placatingly, her inviting laughter tumbling out. "No, no, do not fire up at me, pray. I was making a jest. No one is asking you to agree to marry the man. His family wanted me to think of eligible young women who might be willing to consider marriage, and Lord Radbourne asked to meet you. so I introduced you to him. His grandmother intends to hold a party at their country estate—or at least Lady Odelia intends that his grandmother will do so, which means that it will be done. I feel it is only fair of me to point out that if you were to go to the party, you would be able to become better acquainted with Lord Radbourne."
"I do not need to become better acquainted—with him or any man. My mind has long been set against marriage." Irene turned to Francesca, looking straight into her face. "You knew my father, did you not?"
Francesca glanced away. "Yes. I realize the sort of man he was."
"I am not sure you do." Irene went on. "I imagine that much of the
ton
knows that he was a libertine. A rake. He gambled and drank and indulged himself with countless barques of frailty. He made my mother's life a misery. But her misery was not solely because of his actions outside our home. When he was in the house, believe me, we all wished that he were out. He was loud, overbearing and bad-tempered, and when he had been drinking, which was much of the time, he was completely unreasonable and apt to use his fists to make his point. Everyone in the house, from my mother down to the servants, was afraid of him. I swore that I would never put myself in the position that my mother was in. I would never subject myself to the whims of any man."
"But you see, with this marriage, you would not be without power," Francesca pointed out. "His family is talking about an arranged marriage, a businesslike arrangement. You would have a great deal of bargaining power. No doubt you could get them to agree in writing to an assured allowance or some sort of guaranteed settlement."
"Even so, once we were married, I would be under his control. I would no longer have any rights. I would be subject to my husband's decisions."
Francesca did not reply, and Irene continued. "In any case, if I were to agree to such a marriage, it would certainly not be to the Earl of Radbourne." Color mounted in her cheeks again, and her eyes took on a golden glow. "He is insufferably rude and boorish. I have never met a man I would like less to marry. He is arrogant and bullheaded and—"
She stopped, visibly pulling herself back under control. She took a shaky breath. "In any case, I do not imagine that it matters now. I rebuffed him last night at the dance—rather decisively. I feel sure that Lord Radbourne would no longer be interested in me."
Francesca, who had been watching Irene with a great deal of interest, opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, then went on. "Well, as to that, I do not know. And, of course, if you are so set against it, I would not push you. I would not think of asking you to do anything you would not want to. I merely thought, when Lady Odelia told me, that it might be a proposition in which you would be interested. You always were, I thought, that rare sort of woman who is more ruled by her head than by her heart."
Irene regarded Francesca narrowly for a moment. She was not sure whether Francesca was simply being truthful or attempting to maneuver her into changing her position. Francesca was correct that she was a woman who believed strongly in running her life with thoughts rather than emotions, and in that regard, she supposed it did seem a trifle peculiar that she would dismiss a practical marriage, one that others would consider a logical proposition. Could it be that she was allowing her fears to sway her from doing what was best for her and her mother?
But she quickly shook aside that thought. "I am ruled by my head. I know what can result from marriage, and so I refrain from allowing my hopes
"I do not need to become better acquainted—with him or any man. My mind has long been set against marriage." Irene turned to Francesca, looking straight into her face. "You knew my father, did you not?"
Francesca glanced away. "Yes. I realize the sort of man he was."
"I am not sure you do." Irene went on. "I imagine that much of the
ton
knows that he was a libertine. A rake. He gambled and drank and indulged himself with countless barques of frailty. He made my mother's life a misery. But her misery was not solely because of his actions outside our home. When he was in the house, believe me, we all wished that he were out. He was loud, overbearing and bad-tempered, and when he had been drinking, which was much of the time, he was completely unreasonable and apt to use his fists to make his point. Everyone in the house, from my mother down to the servants, was afraid of him. I swore that I would never put myself in the position that my mother was in. I would never subject myself to the whims of any man."
"But you see, with this marriage, you would not be without power," Francesca pointed out. "His family is talking about an arranged marriage, a businesslike arrangement. You would have a great deal of bargaining power. No doubt you could get them to agree in writing to an assured allowance or some sort of guaranteed settlement."
"Even so, once we were married, I would be under his control. I would no longer have any rights. I would be subject to my husband's decisions."
Francesca did not reply, and Irene continued. "In any case, if I were to agree to such a marriage, it would certainly not be to the Earl of Radbourne." Color mounted in her cheeks again, and her eyes took on a golden glow. "He is insufferably rude and boorish. I have never met a man I would like less to marry. He is arrogant and bullheaded and—"
She stopped, visibly pulling herself back under control. She took a shaky breath. "In any case, I do not imagine that it matters now. I rebuffed him last night at the dance—rather decisively. I feel sure that Lord Radbourne would no longer be interested in me."
Francesca, who had been watching Irene with a great deal of interest, opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, then went on. "Well, as to that, I do not know. And, of course, if you are so set against it, I would not push you. I would not think of asking you to do anything you would not want to. I merely thought, when Lady Odelia told me, that it might be a proposition in which you would be interested. You always were, I thought, that rare sort of woman who is more ruled by her head than by her heart."
Irene regarded Francesca narrowly for a moment. She was not sure whether Francesca was simply being truthful or attempting to maneuver her into changing her position. Francesca was correct that she was a woman who believed strongly in running her life with thoughts rather than emotions, and in that regard, she supposed it did seem a trifle peculiar that she would dismiss a practical marriage, one that others would consider a logical proposition. Could it be that she was allowing her fears to sway her from doing what was best for her and her mother?
But she quickly shook aside that thought. "I am ruled by my head. I know what can result from marriage, and so I refrain from allowing my hopes
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