were my dream."
He opened the door and left.
****
Izzy sat on the bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Would they ever stop? Her heart was broken and it was her own fault. Charles wanted to marry her. He loved her. Why was she hanging onto the idea that she needed to do something to make her father proud? Was she being foolish to care anymore what he thought? If she and her father were face to face right now, and Izzy was financially independent, would he finally admit he was wrong?
Izzy realized trying to please her father wasn't her dream. It was an obsession . Had she just thrown away real happiness with Charles for something that would never happen with her father, no matter how hard she tried?
A soft knock sounded on the door. Charles? Izzy hurried so fast across the room she nearly tripped over the hem of her nightgown. She swung open the door with a wide grin on her face, but immediately sobered when the person standing there was Sarah.
"Oh, Sarah. Come in." Izzy left the door open and returned to sit on the bed.
Sarah curtsied. "Would my lady like to get dressed now?"
Izzy shrugged. May as well . What else did she have to do today? "Yes, Sarah, that would be fine." Allowing the maid to help her out of the nightgown no longer seemed as strange as it used to. She'd still rather do it herself, but had grown accustomed to having Sarah around.
Before Izzy left, she needed to work with Sarah a little more on her reading. The girl was indeed smart and was coming along well, but Sarah didn't want her to think she'd abandoned her without finishing their lessons. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Sarah was wearing one of the new day dresses. Was it Izzy's imagination or was Sarah even prettier than she'd been before? The maid's blue eyes sparkled and her face held a pleasant expression. Maybe knowing she was well-dressed and could read for herself gave her some confidence.
Izzy decided since Uncle Sebastian knew she was already in the house, it was silly to hide any longer in her room. She still wouldn't go outside, in case someone else would see her, but while in the house, she'd feel free to roam. It would be wonderful not to be confined to just a room or two anymore.
Walking down the steps in the daylight seemed odd. A couple of maids opened their mouths, and their eyes widened at the sight of her, and then they scurried off toward the back of the house.
At first, Izzy panicked. What if they told someone? Then she realized it didn't matter. She wasn't staying.
Or was she? What if she could convince Charles to take her back? She could stay and they could be married. Suddenly, the notion her father would ever have been proud of her seemed pointless. She'd wasted so many years with the single-minded focus that she needed his approval and acceptance. Well no more.
Izzy had a wonderful man right here who loved her and wanted to marry her. And she loved him just as much. She'd be crazy to give that up, no matter what time period and country they lived in. Suddenly anxious to tell Charles of her change of plans, she scurried down the rest of the steps. Having seen a large desk and bookcase in the den previously, she wondered if he spent a lot of his time there.
Izzy knocked on the den door and then pushed it open when he called out to come in.
"Charles?"
"Isabella! What are you doing down here?" He edged around his desk and hurried toward her.
Her heartbeat raced. He ' s coming to embrace me . But her heart sank when he reached around her and closed the door. Taking a step back, he crossed his arms. "Why are you walking around the house during the day?"
Izzy wanted to scream but controlled her anger. She'd come down to tell him of her change of heart, which was good news, and all he could do was scold her. Well she'd have her say. "Charles, I know you're angry, but there's something I need to say to you."
His response was to lift an eyebrow. The tapping of his boot on the floor was just a bonus.
He opened the door and left.
****
Izzy sat on the bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Would they ever stop? Her heart was broken and it was her own fault. Charles wanted to marry her. He loved her. Why was she hanging onto the idea that she needed to do something to make her father proud? Was she being foolish to care anymore what he thought? If she and her father were face to face right now, and Izzy was financially independent, would he finally admit he was wrong?
Izzy realized trying to please her father wasn't her dream. It was an obsession . Had she just thrown away real happiness with Charles for something that would never happen with her father, no matter how hard she tried?
A soft knock sounded on the door. Charles? Izzy hurried so fast across the room she nearly tripped over the hem of her nightgown. She swung open the door with a wide grin on her face, but immediately sobered when the person standing there was Sarah.
"Oh, Sarah. Come in." Izzy left the door open and returned to sit on the bed.
Sarah curtsied. "Would my lady like to get dressed now?"
Izzy shrugged. May as well . What else did she have to do today? "Yes, Sarah, that would be fine." Allowing the maid to help her out of the nightgown no longer seemed as strange as it used to. She'd still rather do it herself, but had grown accustomed to having Sarah around.
Before Izzy left, she needed to work with Sarah a little more on her reading. The girl was indeed smart and was coming along well, but Sarah didn't want her to think she'd abandoned her without finishing their lessons. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Sarah was wearing one of the new day dresses. Was it Izzy's imagination or was Sarah even prettier than she'd been before? The maid's blue eyes sparkled and her face held a pleasant expression. Maybe knowing she was well-dressed and could read for herself gave her some confidence.
Izzy decided since Uncle Sebastian knew she was already in the house, it was silly to hide any longer in her room. She still wouldn't go outside, in case someone else would see her, but while in the house, she'd feel free to roam. It would be wonderful not to be confined to just a room or two anymore.
Walking down the steps in the daylight seemed odd. A couple of maids opened their mouths, and their eyes widened at the sight of her, and then they scurried off toward the back of the house.
At first, Izzy panicked. What if they told someone? Then she realized it didn't matter. She wasn't staying.
Or was she? What if she could convince Charles to take her back? She could stay and they could be married. Suddenly, the notion her father would ever have been proud of her seemed pointless. She'd wasted so many years with the single-minded focus that she needed his approval and acceptance. Well no more.
Izzy had a wonderful man right here who loved her and wanted to marry her. And she loved him just as much. She'd be crazy to give that up, no matter what time period and country they lived in. Suddenly anxious to tell Charles of her change of plans, she scurried down the rest of the steps. Having seen a large desk and bookcase in the den previously, she wondered if he spent a lot of his time there.
Izzy knocked on the den door and then pushed it open when he called out to come in.
"Charles?"
"Isabella! What are you doing down here?" He edged around his desk and hurried toward her.
Her heartbeat raced. He ' s coming to embrace me . But her heart sank when he reached around her and closed the door. Taking a step back, he crossed his arms. "Why are you walking around the house during the day?"
Izzy wanted to scream but controlled her anger. She'd come down to tell him of her change of heart, which was good news, and all he could do was scold her. Well she'd have her say. "Charles, I know you're angry, but there's something I need to say to you."
His response was to lift an eyebrow. The tapping of his boot on the floor was just a bonus.
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