ROMANCE: Romantic Comedy: Love in 30 Days - The Best Plans Don't Always Work! (Plus 19 FREE Books Book 13) (16 page)

              “But why won’t you just give him one more chance.”

              “Because she doesn’t have to mother!” Julia stood up and screamed. Eloise and her mother both looked at Julia in surprise.

              “Julia! Sit down this instant and have some manners. Don’t you dare speak to me that way again. Now, Eloise, will you at least consider it?” Eloise looked at Julia, took her hand and squeezed it. It was her way of saying thank you for sticking up for her.

              “Mother, I have something I need to tell you.”

              “No, Eloise. Don’t.” Julia said.

              “What is it Eloise? You know you can tell me anything.” This was not entirely true but Eloise had already decided that it was the only option that was left. She wouldn’t be able to hide this forever.

              “I’ve met a man.”

              “What? You’ve met a man? So that’s why you have no interest in Anthony. Well, I have to say, I guess that is a relief. I couldn’t understand why you were being so stubborn. I’m sure he’s a wonderful man if you have chosen him over all the others. I dare say though, where on earth did you meet him? I haven’t seen you around any other men these days. Oh Eloise, this is exciting.” Eloise glanced again at her sister and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

              “What’s wrong? Why are you both looking at each other like that? What aren’t you telling me?” her mother demanded.

              “Mother, please don’t be upset. The man that I met works at the fair. His name is Hudson Talbot.” She was about to say more but her mother interrupted.

              “At the fair? But how is that possible? I was with you girls the whole time.”

              “Um… well the truth is mother that I wanted to go back, so I snuck out that night.” Eloise made sure she didn’t bring Julia into the conversation, but Julia stopped her.

              “Mother, it was my idea. I practically forced Eloise to go with me. You know that is not something she would ever do by herself. I made her go with me. We only stayed an hour, and when we left we were stopped by two men who wanted to harm us. But Hudson came and saved us. He’s a real gentlemen mother.”

              “Oh my goodness,” her mother looked as if she was going to have a heart attack, “You girls snuck out without my permission. And then what happened Eloise? How did you see this man again?”

              “Well, I snuck out again. Without Julia. I didn’t even tell her. I’m sorry mother. I just wanted to see him again. I have never felt this way about anyone before. Never. He’s a good man mother. I promise.”

              “He works at the fair?”

Eloise looked down and mumbled, “Yes.”

              “So he lives downtown then?”

              “He does mother, but just because he doesn’t come from a rich family doesn’t mean he’s not a good person. In fact, he’s a great person.”

              “But you had to sneak out to see him? What does that tell you? That tells
me
that you were embarrassed to be seen with him.”

              “Not at all mother. I’d be proud to walk around with him. You know that I have never worried about social statuses like you and father have. The only reason I snuck out to see him was because I knew that you would not approve of him. And it seems I was right.”

              “Oh Eloise. I did not ever expect this from you of all people. You were always the one that I had the most hope for.”

              “Oh well thanks mother.” Julia muttered.

              “I’m sorry Julia, but you know it’s true. I always thought that Eloise would be the one to find a nice man and settle down soon. Of course, I was pushing for Anthony, but even if it wasn’t him I still expected it to be someone like him. Not a simple commoner. That was the last thing that I ever expected. Oh your father is going to be so disappointed when he finds out.”

              “Mother, please can you just meet him. You’ll change your mind when you do. You’ll see that he’s a wonderful man. I know it. Mother, I love him.”

              “You LOVE him? LOVE? Oh Eloise you’ve only just met him.”

              “Didn’t you always tell me that it only took you a few days to know that father was the love of your life?”

              “That was different.”

              “No mother. It’s the same. Please, just meet him.”

              “I’m sorry, but I will not. I forbid you from ever seeing him again.”

              “You FORBID me? You can’t do that. I will run away then.”

              “Eloise, I want you to go to your room right now. You have a choice. It’s either him or us. You cannot have both. If you promise me that you will never see that man again than I will welcome you into this household and never speak of it again. But if you decide you still want to see him then I’m afraid you are not welcome in this house any longer.”

              “Not welcome? In my own house?”

              “It’s your choice Eloise.”

Eloise pushed her plate away from her. Her food remained untouched but she was not hungry anymore. She got up and ran to her room. Julia followed her despite her mother warning her to stay behind.

She flopped onto her bed and Julia came up to her and hugged her.

