Never Land the First Fish

Chapter Twenty-Three, Part 4

"Thank you, Joseph, and now you may take yourself away and give us some time with your friend," the countess replied.

Emily took another slow breath in through her nostrils and deep into her lungs, and reached for her composure as she let the air out. How ridiculous. She had been unintimidated by queens and presidents, after all. Though Lady Chirbury's calm dignity and something in the way she carried herself reminded her of Maausi, and Maausi could make her feel like a child again with merely a look.

Maddox looked as anxious as she felt as he met her eyes.

"Go on, Maddox," she reassured him. "I will see you after." She would, would she not? The countess would not have her evicted?

Maddox left reluctantly, and Emily took a seat on the sofa to which she was directed, where Lord Chirbury could see her easily from his bed and she was close enough to accept the cup of tea her hostess prepared to her taste and passed to her. Lady Chirbury then poured a cup to which she added cold water, which she placed on a little platform fastened to the side of the bed, inserting a long cylinder so that Lord Chirbury could drink it from the side of his mouth.

As she sat back with her own tea, she said, "I trust my family have made you comfortable, Miss Kilbrierry? My apologies for not greeting you earlier." They were to start with politeness, then.

"Thank you, my lady. I have been well looked after." At least physically, and the most recent meal had actually been fun.

"You are well spoken, at least. And a baron's daughter." Hmm. Politeness did not last long. "I shall not beat around the bush, Miss Kilbrierry. My son has announced that he will marry you whether it pleases his family or not. Does that please you?"

Emily put down her cup and took another deep and calming breath. Truth, then. "I have not agreed to marry Lord Maddox, my lady. I am too old for him, of mixed blood and scandalous birth, and I perform on a stage for my living. Even my adoptive father's rank is not enough to whitewash me, especially since it is an Irish peerage, which he largely abandoned for my mother's sake. Maddox deserves a wife who will be a credit to him in English Society."

Lord Chirbury blinked at her, some emotion passing over his face. Lady Chirbury fussed over adjusting his drinking straw, then turned back to Emily.

"You have told my son this? I do not need to offer you money to go away?"

Emily could not speak for a moment, her anger choking her, and driving the words that finally emerged as she stood. "I love Maddox. If I thought our marriage would be good for him, nothing would convince me to part from him. Certainly not money." She almost spat the last words.

Lady Chirbury's face softened as she smiled at Lord Chirbury, and the corner of his mouth curled in response.

"Be seated, Miss Kilbrierry. Has Joseph told you how he came by the name with which he was christened?"

Bewildered by the change in topic, Emily sank back onto the sofa, shaking her head.

"He is named in memory of my husband's first wife, as was their eldest son. My husband married a woman who was part French and part Canadian Indian. Lord Chirbury's cousin's youngest son has three children whose mother was from Java in the East Indies. His nephew married a middle eastern woman. You are correct that Society looks askance at those of mixed blood, but we Redepennings do not."

Where was the countess going with this? Emily nodded, cautiously.

"As to the scandals of your birth, your mother's former occupation, and your parent's marriage, those are ancient history, and hardly your fault. We Redepennings have had many scandals of our own, and ample experience in turning them to good account or ignoring them into oblivion."

"My lady, are you saying that you do not disapprove of me?"

The countess exchanged another of those soft smiles with her husband. "You have courage, Miss Kilbrierry. And integrity, I think. Maddox loves you, and his is the only opinion that matters. However, my other children also approve of you." She looked at her husband again. "Love matters. If you wished to enter English Society, or if Maddox did," Emily shook her head, and the countess continued, "I might urge caution. But Maddox tells me that you and he could happily spend a lifetime travelling the world, you performing and he continuing his discoveries. I daresay being an Irish baron's daughter and an English earl's son, and being a baron and baroness yourself, would be an advantage in some places."

Emily closed the mouth that had somehow dropped open.

"Mind you, I do not say that I approve," the countess added. "Unless you truly love one another. Then age and all the rest do not matter. Even your own scandalous liaisons heretofore—if you do not care about Maddox's past and he does not care about yours, then how is it the business of anyone else?"

"I do not know what to say." A major part of Emily's objection to marriage had just been swept away by this determined woman.

"Think it over, then, Miss Kilbrierry. Or may I call you Emily? After all, if you decide to accept my most unusual son, you shall be my daughter. And, might I add, whatever you decide, you are welcome in any of our houses. I hope that Rede and I might have the pleasure of coming to know you better."

Emily nodded again.

The earl, who had managed to spit out his straw, made a motion with his hand, moving it back and forth diagonally above his chest. "Ah, yes, and Rede wishes to ask you to play for him? If it would not be an imposition?"

That, she could answer. "Not an imposition at all, my lady, my lord."

"If you have finished your tea, perhaps you could fetch your violin now, Emily dear? Or send my son for it? I have no doubt he is hovering in the hall, waiting to rescue you from the ogres."