Edward didn’t want to let go of Julia’s hand. There was something comforting there after revealing so much to her, in feeling her hand. It was as if she was offering physical support, where words could do little to help, but he had to release her, for Malcolm ran straight into an old broken swiftwalker that was propped up against the wall. Edward ran toward it, catching it barely in time before it could fall on Malcolm. As he turned back to Julia, laughing softly, he shook his head.
“I can see why you come here so much,” he said as Malcolm apologized and then began to pull at the swiftwalker, wanting to play with it. “It has a habit of making one smile.”
“Just so,” Julia said, already with a smile of her own.
* * *
Julia flinched on the settee as she heard her father’s shouts again. So far, her mother hadn’t come down today. Her chair at the breakfast table had remained empty and now the seat beside Julia was empty too. The only thing to remind her of Susannah’s presence was the embroidery upon the cushion, waiting for Susannah to pick it up again.
“Insufferable!” the Earl of Finch’s voice reverberated around the house, followed by his firm footsteps of hurrying down the stairs.
Julia looked up from where she was reading one of the books Edward had given her. So far, she was hooked! She loved the excitement and the temptation of the forbidden in these books, but she couldn’t concentrate now. There were other things to think about.
When her father appeared in the doorway, Julia looked up and sharply closed the book, to see he was breathing heavily, his nostrils still flaring.
“Did she need shouting at like she is a child?” Julia’s question made the Earl turn round to face her in surprise, as if he hadn’t noticed she was in the room at all.
“She has a habit of not listening, like a child.”
“You mean she merely wants to give an opinion, and you do not wish to hear it,” Julia said quietly and opened up her book, once again.
“What was that?”
“Do not ask me to repeat what I said, Father, you will not like it.”
“Then do not say such things in the first place,” he spoke tiredly and crossed to the fireplace, kicking a log into place that had nearly fallen out of the grate. “There is one thing I will be grateful for after your wedding, I will not have to hear any more of your blithering.”
Julia closed the book and met the gaze of her father across the room. She wasn’t sure what to think or feel, but one thing was clear.
I wish in this moment I was marrying Edward, then I would be far away from my father! I could be in a place that was happy, full of smiles, jesting, and reasons to laugh, rather than here.
“You mean my talking, not blithering,” Julia said, watching as her father scoffed at her and turned away.
“If you are about to try and lecture me again on the virtues of a woman’s mind, Julia, pray, do not do it. You’ve told it to me for long enough.” He kicked another log in place.
His words made her seethe. She gripped the seat beneath her, stopping herself from crossing the room toward her father.
“I am glad not all men are like you.” Her words made her father look sharply back toward her. She thought of Edward, and how different he was to her father. She thought of all the kind things he had done, especially for the orphanage.
“You think a man is interested in hearingyouropinion, Julia? Then you are wrong. Men need women for few things in this world.”
“And, to repeat your words with a little rephrasing, Father, pray, do not repeat your lecture on why men do not need women. I have heard you say it all before. I may have believed you once, but I am beginning to see that not all men think like you.”
A low rumbling laugh escaped her father. He picked up the poker from beside the fireplace and poked at the ash, trying to stir some of the flaming logs to life.
“I see the Duke of Stapleton has charmed you after all. Who would have thought it? My daughter, who had always sworn off men, has now fallen for the worst one of the lot.”
“Do not speak of him in that way!” Julia snapped and stood to her feet. She took her book with her, hiding it behind her, fearing what her father would do if he could see that Edward had gifted her such controversial books.
“Ha! A bit of passion, is that what I see?” he sneered and turned back to face her. “Good Lord, the Duke is clearly skillful indeed. Have you fallen in love with him child? Is that what it is?”
“I…” Julia was ready to snap back at him once again when the words hit her.
Love him? No… do I?
“Look at your face, good Lord, Julia, you profess to be a woman of the world, but clearly you are blind to it, so let me put you straight.” The Earl replaced the poker to a brass stand and crossed toward her, making Julia hide the book behind her back even more. “The Duke is marrying you for the sake of reputation. He has no more capacity to care for his wife than the next man. Even less so if the scandal sheets are to be believed. Take what you’ve got in life and be thankful for it, but do not start fooling yourself into thinking he is a pillar of virtue.”
With these final words, the Earl left the room, marching quickly from it. Julia knew whatever argument he’d had with her mother must have been a bad one that day, and that was way he was taking his anger out in Julia’s direction too, but there was more now that was bothering her.