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r /> “No.”
“He will. Ryan is no fool. He saw you as a woman. If he was annoyed, he would have stayed with father and told him to make sure you keep your hands to yourself or something. He didn’t. He came after you instead. That must mean something, mustn’t it?”
“Yes, it means he wanted to warn me not to do anything like it again,” Sian countered.
“What are you going to do? If you stay here, you know father is going to try to force you to marry Cedrick.”
“Well, I refuse. I won’t ever stand at any altar and say the words that force me into matrimony to that fop. I would rather die.”
“Don’t say that.”
“But those are the words you said to father when he said you were to forget any acquaintance with Isambard,” Sian reminded her.
“I don’t care what anybody says, I am going to marry Isambard.”
There was such strong defiance in Martha’s tone that Sian didn’t doubt it. “Have you made any plans?”
“What? To elope?”
Sian winced when she saw Martha’s eyes light with interest. She knew then that Martha hadn’t considered it but was now. “Don’t do anything foolish. I don’t know what father would do. You don’t want him to cast you out of the family or anything.”
“Isambard has assured me that he can afford to look after us both.”
“But-”
“His father has said we can live in a small house a distant relation has just vacated. She died, apparently, while visiting a cousin’s in London or something. I am not quite sure. Anyway, the house is empty, and Isambard’s father has said we can live there.”
“Where is it?”
Martha frowned a little.
“Where, Martha?”
“Mirreylow.”
Sian’s brows rose. “That’s ten miles away.”
“Yes, but it is only a couple of miles away from Isambard’s workplace. He can walk to work, and I can stay and look after the house. He is an apprentice, Sian, and has found a kindly employer who is prepared to pay him well while he works himself into a better position.” Martha stared hard at her. “I don’t care what anybody says. I am going to marry him and that is that.”
“It is a lot of work involved in living in your own house. What will you do? I mean, Frances won’t be there to cook, help clean, or anything.”
“I can manage,” Martha replied proudly. “Frances has been showing me a few tricks.”
“I am not saying you can’t, but what are you going to do with your day? It sounds terribly lonely,” Sian countered. “Have you thought about that? Isambard is going to be out at work all day.”
“I can get work somewhere, as a seamstress or something. We can make this work, Sian. I know we can. There is nothing we cannot do if we truly want to be together.”
Sian looked at the hope and desperation on Martha’s face and didn’t have the heart to say anything else that would quash her sister’s enthusiasm and youthful dreams.
But Martha isn’t youthful, she is two years younger than me.
Sian closed her eyes. “There is nothing that two people cannot overcome if the love is strong enough,” she whispered.
“Yes, that’s right. Well, Isambard has made plans and has thought everything over. He has done his sums and has said his wages can provide for us both. He has tried to speak to father, but you know what father is like.”
“You are going to run away with him, aren’t you? But you cannot run ten miles, Martha. What will you do if father finds you? With Cedrick looking to marry one of us, there is always the chance Father could force you back here to marry Cedrick yourself.”
“I would rather die,” Martha protested vehemently.
