by Joyce Wright
“Perhaps it is wonderful, but that does not mean yours is the same.”
The food was now laid across the blanket. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, wine, and just about everything else Clara had expected. It was hard to imagine so much had fit inside a single picnic basket.
She took an apple and bit into it carefully, aware that Oscar was so close. She had embarrassed herself with careless words before - she did not want to embarrass herself more by messy eating.
“How is your family doing?” Oscar questioned as he poured the wine.
“As good as expected. Father is at work now, and mother is visiting my sister Ruby and her husband.”
“And Jessie?”
She felt a pang as her sister’s name was mentioned. He was so invested in Jessie, and yet he had never seen her for more than a moment. Why she cared she didn’t know. “Jessie is fine. She has her studies. I believe mother is trying to find her a husband too.”
“Any man will be lucky to have her.”
Clara’s eyes narrowed. Her hands rested on her knees, still clutching the half-eaten apple. “Yes, they will,” she answered, a bite to her voice. There was no mistaking it now - Oscar was only interested in Jessie - and Clara was much more invested in him than she first knew. Funny, how she was so adamant not to marry, and now she was falling for the Duke.
Oscar looked at her then, lips pursed. “We should not be focusing so much on your sister. It is you I would like to know. Tell me something about yourself?”
“Such as?” Clara raised a brow, trying to bury all thoughts of Jessie into the back of her mind.
“What are your interests, your hobbies? A favourite book or food. Anything you feel will give me an insight into who you are.”
She bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment. She had several interests - many of which her mother considered unsuitable for a young woman of her standing. Engineering, for one - that was a man’s interest, not a woman’s.
“I enjoy painting,” she finally said, taking another small bite of the apple, “my matron taught me when I was young, though I fear I am not so good at it.”
“Painting? I have known many people who say the cannot paint, and yet they are excellent at it. I am sure you are the same.”
Clara laughed, feeling the corners of her mouth tug upward despite herself. “I assure you, while I find it fun it is certainly not a talent I own.”
“Nonsense! I must see your work some time, if you permit it.”
Biting her lip, Clara nodded. “If you wish.”
Nobody had ever taken an interest in her paintings before - or in any of her activities, really. She attended horse riding lessons with her sister, but that seemed to be the only thing she had in common with anyone. For someone to genuinely be interested in her art - it seemed too good to be true.
“I am sure they will be the best paintings I have seen.”
Her heart skipped, and she couldn’t stop the smile that graced her full lips. “Thank you. That is a very kind thing to say.”
“There is something else I would like to discuss with you. I know it is soon, and this is only the second time we have met - but we must discuss our marriage.”
Just like that, the cheerful mood was sucked from Clara. She set her apple core down and lowered her gaze, nose crinkling. It was too soon indeed - they barely knew each other!
“What about it do you wish to discuss?” she questioned, voice carefully blank. Moments ago she had been thinking about how handsome Oscar was - but that by no means meant she wanted t go through with this! “If I remember correctly, you said you did not want to rush things?”
He sighed, gently taking her hand in his. “That is true, which is why I wish to talk about it. I feel marriage so soon would be a mistake, regardless of the pressure on us to do so.” He paused as if to think. Dark eyes narrowed and he ran a hand through his hair. “I feel we must take our time, lest we rush into this and regret it.”
Clara could not agree more. She had not wanted this from the start, though she was beginning to warm to him. If they married now, while they were still strangers, it would not be a happy marriage. It had to happen eventually; but eventually did not mean now.
“Yes, I think that too. What do you say we should do?”
“Keep going as we are, and see how it all plays out. I do like you, miss Clara - but I am not sure if this will work in our favour.”
Clara thought of Jessie. Her nineteen year old sister whom Oscar seemed so taken with. Perhaps those two were better suited to each other. “You are right. We do not know each other well enough to tell for sure, do we?” She forced a smile.
“No, we do not. We have plenty of time to get to know each other, however. As much time as we need.”
“Of course.”
“Perhaps we should get to know our future families? I only have my father and a brother, but your family is large. They seem like lovely people.”
He was right. For all of their faults, she still loved them. Her father Samuel, who lit up the house when he was home. Her mother Edith, who was far too strict but did it out of love. Her twin sisters Ruby and Pauline, who were cheeky and fun. And of course Jessie, who was just like her father.
“My family is very kind. I know my father would love to meet you formally - in fact, he will probably demand it very soon. My mother is no doubt going to plan some kind of dinner for us all.” She smiled at the thought. “Jessie will be there of course, and my twin sisters if they can make it. They may even bring their own husbands.”
Oscar smiled at this and took a sip of wine. “That sounds wonderful, I must admit. I am always so busy; a dinner like that would be appreciated greatly.”
Clara smiled back, a delighted grin that almost reached her ears. “Perfect! I am sure my mother will be glad you are so eager.”
The only problem with such a big event was that Oscar and Jessie would have the chance to converse. She did not want to deny either of them the chance to meet of course - but Oscar already liked her so much. Jealousy had never been a trait she had, but now it creeped up on her, threatening to spill over.
