by Rye Hart
“Yes, sir,” Will said.
“You may visit your family during that time, or---are you courting anyone, Will?
Will confessed, bashfully, that he had begun walking out with Lizzie Cantwell, the middle daughter of the Cantwell brood.
“Excellent, I’m glad to hear it. Love is most invigorating. Do you plan to wed?”
Will said that was his wish, but it was early days yet and he hadn’t asked her father for her hand.
“Her father. Yes, of course. You must follow the rules. If you wed her, you can move into one of the bigger cottages on the estate. I hope that you will stay in my employ; you are a valued member of the staff,” Dennison said.
Wil confessed that it was his wish to do so and to continue to help Laverly build up his stables. “Word is, sir, that you’re likely to marry in the coming year yourself. They do say that you were much admired at the squire’s dance.”
“I do intend to marry,” Laverly said. “My bride is not exactly a horsewoman, but she must have the very best that the stables can afford. She must have the best of everything.”
“Yes, sir,” Will agreed, wondering why, if the Duke planned to marry well, he was heading to the Dart cottage. The ways of the gentry were more than he could understand, but the offer of a bigger cottage on the estate would be an added inducement when he approached Mr. Cantwell for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
They arrived at the Dart cottage and Laverly stepped down. ”A half hour, Will. It should take no longer than that.”
“I’ll be back on time, sir.”
Laverly knocked on the cottage door. He was greeted by the scent of lavender as the door opened.
“My lord!” Bella exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to see your father. Is he about?”
“Yes, he is within. Why do you need to see him?” she asked with curiosity.
“Bella, have we guests?”
“It’s Lord Laverly, Father, he’s come to see you.”
“Has he indeed?”
Laverly heard Larkin Dart chuckle. “My lord, welcome. Will you join me for a taste of Bella’s excellent butter cake?”
“I would be pleased to do so, sir, but I have business with you that must be attended to first,” Laverly said.
“I see. Bella, will you leave us?”
“Why on earth should I leave you two? What business can you possibly have?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
“Bella, will you show your father such disrespect?” Laverly inquired.
“I do not disrespect my father,” she challenged firmly.
“Excellent. Then be a dutiful daughter and leave us to our business.”
The silence revealed that Bella was not convinced of his reasoning.
“Bella, my dear,” said her father. “Please do as Lord Laverly requests.”
“I shall leave,” Bella said, plainly irked by the mystery. “But I shall return soon.”
Laverly heard her putting on her winter cloak. “Please return in fifteen minutes,” he told her.
She did not answer, but the slamming of the door gave her response.
Once he was sure Bella was out of earshot, Dennison got down to business. “Mr. Dart, I have come to ask for your permission to marry your daughter.”
“I thought that might be it,” Dart replied.
“You knew?”
“Please to be seated, my lord. Such matters are best discussed sitting down,” Larkin said.
“How did you know?”
“As you have learned, to be blind is not to be insensate. I knew from my daughter.”
“Has she indicated an affection for me?” Lavelry asked eagerly.
“No,” Dart replied, “but she has been disconsolate since she broke off the lessons with you. I knew that she previously had been in excellent spirits when she returned from the Hall, until the day when she came home and insisted that she was afflicted with an ague and was not crying. She has had that ‘cold’ for days, and Bella is always in superb health.”
“I see,” Laverly said with renewed hope. “Do I have your permission then?”
“You have my permission, but it is Bella who must be convinced. She is a proud young woman and she will not marry a Duke only to be held in contempt because she is not of your station.”
“Sir, if we marry, she will be a Duchess and she will bear my children. Can I offer any greater indication of my regard for her and her worthiness?”
“Do you love her?” her father asked.
“I cannot live without her,” Dennison said in response.
“She is obstinate, she is not biddable, and she is independent. She will challenge you. You must not expect a wife who intends to pay heed to the marital vow which holds her to obedience; she is not an obedient woman,” Larkin said, to push the point that Dennison must be sure of his intention.
“She is what I need, sir, and I believe that I am what she needs.”
“Yes,” Dart considered. “I believe you are correct.”
When Bella returned, Dart had donned his winter coat and expressed the intention of stepping out for air. He had closed the door behind him before his daughter could remonstrate with him.
“Bella,” Laverly said. “Will you sit down?”
He had turned one of the chairs so that it faced outward from the table. He heard her sit down. When she did so, he lowered himself to one knee. “Bella, I have asked your father for his permission and now I ask for your consent. Will you be my wife?”
“Your wife? Are you drunk or mad?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
“That’s a fine response to a marriage proposal,” he said indignantly.
“Get up. You look absurd on bended knee like some lovesick swain. You are stepping on my dress and will tear it,”
“You neglected to teach me how to properly comport myself when proposing marriage; it is entirely your fault if I disappoint you. Do I disappoint you, Bella?”
“No,” she said, her voice obscured by what sounded like tears.
