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“Serena, you shock me!”
“Why? You brought up the subject,” she snapped.
“Well, as to that … it has nothing to do with the fact that she shouldn’t be flaunting her situation here at the ball. I have even heard that she and her parents were not invited, and yet here they are!”
Serena frowned. “If they were not invited, how is it no one in the Merriweather clan has asked them to leave?” She waved this consideration off. “It must be that they were invited, and I applaud the Merriweathers for their kindness.”
“Not so, Serena. You are an innocent—”
“I am not,” she cut in. Was that not what she had just taken affront about with his lordship? She almost chuckled but said, “Why should you think they were not invited?”
He indicated with his chin. “Look there—one of the servants has been sent to escort them out of the ballroom. Dear me … how unfortunate. It appears we are about to witness an ugly scene. Why ever did they come here?” Eustace said, frowning with obvious disgust.
At that moment a commotion broke out.
A shout was heard, and Serena turned to find a young man whom she knew to be Wendell Merriweather, only son and heir to the Merriweather title and fortune, rushing forward. “Get your filthy hands off her!” he snapped at the servant who had taken Sarah Delmore by the arm.
A hush went around the room as Wendell reached Sarah and the servant bowed himself out of the way.
“Sarah, Mr. and Mrs. Delmore, I beg that you will forgive me, my cowardice. I ask no forgiveness for my parents as they do not deserve it.” He shook his head. “I had thought I must put my father’s wishes above my own, but I have come to realize that I can’t. I simply can’t. His wishes are wrong.”
The young woman’s adoring, sad eyes looked up at him, and it suddenly dawned on Serena—Wendell Merriweather was the father of Sarah’s child!
Of course! It was why the Merriweathers had not put them out of the ballroom. They had been worried lest Sarah name their son as the father of her child. They must have been overcome by the whispers and sent the servant to see the Delmores out of the house.
Wendell suddenly went down on one knee before Sarah and begged, “I would that you could find it in your heart to forgive me. I adore you, Sarah, and would be honored if you would accept to be my wife.”
“Oh, Wendell … I would, but I fear you do not really want me,” Sarah said haltingly, as though only she and young Merriweather were in the room.
No one spoke. The music had already stopped. No whispers could be heard. Everyone watched and listened as though it were a tragic love story being enacted for their benefit.
“I was a fool,
but no more. I found it difficult to disobey my father, but, Sarah, I am my own man. I love you. I love the child we have made together, and I want you to be my wife. I promise to be worthy of you and spend every single day from here on proving to you that I love and cherish you and regret these months apart.”
“Oh Wendell …” Sarah said and tugged on his hand. “Do get up.”
“Do you accept?”
“I do,” she said softly.
He took off his insignia ring and slipped it on her finger, and they laughed nervously as it spun freely around her delicate finger. “I shall be cut off, without a sou … but I have a trust fund that is solely mine. We shall manage very nicely with that.”
Sarah’s father put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You will not be cut off from us. I think, however, whatever else you two young people have to say should be said in private. Do come along.”
The little family held their heads up as they gave their backs to the world and started off.
Some of the gentlemen in the ballroom began to slowly clap their hands, and Serena felt a tear flow down her cheek.
Freddy had rushed to her side in time to hear Eustace proclaim, “Disgraceful. The lot of them, disgraceful.”
“You mean, of course, delightful, I think,” Serena told the reverend sharply.
Freddy bent over her hand, raised his eyes to hers, and said, “Was that not grand? True love will not be denied!”
“True love, bah. No, you are both quite out. That young man was brought to point non plus—” Eustace said.
“I do not agree,” Serena interjected. “He did the right thing, as did her parents. It is obvious what sort of situation their daughter must have been suffering, and unashamed they brought her to confront the father of her child, and he did the right thing before all our censorious society. Hang the world, his actions said, and I for one, as did others here, applaud him.”