              “Oh Eloise. I’m so sorry. But you did the right thing you know. I’ve always wanted you to find something or someone you are passionate about. I’m glad you stood up for yourself. I love you and I’m proud of you. So very proud of you.”

              “I love you too Julia. What am I going to do? I don’t want to leave home. I don’t want to leave you. But I don’t want to leave him either. I feel like nothing I choose will be the right choice.”

              “Do you really love him?” she asked.

              “I really do.”

              “And does he love you?”

              “He does Julia.”

              “Then you know what to do.”

Eloise walked out the room and walked to her mother who was still sitting at the kitchen table.

              “Mother, I find it very sad that you would deny me of my own happiness in place of your own. I should hope that one day I will never treat my child in the way that you have treated me. I have loved and respected you and father ever since I was born, and yet the moment I find someone that I love you refuse to let me have it. I don’t want to have to choose. I don’t want to leave home. I’m happy here. I love it here. I love you and I love father and most of all I love Julia. Julia, who has been by my side forever. You have always made it perfectly clear that you prefer me over her, and yet she has never once held that against me. But now I see that Julia was right all along. She was the one that always stuck up for her believes, even if it meant going against your wishes. I love Hudson Talbot. I don’t want to settle for some man that bores me to tears. For a man that spent the entire evening telling me about his hobbies and never once asking me about mine. For a man that cares nothing about the world and only about himself. I would rather be with the man that has shown me that there is more to life than social standings. I love him mother and I choose to be with him. How you choose to proceed is up to you.” Eloise took a deep breath and then walked up to Julia.

              “Julia, I love you. You’ve always been my better half. Thank you for always supporting me and for allowing me to always be myself. I might not be allowed back in this house, but you will always be allowed in my life. Always.” She reached out and kissed Julia on the cheek and then went to her mother and did the same. “Mother, you will always be allowed in my life too.”

Then she walked out. She walked all the way to the fair, where she found Hudson working. She stood for a while, just watching him. He was not afraid of hard work or getting his hands dirty. He was not afraid of doing what he had to do in order to survive. He was a good man. A kind man. No matter how much money he had or where he fit into society. He saw her staring at him.

              “Eloise. You’re here in the day time. What happened?” She was never one to easily disguise her feelings and it must’ve been written all over her face.

              “My mother made me choose.”

              “Oh Eloise. I’m so sorry. That couldn’t have been easy for you.”

              “Hudson, I chose you. I’m sorry. I just realized that I didn’t even give you a chance to be a part of this plan. She won’t let me back in the house. Which means I have to stay with you. I didn’t think this through. I didn’t even ask you if you were okay with that. Oh what was I thinking!” Eloise put her face into her hands and started sobbing. Hudson came forward and took her hands away, holding them instead.

              “Eloise! Are you crazy? You’ve made me the happiest man alive. I will go meet your parents if you don’t mind. Maybe I can get them to change their mind about me. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try. You’re still with me no matter what. And really, for me, that’s all that counts.”

              “Really? You’ll go speak to them?”

              “Of course I will.”

              “You’re right though, I doubt they’ll even listen to you. But you’re wonderful for even trying. Either way, I’m with you Hudson. I don’t care what type of life I lead, as long as I’m with you. Moving with you is the easy part. The hard part is leaving Julia.”

              “Well,” Hudson said with a mischievous grin, “I do have a brother you know…”

Eloise burst out laughing and linked hands with him, “You do? Now that, I have to say, sounds like a wonderful plan!”

*** THE END ***

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Book Five

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TO MARRY FOR MONEY

By Sarah Styler

Eliza was unsure what it was that her family were about to tell her. Her mother sat at the table, her father behind. Their house was by no means unruly or disordered, but she was not used to this level of formality from her own parents. Her younger siblings had been sent to bed and she was left alone to contend with whatever serious news they had. She eyed them nervously, wary of their grave expressions. Smoothing her skirt, she took a seat across from her parents.

“Elizabeth,” her mother began. Already the nervousness began to build, her full name being used so rarely that it elevated the tension in the already formal situation.

“You are now a young woman, and as our eldest child you are ready to take the next step in your life towards becoming an adult…” Eliza sighed, pushing locks of dark hair back from her face. She should have seen this coming. They didn’t think that she was ‘proper’ enough for an 18 year old. A woman, they called her. She would not be that until they gave her freedom, and she doubted that was what this conversation would bring her. Immersed in her thoughts, she was barely listening until a word caught her attention.

