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“Marriage…” Judith grumbled. “I knew that grimy girl was just trying to get her claws into this family.” At these words, Edward saw red, and the thought of abandoning his characteristic peacefulness flashed into his mind…but before he could so much as open his mouth in protest he saw Helena extend a hand, shushing her sister once again.
“Of course you are right that it is no business of ours whom you…ahem, marry,” said Helena, her tea still untouched. “But it is not on our own behalf we come to you with this demand—”
“Demand?” he repeated, feeling his outrage grow.
“—but for your poor family,” she finished. Judith nodded her assent, returning to her usual continual snickering.
“What does my family have to do with this?” Edward asked through gritted teeth.
“Come now, Mr Morton,” Helena coaxed. “A man of your stature, marrying a maid? And a bastard-born child of adultery as well? What would your poor mother have to say about such a creature marrying her son—an intelligent young man, with so much potential to raise his family’s standing in London society?”
“She would be scandalized!” said Judith.
“And your father as well. I cannot imagine either of them would ever consent to such a pairing.”
Edward shook his head fiercely to dismiss these claims…yet he could not shake the image of his father’s disapproving face, his mother’s tearful accusations of squandering his potential. Despite his father’s friendship with the old Duke, they had been so contentious even about his taking up this guardianship in lieu of pursuing his own career or marriage to as noble a daughter as could be found for him.
What would they say if they knew how I care for Clara? he asked himself, as he had every time he awoke in the dark of night for the last few weeks.
Then he shook his head again. “Your concern is touching, my ladies,” Edward said brusquely, moving to stand from his seat. “However, it is still no concern of yours. How I shall reconcile my actions with my parents is not for you to weigh in upon, and I shall thank you not to bring the matter up any further. Now, having spoken your piece, perhaps I can be of some assistance in helping you return—”
Unmoving in her seat, Helena froze him in place with a look. “Mr Morton, your family is not the only one that will be harmed by your shameful liaison. Have you forgotten about your charge—our brother, the Duke?”
Edward glared down at the women. How dare they try to drag poor Christopher into this? “What about him?” he hissed.
“Sir, you know as well as we do that there’s no place for this sort of terrible business in the house,” Helena explained slowly, as though to a particularly slow child. “Not when our dear brother needs so much help from his legally appointed guardian.”
“And pray tell, just how does this matter affect Christopher?” Edward asked, lowering himself reluctantly back into his chair.
Helena and Judith exchanged a look of mock disbelief. “Mr Morton, I do hope you are not so negligent in your duties as guardian that you do not realize just how much His Grace needs all of our support at this moment? His guardian’s, most of all?”
“You are aware of those duties, I assume?” Judith chimed in. “What have you been spending your time on over these last months? I should think Mr Finch would like to know.”
Edward leaned back with a soft smile. “Here now, I fear you have overplayed your hand. You clearly have no idea just how seriously I have taken my role as guardian. Financial and legal matters, correspondence, social engagements on behalf of the St. George estate, appeals from tenants and workers, seeing to His Grace’s education and wellbeing…the work really is endless. Ask anyone—Mr Finch, Mr Fletcher, any of the household staff—they will all tell you that I work until late in the evening every day to meet His Grace’s needs.”
Helena smiled wickedly, sending a shiver down Edward’s back. “Precisely. And just how do you expect to have time to take care of all of that work while you are distracted by mooning over Miss Clara?”
With each word that assailed his ears, Edward wanted more and more to do nothing but overturn the table, kick his chair over, and throw these terrible women out by their collars. But instead all he could do was sit and listen and seethe.
“But even apart from the matter of time…” Helena continued. “Just think of the scandal that would plague poor Christopher if news of your little romance gets out.”
“And it will get out.” Judith laughed. From the glint in her eye, Edward unmistakably took the meaning of this jibe.
Helena gave a false gasp of sympathy. “Just think of it. On top of having the duties of a Duke so recently thrust upon him at his tender age, while still mourning his father and reeling from the knowledge of that father’s indiscretions? And now, just as he is beginning to heal, to have him pushed into the limelight by another sordid scandal?”
“Oh, poor Christopher!” Judith said, putting her hands to her cheeks in a mockery of horror.
“Think of what this could mean for him. When he assumes the powers of our father’s seat, everyone will be whispering that he’s the one whose house was taken over, whose fortune was stolen, by that corrupt guardian and his bastard half-sister. His social status will be utterly ruined.”
Judith nodded. “No parent will want their daughter to marry him. No other nobleman will be seen with him. And you can forget about any invitations to royal gatherings!”
“It’s such a pity, really. But that’s just the world we live in. After all,” Helena cooed, “people can be so very cruel. Can’t they?”
Fingers clenching into fists, fury burning in his eyes, Edward found he had no words to defend himself against this possibility. In truth, he had feared just this very thing from the moment Clara had first kissed him in the salon.
“So you can see, there really is no course of action that is acceptable except to give up this tawdry affair immediately,” said Helena, leaning back with a triumphant smile. “After all, you did promise our father you would put Christopher’s wellbeing above all else, did you not? I cannot imagine he would have named you guardian if you did so swear, or without at least an understanding that would be the case.”
Edward ground his teeth, his eyes narrowed into menacing slits.
