The Earl’s Wife by Jessica Dalvin EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Jessica Dalvin
- Language: English
- Genre: contemporary romance
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
Silverware clinks as Father sits back in his chair and holds out his cup
to be refilled. A servant darts out from the corner of the room and quickly
and silently fills the cup with rich red liquid. Father sits back in the thronelike chair, sips his wine and looks at us. His clean-shaven face somewhat
unsettling after spending my entire life seeing him with a full beard and
moustache. The latest trend is to be beardless, and Father loves nothing
more than to be up to date with the latest trends.
“Elizabeth, now that you are twenty-two, I have arranged for your
marriage to the Earl of Stacks,” Father announces and takes a large sip of
wine which only serves to increase the rosiness of his cheeks.
I hold very still, doing my best to calm my suddenly racing heart and
to force an outwardly calm demeanour.
“You have been busy Father,” I say
diplomatically. “I did not know you were looking for a suiter for me.”
“Of course I was,” Father chirps. “A woman such as yourself has had
them leaping out of the stonework. The Earl, however, has offered to grant
you and any children you bear to him his title and the eldest son shall
inherit his land.” He pauses and adds, “For a handsome dowry of course.”
“How romantic,” I say as I take a sip from my own wine. Hoping that
it too would give me the confidence it seems to build in Father with every
mouthful.
“Certainly,” Father replies, completely missing my sarcasm. “He even
threatened a duel with one fellow, a wealthy merchant’s son by the name of
Harold Rold, if he did not back down.”
Mother nods as she takes a nibble of the tiny portion of food she has
on her fork. “Mother,” I ask gently. “Were you aware Father was working
so hard to secure a suiter for me?”
“Of course not,” Mother says in a flat tone. “It is not my place to
interfere and even if it was, your father has granted you and your sons a
strong and secure future. He has done a remarkable job.” She turns to look
at him, her eyes full of love. “As always dear.”
He grins at her and toasts. “To Elizabeth, who shall be as satisfied in
her marriage as I am in mine.”
Mother is quick to join in and I dip my head in acknowledgement. I
swallow and force myself to cut and spear another tiny slice of venison. The
meat is suddenly dry in my mouth, and I have to work extra hard to chew it.
With slow practiced movements I go through the proper etiquette of eating
a meal. Dozens of hours of formal training and hundreds of hours of
practice helps me get through the first course of dinner without falling apart
at the table,
I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming. Apparently, I had been
overly successful in my attempts to ignore the fact that I had suddenly
reached the prime age to marry. I had also been negligent in my
understanding of just how quickly Father would jump on that opportunity to
increase our family standing and upgrade his grandchildren from the gentry
class to the peerage class.
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