“…marriage to an eligible suitor.” She was jolted out of her day-dreaming into the reality of this conversation. The look of confusion and shock on her face must have been apparent even to her mother. “Elizabeth, have you been listening to a word I’ve said?” Again, Eliza did not have to speak for her mother to understand. She sighed heavily, disappointed yet unsurprised.

“Listen this time. You will go to your Aunt’s house –“

“Winifred’s? I can’t go there! You know what she’s like. We barely make conversation, I can hardly stand to be in the same room as her. You can’t possibly expect me to…” A glare from her mother informed her that it was no longer her decision and she trailed off, lowering her gaze.

“She is my sister, and you will not speak of her in such a way.” Eliza immediately regretted speaking out of place. However much she liked her independence, she hated to upset her mother. Her father sat down, and she held onto the hope that she had not disappointed him too. She knew he shared her opinion of Winifred, if only when he was away from her mother.

As he began to speak there was a note of urgency present in his voice. He was a calm person, so she wondered what could be wrong. “Eliza, Aunt Winifred and her circle are very… Well, they have a lot of status in society. You are our eldest child and we feel that it is time for you to ascend from our position. We have a life here, but you must try and find some way to better yourself. The people whom Aunt Winifred associates with could help you do that, and we think that a marriage to someone of prominence could help all of us.” Though he avoided saying it directly, she understood. Her family had never been wealthy, but they had always got by. Lately, times were getting tougher and she should help in any way she could; it was her duty. Her parents had no son, so the responsibility of the family fell to her. From now on, she had to focus on raising the status of her family in society.

Her eyes filled with tears as she realised what this meant for her. “How soon am I leaving?” She thought of all the memories she had in this house, with her siblings and parents. Winifred’s echoing house and its emptiness seemed desolate and cold in comparison. She could not live in a place without a heart. But she would, for her family.

“You leave next Monday. We’re sorry, Eliza. But it is the best thing for both of us.” Her mother and father walked over, each kissing her on the forehead and leaving her at the table. She was left alone with her tumultuous thoughts. Marriage had barely been a consideration for her this morning, and now it was something her family were depending on her for. Her hands were rough, her hair unruly and it was unusual to see her in finery. The world of dinners and dances was for Aunt Winifred and her ilk, not the daughters of poor traders. She would try, but she doubted she would succeed.

***

Monday came, and Eliza said her tearful goodbyes to her family. Her sisters crowded around her, not wanting her to leave – they did not yet understand why she had to go. She knew they would, in time. Waiting for her was a carriage, courtesy of her Aunt. As she was driven away she felt a new sadness wash over her. It was not just her family she was leaving but her whole childhood. Memories surged back to her. The light fading softly from the sky as she watched her sisters swim in the river; her first attempt at cooking, the disaster making her and her mother laugh for hours; her father teaching her to read in front of a flickering fire. As wonderful as it had been, she still wished it could last longer. Everyone was kind and gentle to her. She had a feeling that the people Winifred associated with would be less so. Moving on into a world of the unknown made her feel unprepared and scared.

The carriage travelled out of the town where she had grown up, past what seemed to be endless rolling fields and paddocks. She had never been this far from home before. A strange sort of peace came over her as she gazed out of the windows at workers in fields and animals grazing. Every step of the horses took her further away from her old life and closer to her new one. 

When she woke up, it was an inky black outside and the carriage was jolting to a halt. They must have come a long way. Her eyes were bleary and everything felt stiff. The carriage door opened with a creak and there stood Winifred, accompanied by a footman, as was her style. Her face had retained its permanently pinched look, all the features drawn into the centre. Even at this late hour, crinkling noises and a rigid posture told Eliza that her Aunt was wearing a formal gown.

“You look awful,” she said by way of a greeting. Barely awake, Eliza opened her mouth to retort but thought better of it at the last moment. “Hello Winifred,” she said, hoping that her aunt could not see her face, which did not exactly ooze serenity at the moment. “Well, how much luggage do you have? I’m sure Frederick will have no problem carrying it.” Eliza passed her one, battered suitcase to Frederick. Winifred appeared thoroughly unamused, watching him carry the single bag with disdain. “A whole carriage for you and you think it fit to only bring one bag.” It seemed that to Winifred, poverty was equated with impudence. Eliza was not surprised that Winifred was already finding fault with many of her qualities, but she would have to bear it. “It was all we had,” she said, looking down at Winifred from the carriage. A noise of disapproval was the only response she received.

