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“Hmph. I suppose the lot of you terrorized your poor governess.”
“You might make that plural, my lord. I admit that one or two may have left on my account.” By the way she smiled, Seb wondered if she wasn’t proud of the fact. Her esteem in his eyes just rose several notches.
“Is that so? I suppose you don’t have anything to offer a prospective suitor.”
Sebastian winced at his grandfather’s haughty tone, but it didn’t seem to faze Lady Calliope. “What I have to offer doesn’t matter, because I don’t intend to marry.”
“That’s preposterous,” the marquess returned adamantly. “A woman must take a husband.”
“I suppose that would be true for my sister, Araminta, who just wed the Earl of Somers, or perhaps my younger sister, Olivia, who recently married the Duke of Gravesend. I have no such designs.” Sebastian grinned as she accepted her drink from the serving maid with a bright smile. She was equally gracious when their food was brought out. “But if you are still searching for any unique qualities I might possess, I fear they do not extend to embroidery or watercolors. I abhor reading, but I do enjoy the society columns and admiring the latest fashions from Paris. Of course, I also have a particular interest in searching for rare fossils.”
Sebastian glanced at his grandfather, but he could tell the subject was far from being closed. As they began to consume the fare before them, the conversation continued. Sebastian added little to the exchange but listened quite avidly. It didn’t take him long to learn that she had no compunctions in handling a gruff man like his grandfather, nor did she back down from any debate.
“The study of science is best reserved for men who are familiar with the art,” the marquess snapped.
“I’m sure you believe that to be true, because you haven’t been taught any different,” Lady Calliope countered evenly, as she took a bite of her chicken. “However, I don’t share the same sentiment. It hasn’t taken me very long at all to see that Miss Mary Anning is quite knowledgeable about the fossils she studies. I was also told that many of her works have been published in various articles and essays, but because she is a female she is never given the credit she deserves. Do you think it fair that she doesn’t get the proper recognition?”
The marquess hit his cane on the floor. “A woman’s place is not amongst politics! It isn’t proper.”
She shifted her focus back to her plate. “And who says it’s not? The men who don’t wish for change?” She shook her head. “The world is altering around us every day, my lord. If we continue to live in the past, we should never experience anything new, and wouldn’t that be a shame.”
Sebastian couldn’t stop from raising his glass in salute. “Well said, my lady.”
His grandfather shot him a disdainful glare. “I should know that you wouldn’t take my side in this debate,” he growled. “You have always been forward in your ideals. I am grateful that I won’t be alive to see this entire country crumble before my eyes, the values that were installed in me ground into dust.”
Sebastian would have retorted, but Lady Calliope interjected before he could do so. “Who is to say those same values can’t be respected and cherished as before? Just because women might be allowed to have a voice doesn’t mean that England is doomed. In America, people are starting to see the need for these same freedoms.”
His grandfather’s face turned almost purple. He threw down his serviette. “You speak of treason to the Crown as though it is something to be revered!” he spat. “Or do you not recall how that blasted country was founded?”
“I would never condone treason,” she returned firmly. “But I do respect those who fought to seek a different way of life. What about when suggestions are made and voted on in Parliament? Politics are necessary, but that doesn’t mean they are never altered.”
“It’s hardly the same,” he grumbled.
“Isn’t it?” she returned boldly. “Nothing shall ever be resolved unless there is someone courageous enough to speak up. While I don’t yet have the power to have a voice, I hope that someday, that will change and I, too, can express my opinions.”
“You seem to do that readily enough now,” the marquess shot back, but when Sebastian glanced at his grandfather, he saw a decided spark of respect in his gaze.
Since Sebastian didn’t wish for the situation to escalate out of control, he decided it was best to intercede. “I think that is enough politics for one evening.” He took a sip of his wine. “Shall we discuss the weather?”
Lady Calliope’s green eyes sparkled with mirth. “How very diplomatic of you, my lord.”
He chuckled. “I suppose it comes from years of sparring with my grandfather.”
The marquess merely mumbled under his breath.
