Chapter 15 – Rejection

The next day, Eleanor came down to lunch after all the others had left. She dreaded the fuming silence her father adopted whenever she was in the room, so she tried to time it so she wouldn’t have to sit with him. It was more peaceful when she was by herself, but it was lonely.

However, she wasn’t the only person eating late that day, so she didn’t have to endure her solitude for long.

Edward burst into the dining room because merely entering a room was beyond his capabilities. There were wide-open arms, a wide smile, and the boom of an unnecessary interjection.

“Ah! Little cousin!” He came around and laid a kiss on the top of her head. “You held lunch for me. What a thoughtful creature you are.”

“That’s right, Eddie. I stopped everyone and everything and demanded that they all wait for you.”

“You cheat. Don’t try to fool me. I was just outside, and the sun is no longer at its zenith. Lord knows, the sun only moves across the sky at your say so.”

“I’ll try scowling more next time.”

The baron went over to the sideboard, grabbed a few sandwiches, then returned to take a seat by Eleanor. He picked up one of the newspapers she had discarded, and began scanning the stories as he ate.

“Nothing from Uncle Erravold,” he said. “No letter from Penn. I guess the world moves on. And what a brilliant hush up over the break-in. Haley deserves a medal for that one. ‘Master thief breaks in—we’re still working to discover what might have been stolen.’ Might have been stolen. Ha! But that was Friday’s news. I wondered if Penn would write in to brag about what he did, but it doesn’t look like he will. Do you think he still might?” Edward glanced at his cousin. “Eleanor?”

She blinked and turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, Eddie.”

The baron folded the paper and dropped it back on the table. “Eleanor, what on earth has you so thoughtful?”

Lady Serrs lowered her eyes to the table. “Edward, have you ever proposed to a woman?”

The silence was long enough, Eleanor wondered if she’d made a mistake in asking. She raised her eyes and saw a sober expression on her cousin’s face.

“No.”

The way he said it was so simple—almost gentle—that Eleanor’s heart inched forward a little.

“But you’re a man, right?”

Edward smiled on one side. “There have been one or two accusations along those lines.”

“Would you be offended if a woman refused you?”

“Offended? I suppose that would depend on why she refused me.”

“What if she was as polite as possible?”

“Eleanor, this is about your suitors, isn’t it?”

Eleanor blushed and looked down.

Edward went on, “Haley was asking about them. What did you tell him?”

Her green eyes flashed up with indignation. “I didn’t tell him anything!” She lowered them again. “It was Father. He said they might be holding a grudge.”

Edward sighed as he shook his head.

“You know them, don’t you?” Eleanor asked.

“They’re my friends. We’re in the same club.”

“Then…then you would know, wouldn’t you?”

“Know what?”

“Did I hurt them?”

“Yes.”

Eleanor turned away.

“Oh! You didn’t like that answer,” Edward said, “but I don’t know how you could expect any other. Those men offered to share their lives with you—”

“I had the right to say no.”

“You did. But you didn’t ask about that. You asked if you’d hurt them.”

“This was all two years ago! It shouldn’t matter. Even if they can’t forgive me, even if they despise me, why wouldn’t they simply move on?”

“It’s not that easy, Ellie.”

Eleanor finally looked at her cousin again.

He went on, “You know none of them have ever married.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You would have seen the announcements.”

“I—I wasn’t reading the papers—”

“You weren’t reading?” Edward let out a short laugh. “You would have had to bury your head! Were you trying to avoid it?”

Eleanor’s chest ached, and small tears gathered at the edges of her eyes.

“Oh, my word—you were, weren’t you? Eleanor, what’s wrong with you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Wrong with me?” she mouthed. “You think something’s wrong with me?”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“You turned them down. It shouldn’t matter to you if they get married. Don’t you have enough of a heart to wish them well?”

“Of course I do! You think I want them to be miserable?”

Edward raised both hands in a shrug. “Maybe you were thinking more about yourself.”

A voice blew in from the doorway like a hard north wind: “And who was she supposed to think of, Edward Archibald Comtess? When it’s her life she’s deciding?”

The baroness swept into the room. The percussion of her cane grew louder and faster as she approached. “On your feet, Edward!”

Edward stood.

His mother was a half foot shorter than her son, but she stood inches in front of him and glared. “Who was she supposed to think of? Or do you really believe a woman should lay herself so low that everyone’s happiness supersedes her own? Never mind what she wants. Never mind what matters to her—someone has asked her for something, so she must do it!”

“Mama, that’s not what I meant—”

“You were trying to make her feel guilty! You were trying to make her feel bad for making an honest and reasonable choice!”

“She asked if she’d hurt those men!”

“And?” The cane slammed onto the floor. “Eleanor is not responsible for the happiness of everyone around her! She has the right to care for herself! No one else will!”

“Mother—”

“I’m disappointed in you, Edward. Very disappointed. Shall we talk of selfishness? Or will you leave the room?”

“Please, Mother.”

“Give me my space, boy. I’ll talk to you later.”

Edward bowed to his mother.

As he grabbed his plate, Eleanor mumbled, “Edward—”

The baron twisted up his nose and cheek in a subtle shrug-ish smile that only she could see.