After Eliza hopped down from the carriage - incorrectly, she was sure – Winifred showed her some of the house. It was rather confusing, a mass of dark corridors and vacuous rooms. The house staff seemed to be everywhere, ready to help with already easy tasks. Despite their unnecessary positions, Eliza thought they seemed much friendlier than Winifred. The sheer amount of disapproving glances she had fielded in just this evening was alarming, and she hoped they would not persist throughout her entire stay.

***

Waking up the next morning she looked around in wonder. How did Winifred live here all by herself? Eliza had walked through many corridors of guest rooms before arriving at the one that was to be hers. A four poster bed stood in the centre of the room, which was complete with a writing desk, window seat and dresser too. She changed into a plain dress and opened the curtains. Rows of beautifully tended trees, flowers and hedges met her eye. The sky was grey and overcast but the garden still took her breath away.

Looking in the large mirror as she passed, she decided to hurriedly try to control her hair, the dark curls of which currently looked as though they were flying away. After a few minutes of struggling with a brush and hairpins, she gave up and rushed down the stairs to go outside. The butler smiled at her as she ran out the door, the sudden influx of energy to the house providing a pleasant change to the atmosphere.

The outside air welcomed her with a cool breeze. The leaves on the trees rustled, the branches seeming to open their arms to her as they bent with the air. She felt that this garden, so rich and full, was a good omen for the days and weeks to come. Wandering over the soft grass, relaxation came easily. It was a stark contrast to how she felt inside the house. Daydreaming and wrapped up in her thoughts, she relaxed onto a bench as the clouds grew thicker.

Thinking she was alone, she began to sing to herself, but her reverie was broken by a low voice. “You sound beautiful,” it spoke. Looking around her, she could not find the source of the sound, when a man hopped down from a tree holding a pair of shears. His hair was tucked into a cap and he wore trousers and a shirt covered with dirt.

“This is your garden?” she asked. A smile broke over his face and he began to laugh.

“No, but I do like to help out sometimes. Winifred is a friend of the family.” She smiled, unable to imagine her aunt being friends with anyone vaguely related to him.

“Well, I think it’s lovely.” Her wide eyes and compliments proved too much for him and he looked away, a flush spreading to his cheeks. He turned away and went back to tending the garden. Unsure what exactly she had done wrong, she watched him tend the garden for a few minutes more before walking away. Had she been too forward?

She had often been accused of being unladylike, and resented herself for it. It was something she had so often tried to cure, but it seemed it was ingrained in her personality. She hoped he would not hate her for it, and that it would not prevent her from achieving what her parents wanted. Winifred she knew would dislike it, so she would have to be careful to stay as proper as possible during this trip.

She walked back through the winding paths and swaying trees, forgetting about her encounter with him as she was again in awe of the plants. At the doorstep she stopped to admire the garden once more, when a voice came from within the house.

“ELIZA!” Suddenly Aunt Winifred was at her side, dragging her back into the house. She seemed out of breath and her face was twisted into a frown when Eliza turned to face her. “The servants told me they saw you going out in your nightclothes, looking like some street urchin. I had to run to come stop you, what were you thinking? You could’ve been seen by someone important and ruined your prospects.” Eliza seemed to want to speak, but stopped and reconsidered. She had thought her aunt might have been angry that she had spoken to the man in the garden, but it seemed she wasn’t. Confusion fell across her face as she considered what her aunt was telling her.

“But this is my day-dress. The garden looked so beautiful this morning that I wanted to go out and look at it – what have I done wrong?”

Winifred shook her head in disgust. “This is the dress your parents saw fit to send you here in? We’ll have to fix this before tonight. And your hair!” She tutted and waved a servant over. “We’d better give the girl a bath, Bella.”

Eliza was furious at being spoken about as if she was not in the room. “What’s tonight?”

“Tonight is your first dinner in society, where we’ll see how difficult it really will be to find you a suitable husband.”