“Bella, are you crying?” he asked tenderly.
“I have a cold.”
“That cold is lasting too long. You should summon Dr. Keating for medicine.”
“It will end in good time,” she responded.
“You have not answered me.”
“I cannot marry you.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” she said simply.
“That is insufficient.”
“I do not need to give a reason.”
“Shall I give one then?” He gave her no chance to answer. ”You are afraid to accept my proposal because you fear that you will not receive the respect from the gentry who may consider their breeding to be higher than yours. You fear that you will be shunned because the schoolmaster’s daughter will be the Duchess of Laverly. You fear that you will have to learn new ways and you are accustomed to being the one who teaches. In short, my dear, beautiful, beloved Bella, you are a coward.”
“I’m not afraid of anything!” she cried indignantly.
“Are you afraid of loving me?” he asked softly.
“And I’m not beautiful. You can’t see, you have no idea whether I am ill-favored or fair,” she ignored his question.
Laverly took her hands in his. “Tell me then,” he said. ”Tell me what I would be looking at if I could see you with my eyes.”
She sniffed, and a handkerchief brushed against his cheek as she pulled it from her sleeve.
“I am too short for you. We should look ridiculous.”
“As long as we can reach to kiss one another, our height is perfect.”
“My hair is not fashionable; I do not have ringlets.”
“Then I shall not muss it when I kiss you,” he countered.
“My nose is not demure.”
“Is it overlarge?” he asked with amusement.
“No!” she replied, insulted by his query.
He gave in to his laughter.
“I would not care if it were. But our children might.”
“Children!”
“It’s commonly believed that the purpose of marriage is for the begetting of children,” he stated simply.
“Yes,” she said faintly.
“I shall look forward to the begetting of children with my diminutive, unfashionably coiffed, undemure-nosed Duchess.”
He stood up. “It is at this time that a man who has proposed marriage may expect that his intended will receive his affections with pleasure.”
Laverly bent his head. Her lips were very soft and warm and when he wrapped his arms around her, she followed his example with an embrace that told him that, although she could not give voice to her feelings, her passion was quickened. They were still locked in the same kiss when the door opened to admit Larkin Dart.
“I take it, Bella, that I am to welcome His Lordship into the family as a son-in-law?”
“You are,” Bella said, her voice muffled.
“Might I ask when the marriage is to take place?”
“If the banns are read at Christmas,” Laverly said, “we can be wed in the early new year. I have no wish to wait.”
“But are you sure? You were among your own kind,” Bella said, sounding troubled, the excitement of his kiss banished by the reality of what marriage meant. “Why should you leave?”
“I learned something at the dance. The prattling girls, the invitation to gamble, the meaningless talk about the battle. I found that I am not the one who is blind. You taught me to see, darling Bella, and having viewed the world as it is, I cannot return to a society that lives in a masquerade. I love you. Do you love me?”
Bella flung her arms around him. “I knew I loved you the day I left Laverly Hall for the last time. I have been so wretched without you.”
“You shall return to Laverly Hall as its mistress. And as my beloved Bella.” He returned her embrace with eagerness.
Bella’s father coughed gently. “Your manservant is outside, waiting for you.”
“Will! Yes, of course; I told him to return in half an hour.”
“Were you so sure of me?” Bella demanded.
“Not at all. I intended to abduct you and ride to Gretna Green if you refused me. I merely needed to obtain your father’s willingness to accompany us.”
He kissed her tenderly. She would be his Duchess, the woman who had returned his sight to him. Blindness, he realized, was admittedly a physical condition. But sight was a choice as well, and Bella had offered him the choice to see for the first time, love.
The End
Mystique
Chapter One
Marie Stevens was a good woman in a bad situation. That was always her story. She’d grown up in a small Southern town, and had a certain charm about her. Men fell for her left and right but she’d always been the type of girl who believed in “the one”.
She lived on a small farm with her parents in the mountains of Tennessee. The farm was never meant to be a source of income but she loved taking care of the animals. Marie had a special place in her heart for animals. She almost liked them better than she liked people.
Marie was always a quiet, studious girl who was dedicated to her schooling. She wanted to leave the small town and become a veterinarian. She’d always dreamed of spending her life helping animals.
Her dreams were big and she knew that she could achieve them if she put her mind to it. She could move mountains if she believed she could. People told her that she was meant for great things and she believed them.
While all the girls in her school were busy with boys and prom, she was studying and keeping her GPA near perfect. People made fun of her and the boys she turned down would accuse her of being a lesbian or some other claim that made the blow to their manhood more palatable. It was a ridiculous game, in her opinion, and so she refused to play.
The boys were drawn to her ethereal beauty. All the boys wanted her and the girls wanted to be her, even if Marie didn’t know it. She had long, curly blonde hair that glistened in the light and always seemed to lay across her shoulders perfectly without any effort. Her eyes were as big and blue as the ocean and when she smiled they shined brighter than stars. Her pale skin was never marred with blemishes and her round face gave her an innocent charm that drew people in.
