Torchlight

Chapter 2

A few hours later, her mail arrived, and with it, another reminder of another ton soiree. It was from Lady Chancellor. There was no way she could not go. She was an old friend of the family, and not going would be a snub. Emilia had completely forgotten about it. Which is why she was sure Lady Chancellor had sent the reminder.

Emilia sighed. She was so tired of the season. She wanted the end to come so she could at least stop the socialising. It was exhausting and with all the dangers lurking around every corner, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the social whirlwind as well as see to her destined duties.

Cassie on the other hand loved it all. She adored the balls and the idle chatter. It was the romantic in her nature. Her friend still believed she would find the man of her dreams some day. Emilia wasn't so sure. In fact, she was resigned to her spinsterhood.

Not that she hadn't had offers. With her looks, attention was inevitable. Emilia Lockwood was blessed with beauty in abundance. Glossy golden hair the colour of ripe corn, the bluest eyes and the type of milky complexion most ladies in society spent hours trying to achieve with potions and powders.

But no man stimulated Emilia intellectually, or even stirred her blood with passion. There were handsome men, no doubt, but their minds were narrower than one of her beloved daggers. She could never marry someone who she knew would want to change and control her.

No, she would be single forever. And when Cassie married, she would be the best aunt to her children, therefore never to pine for her own, or the life she might have had...

There was a brisk knock on the door of the library. Charles, the footman appeared and bowed.

"My Lady, the Earl of Wheton and Lady Thornton to see you."

Emilia huffed. "Is there no way to avoid seeing them, Charles?"

The footman's eyes twinkled with humour, but his face remained stoic. "I had tried to dissuade them my Lady, but they were not to be... thwarted. They await your presence in the parlour."

"What could cousin Neville possibly want? And that dragon he calls a mother?" Emilia said more to herself than to anyone else.

Charles coughed discretely, the only sign that he found the situation amusing. "Shall I tell them you will be down shortly?"

Emilia smiled. "Yes, tell them I shall. In the meantime, I am going to change."

Forty minutes later, Emilia entered the parlour.

"Cousin Neville, Aunt Dorothea, apologies for having you wait so long. I was detained with by my estate manager, business matters you see."

Neville, a round, constantly flustered, sweaty bulbous man rose awkwardly and came forward.

"Cousin Neville. A pleasure, as always, to see you." Emilia extended her hand as a courtesy and Neville hastily rushed forward to kiss it. Emilia preferred to think of it as slobbering all over it.

She quickly moved over to her aunt. Kissing both cheeks, her teeth gritted through the entire process, Emilia smiled tightly. "Aunt. You are looking well."

The old hag eyed Emilia wearily. "We have been waiting a long while Emilia. Really, you need to plan your time better."

Emilia didn't bother to tell her that they were the ones who had dropped by unexpectedly. Instead, she smiled with frigid intensity and gestured for her reprehensible family members to sit.

She really disliked them intensely. Aunt Dorothea had never accepted or liked her mother. And when her father had died, her Aunt had wasted no time in having her father's title and land transferred to her son. Thank heavens her father had been a man of sense. He had had a trust with money and various properties set up for his daughter and it had been untouchable by anyone. She was sure Aunt Dorothea would have robbed her of that too if she was able.

"Yes well, Neville here would like you to accompany him to the Chancellor Ball tonight. There were of course other young ladies who he wanted to ask, but seeing as we were asked to attend only this morning, most shocking, he is forced to ask you. The other girls have already commandeered partners."

Emilia bristled, but saw no reason to be unpleasant. I am better than them, she thought. Remember your breeding. For a few seconds, Emilia repeated that to herself before answering.

"Aunt Dorothea, cousin Neville, you do me a great honour," she stressed the word sarcastically, "with your very gracious offer. Unfortunately, I have already accepted the offer from Lord Winterley. He has asked me to join his party this evening, and as Lady Winterley has arranged for a carriage to fetch me in a few hours, it would be rather unkind of me to refuse an offer I have already readily accepted."

Neville spoke for the first time, in his usual bumbling way. "You spend entirely too much time with the Winterley's cousin Emilia. I think it would be wise to refuse. We are after all your family. And family comes first."

Emilia almost choked on her rage and was so annoyed she missed the look between mother and son. The next minute Neville had pounced on her hands, holding them firmly in hers.

"Neville! What are you doing?!"

"Cousin, you must know how long mother and I have desired a union between our families."

Emilia's eyes bulged. Neville's round cheeks flushed as perspiration coated his upper lip. He flopped to his knees beside her skirts. Emilia felt sick.

"Cousin, would you allow me to honour our families by making you my wife. This cannot come as a surprise, and I am sure I do myself no disservice by saying that it would be a great advantage to you if we were to be joined."

Emilia gasped in outrage.

"Cousin, would you acquiesce to becoming my wife?"

Emilia had quite forgotten her aunt was watching the proceedings without any embarrassment at all. She recalled her presence when Aunt Dorothea said, "Neville do not grovel so! Shoulders back!"

Emilia's eyes moved to her Aunt and then back to her ridiculous son as he immediately straightened his shoulders, and in doing so, his rounded belly seemed to protrude even further. He was now sweating profusely.

If she wasn't so outraged, she would have found the entire scene hilarious.

"Well cousin? Shall I take your silence as a yes?"

Emilia breathed deeply a few times, slowly, but deliberately extricating her hands from its clammy restraints. Very firmly she said, "Firstly, cousin Neville, please remember that although the Winterley's are not directly related, they were my parent's most dear friends. Lord and Lady Winterley have made me feel a part of their family after my parents passed on. I am sorry to cause you pain, but I cannot refuse their invitation."

Neville made a gurgling sound. Emilia continued. "Secondly, flattered as I am by your proposal, I humbly refuse. If you are wounded, I hope it will be of short duration. I do not love you Cousin, and I never could. I am convinced we would make each other decidedly unhappy. I beg your pardon. But my answer must be a resounding no."

Aunt Dorothea jumped up. "Ungrateful girl! We came all this way! Might not have wasted our time."

Emilia remained stubbornly silent. Neville whimpered like a dog.

"Come Neville! Coming here was a mistake." Neville stumbled as he left the room. Aunt Dorothea turned at the door. "Have a care my Dear. You have just made the gravest mistake of your life."

Emilia had had enough. She rose, folded her hands in front of her and said calmly, all pretence gone. "I believe the gravest mistake I made was entertaining you and your son. I think we both feel no real loss at our... less than warm feelings toward each other. Let me end this misery. You have never liked or respected my mother, or myself. To that end, let us end this pretence. You are no longer welcome here Aunt. I sincerely wish you well, as do I wish Cousin Neville all the best. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a ball to get ready for."

Emilia watched her aunt's face turn pink, then red, then a kind of purple. "You will regret this insult!" She hurried out.

Emilia raised her eyebrow at the empty room and then smiled warmly. "I think not."