Her smile filled him with energy and strength. He was so much more of a man when he was with her. He didn’t know why he’d had it in his mind at first that he wanted to win her as though she were some prize. She wasn’t a prize, she was the game. She was his reason for fighting and everything he wanted to form his life around. It was as clear as day to him now. Together, they could accomplish anything in life that they set their minds to.
He was so caught up in those thoughts that he didn’t notice Narayan had broken away from Raikut. Priya’s father was making his way onto the dance floor, disturbing other dancers and causing a stir as he went. When Francis finally did notice, it was nearly too late.
“Unhand my daughter,” Narayan boomed, reaching for Priya as though he would pry her away himself.
Francis moved swiftly, pulling Priya out of her father’s reach and standing in front of her, shielding her. “I will not, sir,” he said, standing tall and speaking in a loud clear voice. He was deeply aware that everyone in the room was watching them now, and that the musicians had stopped playing. It was now or never. “I will not release your daughter, because I love her. I love Miss Narayan with everything I have, and I will not let you force her to be a part of a marriage she does not want.”
It was a calculated revelation, and it had the effect he’d been hoping for. His mother’s guests gasped and watched in shock, as if observing the final act of one of Nan’s plays.
The drama was heightened as Priya moved so that she was no longer hiding behind Francis, but so that she could hold his hand. “And I love him, Father,” she said, standing defiantly. “I have told you as much from the start. I know what you think of me as your daughter, as a woman. I know that I mean nothing to you. But I know my own mind, and I have a right to determine my own course in life.”
Her argument was very much like the first argument she had made in St. James’s Park, what seemed like ages ago. It was a thousand times more powerful now, when she was living out her principles for all of London to see. Considering the guests that had been invited that night and the cause they supported, Priya’s show of strength was welcomed with open arms.
“I am asking for your daughter’s hand in marriage,” Francis said, grasping Priya’s hand tighter. “She means the world to me. She is my strength and my heart. I cannot imagine my life without her. I am asking you now, as a man in love and a man of title and reputation, in front of all these people. Will you give me your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
Narayan stood tall and glared at Francis as everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. Then he let out a clear, loud, “No!”