Despite her beauty, Marie’s focus was never pulled away from school. She stayed the course and managed to ignore the advances of potential boyfriends and the pressure to go to parties. Her parents couldn’t have been more proud of her, but that was all going to change her senior year.
Robert had been so damn charming when they first met. His eyes were almost a golden amber color. The closest thing she could compare them to was honey. They were deep and rich and seemed to look right into her soul. She fell for him the moment they met.
Marie enjoyed fairy tales growing up and so she’d bought into the idea of love at first sight. It was how she’d wanted to meet the love of her life. She wanted the storybook romance that she’d read about for so many years.
She was inherently feminine and had denied herself the things that girls looked forward to for her entire life. Marie never went to school dances and she never put herself into the dating pool. She’d focused on more practical things, and as a result she was hungry for the very things she’d avoided.
Robert paid attention to every one of those desires. He made Marie feel like a princess and it was intoxicating to her. It was enough to drag her away from her books and away from her goals. He promised that he would take care of her for the rest of her life. She’d never have to work a day in her life. She’d just stay at home and take care of their babies.
The first time he’d told her that, she’d questioned if it was what she really wanted. She’d had her heart set on being a veterinarian for so long that she couldn’t imagine anything else. Robert convinced her that it wasn’t something worth pursuing. He convinced her that the only way they could build a life together was if she depended on him completely.
Those red flags should have been enough to wake her up. Marie should have run away from that fate as fast as she could, but she was too caught up in her own fairy tale to listen to reason. She jumped right off the cliff, expecting Robert to catch her. She would realize later in her life just how stupid of a decision that was.
Marie gave Robert something that she’d been told was precious. Her virginity. It was another thing she would look back on and scoff at. Her virginity meant nothing. It was something that society had put on a pedestal to keep girls from exploring their own sexualities.
At the time, however, it was a big deal. The first time they laid together she was expecting something wonderful. She expected her world to be changed forever, but it was much duller than that. A few sloppy thrusts and grunts and he came, leaving her unsatisfied and confused. She wasn’t even sure if it felt good, to be honest. It had happened so fast.
All of their encounters following that were pretty much the same. She wouldn’t have her first orgasm until a friend bought her a vibrator as a joke. She had been embarrassed at first, but it became a staple in her and Robert’s relationship. She kept it by the bed for all of those disappointing sexual exploits.
Their intercourse wasn’t completely unproductive. Right after graduation she found out she was pregnant with her first and only child. There was pressure for her and Robert to marry thanks to the old world views of their small town.
That pressure was more than enough to convince them to get married. It was a quiet affair that was put together quickly. Her parents wanted to preserve her dignity and so it needed to be done before she started to show.
It was the first of many disappointments that she would experience in her marriage. Her pregnancy left her unable to go to school and so Robert got the housewife he'd always wanted.
Robert went to work every day and left Marie at home, pregnant and terrified. She hadn't planned on having children for years. Some part of her still wanted to get out of her small
town and see the country, and maybe even the world.
She would have to come to terms with the fact that she was a mother and a wife now and that would define her for years to come.
Chapter Two
The birth of Richard was one of the happiest days of Marie's life, but it was promptly followed by weeks of soul crushing depression. No one ever talked about postpartum depression and so Marie didn't know to expect it.
Her husband was present for the birth of their son but that was where his involvement stopped. Men were expected to work and women were expected to care for the children. There was little cross over.
Thanks to this archaic view, Marie was left at home with a screaming infant and no one to look to for help. Her mother would shake her head in disappointment if Marie admitted to being terrified of the baby or unsure of what she should do.
The gruff, aging woman would tell her to follow her 'maternal instincts'. As a nineteen-year-old woman and new mother, she wasn't sure she had the instincts her mother was talking about.
She felt like a failure as a mother and a wife, not realizing that there were other women around her suffering from the same affliction. They wouldn't talk about it for the same reasons that Marie did not. They were all too afraid of being judged.
Those first few weeks were hell but Marie pulled through and gained confidence as a mother. She felt she was a good mother, though her husband would tell her otherwise on many occasions.
She did her best to cook and clean despite the fact that she hated every second of it. She went to every PTA meeting and every hockey practice. She decorated the house for every holiday and gave out plenty of hugs and kisses.
It wasn’t an act. Marie loved her son. She loved him more than anything on the planet and she was thankful for his happy face every day. He looked so much like his father. He had his golden eyes and Marie’s thick blonde hair. His nose turned up when he smiled and Marie took all the credit for that one. He was a beautiful boy and she adored him to no end.
Her husband, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She’d hoped for a fairy tale life but it didn’t seem like she was meant to live happily ever after. Her relationship with Robert fell apart soon after Richard was born.
