she got up rather quickly.
“I beg your forgiveness, but I must be excused.” Without waiting for her father’s approval, Amelia left the room.
Much to her frustration, Jeffery Chamberlain was upon her heels in a matter of seconds. “Are you ill, Amelia?” His voice oozed concern.
“I am quite well,” she replied, keeping a steady pace to her walk. “I simply needed to take the air.”
“I understand perfectly,” he replied and took hold of her elbow as if to assist her.
Amelia jerked away and once they had rounded the front of the lodge, she turned to speak her mind. “Sir Jeffery, there are some issues we must have settled between us.”
“I quite agree, but surely you wouldn’t seek to speak of them here. Perhaps we can steal away to a quiet corner of the lodge,” he suggested.
Amelia shook her head. “I am sure what I desire to speak of will not be in keeping with what you desire to speak of.”
“But Amelia—”
“Please give me a moment,” she interrupted. Amelia saw his expression of concern change to one of puzzlement. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost, but not quite.
“You must come to understand,” she began, “that I have no desire to follow my father’s wishes and marry you.” She raised a hand to silence his protests. “Please hear me out. My father might find you a wonderful candidate for a son-in-law, but I will not marry a man I do not love. And, Sir Jeffery Chamberlain, I do not now, nor will I ever, love you.”
The man’s expression suggested anger and hurt, and for a moment Amelia thought to soften the blow. “However, my sisters find you quite acceptable as a prospective husband, so I would encourage you to court one of them.”
At this Jeffery seemed insulted and puffed out his chest with a jerk of his chin. “I have no intentions of marrying your sisters,” he said firmly. “I have an agreement with your father to acquire your hand in matrimony.”
“But you have no such agreement with me, Sir Jeffery.”
“It matters little. The men in our country arrange such affairs, not addle-brained women.”
“Addle-brained?” Amelia was barely holding her anger in check. “You think me addle-brained?”
“When you act irresponsibly such as you are now, then yes, I do,” he replied.
“I see. And what part of my actions implies being addle-brained?” she questioned. “Is it that I see no sense in joining in a marriage of convenience to a man I cannot possibly hope to love?”
“It is addle-brained and whimsical to imagine that such things as love are of weighted importance in this arrangement. Your father is seeing to the arrangement as he would any other business proposition. He is benefiting the family name, the family holdings, and the family coffers. Only a selfish and greedy young woman would see it as otherwise.”
“So now I am addle-brained, whimsical, selfish, and greedy,” Amelia said with haughty air. “Why in the world would you seek such a wife, Sir Chamberlain?”
Jeffery seemed to wilt a bit under her scrutiny. “I didn’t mean to imply you were truly those things. But the air that you take in regards to our union would suggest you have given little consideration to the needs of others.”
“So now I am inconsiderate as well!” Amelia turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the cabin.
Jeffery hurried after her. “You must understand, Amelia, these things are done for the betterment of all concerned.”
She turned at this, completely unable to control her anger. “Jeffery, these things are done in order to keep my father in control of my mother’s fortune. There hasn’t been any consideration given to my desires or needs, and therefore I find it impossible to believe it has anything to do with my welfare or betterment.”
“I can give you a good life,” Jeffery replied barely keeping his temper in check. “I have several estates to where we might spend out our days and you will bring your own estate into the
“I beg your forgiveness, but I must be excused.” Without waiting for her father’s approval, Amelia left the room.
Much to her frustration, Jeffery Chamberlain was upon her heels in a matter of seconds. “Are you ill, Amelia?” His voice oozed concern.
“I am quite well,” she replied, keeping a steady pace to her walk. “I simply needed to take the air.”
“I understand perfectly,” he replied and took hold of her elbow as if to assist her.
Amelia jerked away and once they had rounded the front of the lodge, she turned to speak her mind. “Sir Jeffery, there are some issues we must have settled between us.”
“I quite agree, but surely you wouldn’t seek to speak of them here. Perhaps we can steal away to a quiet corner of the lodge,” he suggested.
Amelia shook her head. “I am sure what I desire to speak of will not be in keeping with what you desire to speak of.”
“But Amelia—”
“Please give me a moment,” she interrupted. Amelia saw his expression of concern change to one of puzzlement. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost, but not quite.
“You must come to understand,” she began, “that I have no desire to follow my father’s wishes and marry you.” She raised a hand to silence his protests. “Please hear me out. My father might find you a wonderful candidate for a son-in-law, but I will not marry a man I do not love. And, Sir Jeffery Chamberlain, I do not now, nor will I ever, love you.”
The man’s expression suggested anger and hurt, and for a moment Amelia thought to soften the blow. “However, my sisters find you quite acceptable as a prospective husband, so I would encourage you to court one of them.”
At this Jeffery seemed insulted and puffed out his chest with a jerk of his chin. “I have no intentions of marrying your sisters,” he said firmly. “I have an agreement with your father to acquire your hand in matrimony.”
“But you have no such agreement with me, Sir Jeffery.”
“It matters little. The men in our country arrange such affairs, not addle-brained women.”
“Addle-brained?” Amelia was barely holding her anger in check. “You think me addle-brained?”
“When you act irresponsibly such as you are now, then yes, I do,” he replied.
“I see. And what part of my actions implies being addle-brained?” she questioned. “Is it that I see no sense in joining in a marriage of convenience to a man I cannot possibly hope to love?”
“It is addle-brained and whimsical to imagine that such things as love are of weighted importance in this arrangement. Your father is seeing to the arrangement as he would any other business proposition. He is benefiting the family name, the family holdings, and the family coffers. Only a selfish and greedy young woman would see it as otherwise.”
“So now I am addle-brained, whimsical, selfish, and greedy,” Amelia said with haughty air. “Why in the world would you seek such a wife, Sir Chamberlain?”
Jeffery seemed to wilt a bit under her scrutiny. “I didn’t mean to imply you were truly those things. But the air that you take in regards to our union would suggest you have given little consideration to the needs of others.”
“So now I am inconsiderate as well!” Amelia turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the cabin.
Jeffery hurried after her. “You must understand, Amelia, these things are done for the betterment of all concerned.”
She turned at this, completely unable to control her anger. “Jeffery, these things are done in order to keep my father in control of my mother’s fortune. There hasn’t been any consideration given to my desires or needs, and therefore I find it impossible to believe it has anything to do with my welfare or betterment.”
“I can give you a good life,” Jeffery replied barely keeping his temper in check. “I have several estates to where we might spend out our days and you will bring your own estate into the
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