said, nodding to the furnishings in the room, “no one could mistake this for a ducal residence. You need not fear a match between your brother and myself.”
“But what of the other women you would introduce to him?” Lady Margaret asked. “Please, don’t let Lyon marry.”
“I have no more control over what your brother decides to do than you do,” Thea answered. “Indeed, he is determined to marry. The man wants children.”
“It is more than that. Neal believes we can break this curse. He thought Father was going to break it, but then he fell in love with Cass Sweetling. You should have seen him. The father I knew—the resectable, sensible man—changed around her. He forgot about us, his obligations, his position in society. He gave in completely to the curse. Laughing, dancing, carrying on.”
“Perhaps he did so because Cass Sweetling made him happy,” Thea suggested.
“Perhaps she was part of the curse. Perhaps we can’t help ourselves and must succumb to it.”
“And perhaps it is all part of your imaginations,” Thea said. “Like character traits. In my family, we all said we had uncontrollable tempers. What starts off as myth becomes a belief.”
“You think I’m overreacting,” Lady Margaret said, her shoulders straightening.
“I believe you are convinced this curse exists,” Thea answered, not backing down. “I am not. Your father died of old age. He and your mother were an arranged marriage that was not happy. And after she died, he did what thousands of men have done before him and will continue to do until the end of time, he tumbled in love for a young, pretty girl. There is no curse involved.”
The bristle left Lady Margaret’s manner. “I know it isn’t logical. If I wasn’t part of this family, I probably would doubt the story of a curse as well. However, my coming here isn’t to convince you. What I want is completely in your power. Stay away from my brother.”
Back to that, were they?
Thea could almost have laughed at Lady Margaret’s order if she hadn’t been so tired. “You needn’t fear I will entrap your brother. First, I am no Delilah. I’m a widow whose only thoughts, whose every energy, goes into the needs of my children. I don’t have time for a man in my life, and even if I did, let me tell you now, after one taste of marriage, it is not for me. I prefer to raise my sons alone so that I do not have to answer to anyone.”
“You were not happy in your marriage?” Lady Margaret tilted her head in curiosity. “We all heard about you. You were the tale of what a young woman should not do—defy our parents, marry beneath us, forget our obligations.”
“I know,” Thea said wearily. “I was the morality story, and I still am. I’ve had several mothers bring their daughters to me for lectures about the dangers of a mésalliance .”
“And what do you tell them?”
Thea reached over and lightly brushed the surface of an end table before saying, “I tell them that my life could have been easier if I had been more patient and wiser.”
Lady Margaret waited for more, and when Thea didn’t speak, she said, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“What more is there?” Thea answered. “Actually there is much more, but nothing those mothers would want me to tell their daughters.”
“Such as?” Lady Margaret prompted.
Thea shook her head. “I’m not certain you need to hear my thoughts either.”
“I believe I should.” The note of regret in Lady Margaret’s voice caught Thea’s attention. Lady Margaret noticed Thea’s change of expression and said, “Do you believe you are the only one who has loved outside her class?”
“Oh, no,” Thea responded. “I know better than that. But I caution young women to not act on their feelings. I was the foolish one. I thought the way I felt for Boyd could overcome every obstacle. What I didn’t realize is how large those obstacles were, and how he was not as strong a man as I’d
“But what of the other women you would introduce to him?” Lady Margaret asked. “Please, don’t let Lyon marry.”
“I have no more control over what your brother decides to do than you do,” Thea answered. “Indeed, he is determined to marry. The man wants children.”
“It is more than that. Neal believes we can break this curse. He thought Father was going to break it, but then he fell in love with Cass Sweetling. You should have seen him. The father I knew—the resectable, sensible man—changed around her. He forgot about us, his obligations, his position in society. He gave in completely to the curse. Laughing, dancing, carrying on.”
“Perhaps he did so because Cass Sweetling made him happy,” Thea suggested.
“Perhaps she was part of the curse. Perhaps we can’t help ourselves and must succumb to it.”
“And perhaps it is all part of your imaginations,” Thea said. “Like character traits. In my family, we all said we had uncontrollable tempers. What starts off as myth becomes a belief.”
“You think I’m overreacting,” Lady Margaret said, her shoulders straightening.
“I believe you are convinced this curse exists,” Thea answered, not backing down. “I am not. Your father died of old age. He and your mother were an arranged marriage that was not happy. And after she died, he did what thousands of men have done before him and will continue to do until the end of time, he tumbled in love for a young, pretty girl. There is no curse involved.”
The bristle left Lady Margaret’s manner. “I know it isn’t logical. If I wasn’t part of this family, I probably would doubt the story of a curse as well. However, my coming here isn’t to convince you. What I want is completely in your power. Stay away from my brother.”
Back to that, were they?
Thea could almost have laughed at Lady Margaret’s order if she hadn’t been so tired. “You needn’t fear I will entrap your brother. First, I am no Delilah. I’m a widow whose only thoughts, whose every energy, goes into the needs of my children. I don’t have time for a man in my life, and even if I did, let me tell you now, after one taste of marriage, it is not for me. I prefer to raise my sons alone so that I do not have to answer to anyone.”
“You were not happy in your marriage?” Lady Margaret tilted her head in curiosity. “We all heard about you. You were the tale of what a young woman should not do—defy our parents, marry beneath us, forget our obligations.”
“I know,” Thea said wearily. “I was the morality story, and I still am. I’ve had several mothers bring their daughters to me for lectures about the dangers of a mésalliance .”
“And what do you tell them?”
Thea reached over and lightly brushed the surface of an end table before saying, “I tell them that my life could have been easier if I had been more patient and wiser.”
Lady Margaret waited for more, and when Thea didn’t speak, she said, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“What more is there?” Thea answered. “Actually there is much more, but nothing those mothers would want me to tell their daughters.”
“Such as?” Lady Margaret prompted.
Thea shook her head. “I’m not certain you need to hear my thoughts either.”
“I believe I should.” The note of regret in Lady Margaret’s voice caught Thea’s attention. Lady Margaret noticed Thea’s change of expression and said, “Do you believe you are the only one who has loved outside her class?”
“Oh, no,” Thea responded. “I know better than that. But I caution young women to not act on their feelings. I was the foolish one. I thought the way I felt for Boyd could overcome every obstacle. What I didn’t realize is how large those obstacles were, and how he was not as strong a man as I’d
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