“Has he even given you a reason?”
“He doesn’t want to jeopardize our friendship.”
Amelia frowned. “It’s a little late for that.”
“I agree.”
“Well, you are entirely welcome at Harrowden Hall for as long as you want,” Amelia asserted.
“I do appreciate you letting me stay here.”
Amelia waved her hand in front of her. “I am happy you are here. I truly am.”
A knock came at the door before it opened, revealing Sarah. “The water is being prepared for your bath, miss.” She dropped into a curtsy. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Your Grace.”
Amelia smiled warmly at her. “Thank you for escorting my sister to the countryside.”
“You’re welcome.”
“The dinner bell should be ringing in about an hour,” Amelia said as she rose. “I do so hope that you will join us.”
“I have every intention to.”
“Excellent,” Amelia replied as she departed. “I shall leave you to it.”
“I see that Her Grace took no issue with you arriving unannounced,” Sarah remarked.
“No, she did not.”
“She looks well.”
Hannah nodded. “She looks like a woman in love,” she acknowledged wistfully.
“I would agree.”
Another knock came at the door and Sarah opened it. “Your bath is here, miss,” she announced, opening the door wide.
17
Martin sat in his study, drink in hand, with a lone candle burning next to him on the table. He was waiting for his father to arrive home so he could speak to him. He didn’t dare depart for Harrowden Hall without informing his father of his decision to offer for Hannah.
Hannah.
He couldn’t lose her. In a short period of time, she had become the most important person in his life, and he knew that life would be dismal without her by his side. How he hadn’t recognized this fact sooner was beyond him. He had been a fool to waste even one moment with Hannah.
His father stepped into the room looking annoyed. “Moreland informed me that you wished to speak to me.”
“I do.”
“What do you wish to discuss?” his father asked, sitting across from him.
Martin placed his drink on the table. “I wanted you to know that I have come to a decision about Lady Isabella.”
“You have?”
“I will not be marrying her.”
His father scowled. “Then you have ruined us.”
“That is not the case,” Martin informed him. “I have spoken to Mr. Scott, and he felt it would be best if we sold the estate in Buckley. It is hardly profitable, and it would secure the funds needed to pay off your gambling debts.”
“That is unacceptable,” his father declared. “That estate is entailed and has been in our family for generations.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have gambled away a small fortune, then,” Martin remarked dryly.
His father stiffened. “I don’t understand why you refuse to do your duty and marry Lady Isabella.”
“I am doing my duty to this family, but that doesn’t mean I will sacrifice my own happiness because of your missteps.”
“I assume this means you will offer for Lady Emma.”
“No,” Martin replied with a shake of his head. “I intend to offer for Miss Blackmore.”
His father nodded in approval. “That is a much better choice,” he replied. “She is an heiress in her own right.”
“I am not marrying Miss Blackmore for her money,” Martin asserted. “I am marrying her because I love her.”
“Then you are a fool,” his father huffed.
“I disagree.”
“Love fades, and you will be left with the knowledge of what you once had,” his father declared. “It is far better to marry someone you have a mutual toleration for.”
Martin shook his head. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m not.”
“Regardless, I intend to offer for Miss Blackmore tomorrow.”
His father rose and stepped over to the drink cart. “You are a disappointment, son,” he said as he poured himself a drink.
“In what way?”
“I did my duty to this family,” his father stated. “I managed all the properties and investments so your grandfather could immerse himself in politics, I married who he told me to, and I did so without complaint.”
“You were wrong to do so.”
His father picked up his glass and took a sip. “I don’t believe I was.”
“Did you ever love Mother?”
A reflective look came to his eyes. “I did,” he replied. “We were happy for a long time, but it all changed when Phoebe died.”
“Why was that?”
His father’s expression became guarded. “I don’t wish to talk about it.”
“You speak of duty, yet you abandoned us after Phoebe died.”
“I did no such thing,” his father objected, his voice rising.
“You did,” Martin asserted. “You started drinking more heavily and hardly spent any time with us.”
His father took a sip of his drink. “You know not what you speak of.”
“You’re wrong,” Martin said. “You changed after Phoebe died, and I hardly recognize the man you’ve become.”
“I am the same man.”
“No, you’re not,” Martin argued.
His father slammed his empty glass down on the drink cart. “You cannot imagine the pain that is associated with losing a child.”
“That is true.”
“After Phoebe died, I was forced to go on living, but I had no desire to do so,” his father revealed. “How is anyone expected to move on after tragedy strikes?”
“We all lost Phoebe that day, Father.”
His father shook his head. “She was my daughter. It was my job to protect her, and I failed.”
“You did all that you could.”
“I didn’t do enough,” his father said emotionally.
Martin leaned forward in his seat. “What happened to Phoebe wasn’t your fault,” he assured him. “It was an unfortunate accident.”
“Is that supposed to make it right?”
“No, but you must understand that your grief is consuming you.”
His father scoffed. “I think not.”
“You hardly make an effort to spend time with Marianne anymore,” Martin pointed out, “and when you do, you usually spend the duration criticizing her.”
“That’s because she’s an insolent girl,” his father said. “She needs a firm hand to guide her. That is precisely the reason why she needs to be married.”
“If you force Marianne to marry, you will lose her.”
“I don’t believe that to be the case,” his father replied. “Marianne knows what is expected of her, and she will do