“Enough talk of future dinners and what is to come. We should be enjoying this moment - with the sun shining and the cool breeze tickling our hair.”
Clara nodded, dispelling any negative thoughts. Whatever the future held, she would deal with when it happened. For now, she just wanted to enjoy a nice picnic with an even nicer man.
It was strange, how quickly she had settled into his company. Not long ago she had screamed at her mother for trying to marry her off. Now, it did not seem like such a terrible outcome. Oscar was a good man.
“I look forward to meeting your family officially. Your mother seems like a lovely woman, and I am sure your father is an equally kind man. I should like to meet Ruby and Pauline, too.”
“What of Jessie?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“Jessie, too, perhaps the most of all.”
Though Clara knew asking was a bad idea, she still felt the heavy disgust swimming in her stomach. Of course he wanted to meet her the most.
Chapter 4
Dinner. The longer Clara waited, the harder it got. She had mentioned it to Edith when she returned from the picnic, and from then on it was all her parents talked about. So, for the four days she had to wait, it was agony.
Four days was enough time for Clara to sort out her head. She came to two conclusions; one, that she greatly enjoyed the Duke’s company and was interested in courting him; and two, that she was going to have to say something about Jessie.
She allowed one of the maids to help her dress - a beautiful red dress with long sleeves and a pinkish pattern along the skirt. She hissed in a breath as the corset was pulled tight, relaxing once the strings were adjusted.
“There you are miss. Your family is waiting for you downstairs. The Duke of Somerset will be here soon, I believe.”
“Thank you Anne.”
“Do you want me to do your hair, miss?”
>
“I shall do it myself. You may leave.”
Clara twisted up her hair as the maid left - a high bun secured with a glittering diamond hair piece.
A moment later the maid knocked on the door again. “Excuse me, miss. Ma’am wants you downstairs.”
Oh, her mother was so impatient! With a sigh, she headed downstairs, heels clicking against the tile floor.
The dining room was a long rectangular room with a fire at one side and a door to the kitchen on the other. A huge wooden table sat in the center, long enough to seat twelve people or more. Like the rest of the house, it was decorated in pale creams and browns.
Almost as soon as Clara entered, she was met by a grinning Ruby. The chubby woman snatched her up in a strong embrace, laughing. “Sister! My, it feels like such a long time since we last saw each other.”
“I have missed you Ruby. May I ask, where is your husband?”
Her smiled faded, but she simply shrugged. “He could not make it - urgent business, you know how it is.”
Clara nodded and stepped out of the embrace. No sooner did she do so when Pauline took up her sister’s place, scooping Clara up with ease. “Hello little sister. You have found a man at last - a Duke, too! Wonderful!”
A steady knock on the front door alerted Clara to Oscar’s arrival. Her two older sisters squealed in delight and took their seats at the table, gossiping quietly. Pauline’s husband took his seat beside her, joining in on the discussion.
When Oscar appeared in her line of vision, Clara all but melted. He looked so handsome and regal, dressed in a dark red suit that almost seemed to match her dress. He smiled as he saw her, quickly making his way over to kiss her hand.
“Miss Clara. How wonderful to see you again.”
“Please, you have allowed me to call you Oscar - you must drop the miss. Just ‘Clara’ is fine.”
He nodded and straightened up.
“Now, you must meet my family. My mother Edith, you have already met.”
Edith performed a small curtsy, beaming at Oscar.
“My father Samuel.”
“Just Sam is fine.”
Clara smiled as she turned to her sisters. “my elder sister Pauline Denver and her husband, Adam. Her twin Ruby.”
“I apologize that my husband could not be here, too.” Ruby apologized as both she and Pauline dipped into a curtsy.
“And lastly, my youngest Jessie.” Her voice hitched as she said the name, though she cleared her throat, hoping to gloss over it.
“Lovely to meet you, Duke.” Jessie smiled broadly, as if smiling at the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
“And you. It is good to meet all of you, and thank you for being my hosts.”
Everyone settled into their seats, Clara and Oscar placed opposite each other. She watched him levelly as she sat back, smiling absently. The only problem was his closeness to Jessie - they sat right beside each other.
The servants brought out the first course and everything passed effortlessly. They chatted about idle things - town gossip, the meal, nothing of importance. It felt oddly natural - as if they had been doing this for years. In those short moments, it truly felt as if Oscar was already her husband.
It was not until the main course was served that their marriage was brought to surface.
“So,” Edith began, and immediately Clara knew what was to come, “I had expected marriage arrangements to be put in place before now. Things are not progressing quite as I had expected.”
Oscar and Clara shared a look. She dipped her head a second later, biting her lip. Underneath the table, her hands clenched around the fabric of her dress. “I know, mother,” she replied with a wince, “we have both decided that it is best to get to know each other first.”
“Why is that? You can do so while living married life.”
“Edith, I do not think this is the thing t discuss over dinner,” Sam started - but he seemed to see his wife was not one for listening.
“I am simply stating that the sooner you marry, the better. My daughters can support this, can you not?”
