some leeway will not lead her to ruin.”
“Won’t it?” he countered with a savage raise of his eyebrow. “If she does not learn now, she never will. And then she may grow up believing in fantasies.”
“Clara can believe in anything she wants to believe in,” Charlotte replied, although it was clear that this argument was no longer about Clara.
“I believe I can talk to animals,” Clara said, but her voice was too weak to overpower those of Charlotte and Nathaniel.
“Would you have her running about the house without any care? The rules are in place to keep her safe.”
“If the rules are too strict, she will never learn to grow, and she will only end up resenting them. There needs to be some flexibility; otherwise, she will only want to push against it when she is older.”
“And we can both see how dangerous that is.”
Charlotte felt her throat tighten. Warmth simmered just beneath her skin. Every time she saw Nathaniel, there was a fuzzy sensation in her mind and a sense that nothing was quite right inthe world. Her temper was quick to flare, and he seemed intent on stoking it.
The thought occurred to her that he might have been doing this purposefully, tormenting her and teasing her until she lost control of her emotions and responded in a most hostile manner. That would give him all the reason he needed to dismiss the family and prevent Mary from getting married.
Charlotte took a deep breath, feeling as though she had just worked out his plan. Everything was a test with the Iron Duke, and if he was so concerned with manners and propriety, then she would hold him accountable to the very standards he claimed to serve.
“I think we both want the best for Clara. We must remember that she is only a child and that any mistakes she makes are reflections of the way we care for her.” Charlotte bent low so that she met Clara’s eye level.
“Clara,” she continued, “I apologize for not looking after you better. I should have kept a closer eye on you. If I had, then I might have been there to catch the vase or guide you away from the table. But please try to be more mindful of your surroundings next time.”
“I will, and thank you. I’m sorry that we didn’t play another game of crib,” Clara said. Then, she turned to Nathaniel. “I’m sorry that I broke your vase.”
Nathaniel looked at the pieces he had gathered.
“You are forgiven. Just… don’t mention anything to mother. And don’t chase Hector into the house. Only do that outside,” he replied.
“Is there anything else you wish to add? Perhaps an apology of your own? You did raise your voice to her after all,” Charlotte asked, insisting with her eyebrows.
“I only raised my voice because I was concerned. I don’t believe I have anything to apologize for. Now, I suggest that you depart this room, so I can get someone to clean up this mess,” Nathaniel said.
Charlotte sensed that was the end of the discussion, and for Clara’s sake, she obeyed the Duke’s command. She placed her hands on Clara’s shoulders and guided her out of the room.
“I didn’t mean to make you upset,” Clara said.
“You didn’t. It was just an accident. These things happen all the time. Why, just today I fell over in the garden.”
“You did?” Clara asked.
Charlotte proceeded to tell her the story of Brutus. The girl’s worried face shifted to an amused expression as Charlotte described how she fell. Thankfully, she wasn’t as fragile as a vase.
Her mind turned back to Nathaniel, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he would be like if he allowed his control to slip just a little bit. After all, he did show genuine concern for Clara, and she believed him when he said he was only being strict in order to protect her.
The problem was that he took it to such an extreme. He seemed to mistake order for happiness. Would he laugh more if he allowed himself to relax? She tried to imagine what it would sound like for him to guffaw loudly, but failed.
It seemed like an impossible mission indeed. She feared for the woman who would eventually become his wife. If it was impossible to make him laugh, then how would anyone make him love?
Chapter Thirteen
The following day was another temperate one. At breakfast, Nathaniel noticed that Clara was subdued. When he looked at her, she looked away just as quickly, and this left him disturbed. He hadn’t intended to be so harsh with her the previous day, but of course, Charlotte had pressed and pressed.
In order to make it up to Clara, Nathaniel suggested that they play a game in the garden that afternoon.
“A game—that’s not in your character, brother,” Alfred said.
