“A glass of punch would be fine. Thank you very much.”
Robert left her for a moment and when he returned, he handed her the glass of punch. Her cousin arrived at that time and though Sonia didn’t want to stop talking to him she thanked him and spoke with Horatia.
“It was a pleasure to dance with you, Miss Hearst.” Robert looked at her for a moment. “I hope I’m not impertinent, but I would like to pay you a visit tomorrow.”
Horatia suppressed his desire to jump out of emotion. “It’s not impertinent at all,” she said instead of Sonia.
“It’s true what my cousin says. It’s not impertinent. If it’s all right, I’ll wait for you around three in the afternoon.”
“I’ll be there,” he said, kissing her hand. “Enjoy this beautiful evening.”
The moment they were alone Horatia could not hold back, “My God, you have your first visit tomorrow and I am sure there will be much more coming because tonight has been a success.”
“If it were for me, I would not want visitors. You know I do not want to get married.”
“I can see that you were impressed by the marquess. Even if you say otherwise and for the time being that’s what matters.”
“I’m not going to deny that he’s handsome, but you know I don’t want a man to give me orders.”
“Darling, just give this whole thing a chance and then you decide. I really think you would make a beautiful couple. Besides you would be an excellent marchioness.”
Sonia smiled when she saw how emotional Horatia was but deep down she was annoyed by her reaction to the marquess. She was not supposed to feel anything because she didn’t want to get married and on the first night of the dance she was already accepting invitations.
CHAPTER 4
That next afternoon, Sonia nervously expected for Robert to arrive. That morning arrived many invitations that Sonia would agree to attend due to good manners. Her brother would be there that day and she prayed that he would not say something wrong, it would be typical of him. Maybe he would want to interfere or behave like the typical overprotective brother.
Charlotte finished arranging her hairstyle and put on some perfume. Then looked at herself in the mirror and tried on two necklaces to see which one suited her best.
Someone knocked on the door
“Come in.”
A maid walked in. “Miss, you have a visitor. It is the Marquess of Wilmington.”
“Tell him that I’ll be right down, Martha.”
Sonia looked at herself in the mirror for one last time and went downstairs to meet the marquess. “Charlotte I can’t be alone with him and Horatia is slow to arrive so you will be present, but you will be invisible until my brother appears.”
“Has your brother not come downstairs yet, miss?”
“No, he wants to come down later to give himself airs of greatness and according to him, he wants us to talk a little more without being observed all the time. I told him that it would be wrong for a lady to attend to Lord Wilmington alone, without a chaperone or at least her brother’s presence, and he only laughed.
Charlotte sighed, “Very well, miss. I will accompany you.”
When they reached the living room, they saw Robert sitting there. He looked very elegant. “Good evening, Miss. Hearst.” He stood up to place a kiss on her hand.
“Good evening, Lord Wilmington.”
“You look radiant today.”
“Thank you, very much,” Sonia sat down and didn’t know what else to say.
“It is a wonderful day, is it not?”
“Certainly, but warm.”
“How do you feel after last night’s event?”
“Well, but I arrived a little tired,” Sonia smiled. “There were a lot of dances in one night.”
“I believe you will now have many invitations and gentlemen who will wish to know you better.”
“I’m not interested.”
“I’m sorry?” Robert thought that he had heard her wrong.
“I said I’m not interested.”
“I thought you wanted to get married.”
“I know that everyone thinks I want to catch a husband with a title, but believe me that there is nothing further from reality.”
He looked at her in confusion.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Sonia smiled, amused. “I’ll explain.” She moved closer to him and Robert could smell the faint scent of vanilla.
“I don’t want to get married because the only thing I see in married couples is suffering and the one that bears the worst part is always the woman.”
“I have seen happy marriages, Miss Hearst.”
“Please call me, Sonia.”
He smiled. “Fine, but only if you call me Robert.”
“Oh, of course,” she said, showing her pleasure. “Now that we are better acquainted I’ll explain why there are no happy marriages.”
Robert looked at her, amused. Sonia had something about her that caught his attention. She was refreshing as well as beautiful. Her skin was so white and he could bet that it was as soft as it looked and those lips that every time he saw them Robert could not help wondering what they would taste like.
“Marriages seem to be happy because that is what is expected of them, but in reality, it is only a contract between two people. Where the woman contributes a large dowry, children, obedience and total secrecy about the privacy of their relationship. While the man will only give her a noble name so that the woman and her offspring can display it. He will fill her with children while he goes from lover to lover and she will have to be silent because it would be a scandal to air the dirty laundry of her marriage.”
“I think you are a little stern in your way of looking at things. As I said not all marriages are the same.”
“Do you mean that some marriages have love? Maybe fidelity?”
“Yes,” Robert answered.
“I’m afraid that’s just a fantasy.”
“I disagree with your way of thinking. I think if you do not give someone a chance, how will you really