Pauline sighed and nodded. “For us, yes. Not for Clara.”
Pursing her lips, Edith shook her head. “I just think you are being too cautious - both of you.
“If it is not too bold to say, rushing into marriage will not do us good,” Oscar spoke, setting down his fork, “we do not know each other well at all.”
“There is also another reason I think it is a bad idea,” Clara blurted, “Oscar, may I speak to you a moment? Alone.” She simply could not keep this up any more. She had to say something now.
Casting Clara a confused glance, Oscar got to his feet. “Of course. Please excuse us for a moment.”
Clara followed him into the hall, softly closing the door behind her. “I apologize for interrupting our meal, but there is something I need to say. I do not think I could say it in front of my family.” In the back of her mind, Clara knew this was not the time to have this conversation. Her parents were barely a few feet away, expecting them back in only a few minutes. Despite this, she continued speaking. “I know how you feel about my sister Jessie. I do not think it a good idea to continue this when you wish to focus your affections on someone else.”
Oscar stood for a long moment, eyes wide as a saucer. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.
“Please say something. Anything. I know I should not have said this here, but I needed to.” Clara bit down on her lip, feeling the sharp pain on the inside of her mouth. She ignored it.
“I do not know what to say, Clara. Do you really wish to call all of this off? If so, you need only say, not make up-”
“I am not making this up,” she hissed, wincing as she heard movement inside the dining room. She had to keep her voice low so her family did not hear. “That day at the picnic, you kept asking about her, bringing her up. Why else would you?” She folded her arms over her chest, looking up at him with watery eyes.
She should not be so emotional about all of this - less than a month ago she did not even want to meet him. How different things were now that she had actually met him.
Some small part of her brain kept trying to tell her she was being unreasonable. She must give the man a chance to speak, to explain himself - but the bigger part of her, the part that was in charge, did not want to listen to his excuses. If he was trying to keep her sweet, she was not going to allow it.
“I am not angry, Oscar - not really. I would just prefer, if you have feelings for Jessie, to be truthful with me. I do not wish to be made a fool of, especially with almost my entire family in the next room.” Clara pursed her lips, gazing at him for only a second before dropping her eyes to the floor. Although her voice sounded strong and sure, her posture gave away her true feelings. Back hunched, arms crossed, it was clear she was uncomfortable. Who could blame her?
“Clara, I have no interest in Jessie. She is far too young, and it is you who I approached with this marriage idea, not her. Do you believe me?”
Clara shook her head. “You say that, but no, I do not believe you. Jessie is a wonderful girl - much prettier than I am; and she is smart, too. I believe you two would be a good fit. Perhaps more so than us.” The words stung, but she stuffed down her urge to cry. It seemed that this ordeal brought her nothing but grief - she was beginning to think she had been right the first time around, when her mother had first told her and she created a fuss. Nothing good ever came of arranged marriages. Just because it had worked for her twin sisters did not mean it was going to work for her, too
She gazed at him for a long moment, waiting for him to speak. Unlike Clara, Oscar took his time replying, thinking of the best way to phrase what he wanted to say. He was careful with his words; Clara was blunt and never sugar coated anything.
“You think so? I disagree. I think we make a good couple,” he finally replied, and his voice conveyed nothing but pure honesty.
“You say that, and yet it is clear to me the oppos
ite is quite true. Please, let us end this sooner rather than later – I do not want to drag this out.” She paused, anxiously listening to her family inside. It appeared they were still oblivious to this conversation. Good. Biting her lip harder, Clara shook her head. “I do not want this mentioned to my family, not yet. Mother will be disappointed. I still believe we should cancel this marriage, though.” She uncrossed her arms, letting them hang loosely by her side.
Oscar shuffled uncomfortably, slouching where he stood. “Clara, I truly have no interest in Jessie - please believe me.”
“We should go back to dinner, should we not? My mother will become suspicious.”Clara ignored his statement in favour of urging Oscar to agree with her. “Let us pretend this conversation has not happened, please. I shall tell my family the marriage is off on my own.”
“If that is what you wish, then I shall comply,” he agreed with a sigh, rubbing his temples lightly.
Oscar simply nodded, holding himself straight in an attempt to appear calm. He opened the door for her, putting on a smile.
Clara smiled too, for her family’s benefit. It felt forced, strained.
She sat down beside Ruby again, tucking in her chair. She refused to meet any one's eyes as she took her place.
“You were gone a long time, were you not? What happened?”
“Nothing,” Clara replied simply, clearing her throat, “nothing important.”
She glanced up, holding Oscar’s gaze for barely a second before her gaze dropped back to her plate.
The rest of the meal passed. No one seemed to notice Clara’s quietness, or the way Oscar kept glancing at her with dark, forlorn eyes.
Chapter 5
Clara barely left the manor for days. Although Edith and Sam had noticed a change in their daughter’s behavior, she did not tell them what the issue really was. She knew she had to tell them what was wrong eventually - if the marriage was off, they would find out eventually. However, every time she opened her mouth to say it, no words came out.
