Apollo

Chapter Six

A/N OMG – here's the update! I'm so sorry it's late! I'm on vacation and I've completely lost my sense of time. I actually thought that today was Friday – but here it is now! Sorry, sorry, sorry!

THE DAY AFTER LADY VICTORIA'S HARRIED DEPARTURE FROM ST JAMES' Palace, the Lockhart clan gathered once more in Wellington House to discuss her performance – and their opinions on it.

"I found her wonderfully polite when she first arrived, but it did not take long for her arrogance to show," Bethany announced. "I do not approve of this match."

"You know, I will agree with your aunt," William said. "Her manner did not please me an ounce, for she was terribly rude to everyone the whole time...perhaps other than Emmett, whom she seemed keen to impress."

"I did not enjoy her complacency very much either," Emmeline agreed, frowning at the thought of it. "I shall never be able to call her Sister. I find her conceited nature so very distasteful, and when I asked her at dinner, she revealed that she did not care for Emmett at all – all she could say to me was that she would like to be married to him." Turning her attentions to her brother, she placed a gentle hand over her his clenched fist. "Emmett, you cannot marry a woman who does not care for you. You will be miserable."

Saying nothing, he drew his hand out from under hers and turned his face away from her urging gaze. She noticed his brow crumple, and her own eyebrows furrowed in response.

"Whatever is the matter? You shall not marry her. Is that not what you want?"

"I...I..." He leaned back in his chair and ran a frustrated hand over his face. "I think..."—a sigh—"I think, Emmeline, I will marry her."

"What?!" the other three in the room exclaimed simultaneously, none believing their own ears. The earl said nothing to this, only closing his eyes with a heavy exhale in utter exhaustion, and a series of indignant protests ensued:

"But she acted so rudely, nephew!"

"Did you not say that you do not wish to marry?"

"She is nothing less than absolutely horrible – you cannot marry that woman!"

"You don't understand," was all he said in return, swallowing thickly. His swept his gaze over the three horrified faces in the room and sighed again. He could not explain his intentions to them – they were very simple, and he knew exactly how to put his feelings into words, but he also knew that these words would never be accepted by his family. He was all too aware of the fact that they cared for him – they cared for him so much, too much, and they would never allow him to go through with marrying a woman for the sole purpose of tormenting himself for the rest of his life. He regretted that he had been unable to think for his sister as she would think for him. He regretted putting his happiness in front of hers – he regretted ever writing to Aunt Bethany seeking a match when his first action should have been composing a letter to his best friend proposing a match, promising a wife filled with nothing but sincerity, devotion and good intentions.

Yet instead he had let Queen Sarah court her on behalf of his son. He had said nothing when Emmeline had pleaded with him to get her out of the arrangement. Because of his inaction there was now a crown resting on her head, on her shoulders, on her spirit, a duty to another man and an entire kingdom that stated that she would never in her life find the bliss and happiness she deserved. Emmett of all people knew best how she deserved happiness...she had shown the purest parts of her soul to him, her grin, her delicious hand-baked blueberry pie, and her ardent passion for the violoncello. He should have been the first person to fight for her happiness – and he had been the very last. In fact, he had hardly fought for her at all, only watched as his father duelled the King for Emmeline and almost gave his life because of it. Then he had watched as Emmeline gave her life away to save William's.