pressed, still not looking at him.
“Of course! She has to know.” He was silent a moment, then said slowly, “And if I don’t write them, my cousins and aunts will learn of it from my mother.” He sighed, the inkling of the problems facing them beginning to trickle into his brain. “I suppose I’d assumed we could keep the news of the betrothal fairly local, I didn’t realize until just now precisely how far the ripples would spread.”
“Do you think your mother will be happy to hear of our engagement?” Isabel asked neutrally.
Marcus laughed. “Oh, I expect that Mother will be like Lord Manning—delighted with the news. She’s mentioned, upon rare occasion, that she’d like to see me marry. She’s always had a fondness for you and I expect that she will be thrilled to learn that we are engaged.” He smiled faintly. “And don’t forget; Edmund is a favorite of hers.”
Isabel looked at him then. “And will she be equally happy when we break our engagement in a few weeks?”
He stiffened and he stared at her, the image of his mother’s face crumpling and tears shimmering in her eyes flashing before him. Just as his mother would be overjoyed at the news of his engagement to Isabel, she would be utterly desolated at its ending. And his other relatives that would have been drawn into the net, what of them? What of his cousins, Julian and Charles, how would they feel? They would, he was positive, be pleased that he was on the brink of marriage, but how would they feel when they learned that his engagement was over? What about Nell, Julian’s wife? Daphne, Charles’s bride? And his aunts, the other members of the far-flung Weston family and all his friends? They would be, he knew, full of congratulations at the news that he was finally marrying, but how would they react when they learned the betrothal had been ended?
Marcus didn’t doubt that some would take it in stride and dismiss it with a shrug, but others…Others, he thought horrified, like his mother, would be crushed or, like Nell, deeply saddened when they learned the news. Nell, especially, would mourn the ending of the engagement and try to console him, and he knew that Charles and Julian would give him manly, silent support but would be very disappointed that the betrothal had ended and they would suffer for him. And his mother…his mother would suffer most. He swallowed with difficulty. His face felt hot, his chest tight. Good God! How could he do that to them? Raise their expectations, knowing it was all a lie and that there was never any question of marriage taking place? In that moment, the trap, the trap of his own making snapped shut.
He stared at Isabel, the realization that there would be no escape, no ending of their engagement apparent in the expression that crossed his face. In a voice devoid of emotion, he said, “It would make my mother very, very unhappy if the engagement were to end. She would be devastated….” His gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. “Many people,” he admitted reluctantly, “especially those dearest to us, will be hurt and disappointed if we do not marry.” A shudder went through him. In a low voice he added, “Call me a coward if you like, but given the choice, I believe I would rather face a fire-breathing dragon empty-handed than tell my mother that we do not suit and have changed our minds.”
Isabel smiled bitterly. “Exactly.”
Marcus’s gray eyes met hers. “I suppose this is what you wanted to talk about?”
Isabel nodded. “I thought,” she said quietly, “that we might be able to brush through this entire…situation, without incident.” Her voice thickened. “You were not there and did not see how ecstatic both my father-in-law and son were with the news of our engagement. It would be cruel to play out this farce knowing…” She fought for composure. Her eyes dark with emotion, she said, “I cannot mislead them in such a heartless fashion.”
Marcus agreed. It would
“Of course! She has to know.” He was silent a moment, then said slowly, “And if I don’t write them, my cousins and aunts will learn of it from my mother.” He sighed, the inkling of the problems facing them beginning to trickle into his brain. “I suppose I’d assumed we could keep the news of the betrothal fairly local, I didn’t realize until just now precisely how far the ripples would spread.”
“Do you think your mother will be happy to hear of our engagement?” Isabel asked neutrally.
Marcus laughed. “Oh, I expect that Mother will be like Lord Manning—delighted with the news. She’s mentioned, upon rare occasion, that she’d like to see me marry. She’s always had a fondness for you and I expect that she will be thrilled to learn that we are engaged.” He smiled faintly. “And don’t forget; Edmund is a favorite of hers.”
Isabel looked at him then. “And will she be equally happy when we break our engagement in a few weeks?”
He stiffened and he stared at her, the image of his mother’s face crumpling and tears shimmering in her eyes flashing before him. Just as his mother would be overjoyed at the news of his engagement to Isabel, she would be utterly desolated at its ending. And his other relatives that would have been drawn into the net, what of them? What of his cousins, Julian and Charles, how would they feel? They would, he was positive, be pleased that he was on the brink of marriage, but how would they feel when they learned that his engagement was over? What about Nell, Julian’s wife? Daphne, Charles’s bride? And his aunts, the other members of the far-flung Weston family and all his friends? They would be, he knew, full of congratulations at the news that he was finally marrying, but how would they react when they learned the betrothal had been ended?
Marcus didn’t doubt that some would take it in stride and dismiss it with a shrug, but others…Others, he thought horrified, like his mother, would be crushed or, like Nell, deeply saddened when they learned the news. Nell, especially, would mourn the ending of the engagement and try to console him, and he knew that Charles and Julian would give him manly, silent support but would be very disappointed that the betrothal had ended and they would suffer for him. And his mother…his mother would suffer most. He swallowed with difficulty. His face felt hot, his chest tight. Good God! How could he do that to them? Raise their expectations, knowing it was all a lie and that there was never any question of marriage taking place? In that moment, the trap, the trap of his own making snapped shut.
He stared at Isabel, the realization that there would be no escape, no ending of their engagement apparent in the expression that crossed his face. In a voice devoid of emotion, he said, “It would make my mother very, very unhappy if the engagement were to end. She would be devastated….” His gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. “Many people,” he admitted reluctantly, “especially those dearest to us, will be hurt and disappointed if we do not marry.” A shudder went through him. In a low voice he added, “Call me a coward if you like, but given the choice, I believe I would rather face a fire-breathing dragon empty-handed than tell my mother that we do not suit and have changed our minds.”
Isabel smiled bitterly. “Exactly.”
Marcus’s gray eyes met hers. “I suppose this is what you wanted to talk about?”
Isabel nodded. “I thought,” she said quietly, “that we might be able to brush through this entire…situation, without incident.” Her voice thickened. “You were not there and did not see how ecstatic both my father-in-law and son were with the news of our engagement. It would be cruel to play out this farce knowing…” She fought for composure. Her eyes dark with emotion, she said, “I cannot mislead them in such a heartless fashion.”
Marcus agreed. It would
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