Equal parts reluctant to accept Winifred’s way of life and determined to succeed to spite her, Eliza’s more stubborn side won over and she decided that she would at least attempt to be her best at this dinner. Relenting, she allowed Bella to bathe her and dress her in what must have been one of Winifred’s old dresses. Mustard yellow and ostentatious, it was everything that she despised. She looked awful. Her skin looked pale and washed out and the dress bulged in the most hideous of places. It was constricting and included many undergarments which Eliza was not used to wearing. Walking around gracefully in this dress would be near impossible. She felt as though she could not breathe.

Bella was now brushing her hair into a tight braid and pinning it against her head. Eliza felt sure that it would look just as ridiculous as the dress. She sat patiently, gazing around the room and out the window, to the garden she was still in awe of. Looking in the mirror she saw with surprise that the intricate braids framed her face well, suiting her in a way that was very different to her usual style. The formality of the piles of curls made her face open up and turned the focus to her large brown eyes. She thanked Bella for such a beautiful hairstyle and then she was left alone with her reflection. She blinked, suddenly unsure of herself. This dinner was not something she was prepared for, but she would try her best.

She made her way downstairs to get Winifred’s approval. With every step she took the dress felt heavier and more cumbersome. Taking a seat in the sitting room, she smoothed her skirt, every minute which passed making her more nervous for Winifred’s arrival. It was past noon when she finally arrived, and Eliza had steeled herself for the insults. None came. Winifred looked her up and down with a curt nod, told her not to slouch, and left as briskly as she’d come. Eliza sat there, stunned, and wondered what she was meant to do now.

***

The dinner arrived almost too quickly, as Eliza had discovered the house’s large library and resolved to spend her time there. Browsing the wide range of books, she had nearly forgotten about the dinner until Winifred had to drag her away. They welcomed guests together, Eliza trying her best to put on a fake smile and appear the gracious hostess. By the time they sat down to eat, Eliza could not remember a single name of the numerous men whom she had been introduced too.

Winifred, on the other hand, knew every single name and took it upon herself to introduce Eliza to as many men at the table as possible. Everyone within sight was pasty and boring, the men virtually all wearing similar items of clothing. Women were few and far between, and she was sure she would break some rule if she were to speak to them. It seemed that everyone was in a good mood, with laughter and joviality around the table. Eliza tried to add to the happy atmosphere, but wound up only feeling more sad and aching for her family. She felt as though she were destined to fail in this hopeless quest for marriage. It seemed that she did not notice the eyes on her body, these approving glances which Winifred made sure to count.

She sat through the many courses of dinner, amazed at the sheer amount of food brought out. The range of it was something she had never seen the like of in her small hometown. She ate with relish, though she was still attempting to follow the right etiquette and make small talk with the thoroughly dry and uninteresting man sitting across from her. His name was Jonathan, Winifred informed her with more enthusiasm than Eliza had believed she was capable of, after nudging the too into an awkward conversation. She nodded politely as he regaled her with some tale of a hunting trip gone awry, carefully ignoring his stares at her body, which she was taking care to hold in an upright position thanks to Winifred’s advice.

At a lull in their conversation – of which there were many - Eliza noticed that Bella was serving them food. Bored by everyone else at the dinner party, she struck up a conversation, thanking her once more for the beautiful hairstyle. She felt that Bella was one of her only companions in this entirely different world, and that it was appropriate to thank her for this. It seemed the dinner party thought otherwise. A hush fell over the room, and the stares turned to her. Realising too late, she looked into Winifred’s face and saw utter shock and disappointment. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she blushed and looked away, but found she had nowhere to turn. Everywhere, they were watching and judging her for her mistake.

Eliza excused herself hastily, ashamed and confused at what she had done wrong. There were many unspoken rules in this new world, and she felt that she was breaking all of them. Winifred was trying to teach her, she knew that. But it did not come naturally. Nothing felt natural or right here. Immersed in her thoughts, she was halfway to her room before she realised she was being followed.

“Eliza, are you alright?” A young man spoke, his brown eyes full of a caring she had not felt from anyone since leaving home. Waves of thick golden hair fell around his face, almost as unruly as her own. He appeared genuinely worried, his brow creased with emotion. His clothing did not seem as pristine as the other men’s, showing wear around the elbows, and his cravat was loose around his neck. It was only after this consideration that she realised where she recognised him from – the garden! She had watched him and smiled this morning, and had not recognised him in his formal attire. When she asked, the servants had told her he was the son of a nobleman. Yet, for some reason she doubted Winifred would approve. But there was something about him that she liked. It was in those eyes, she decided. He seemed real in a way that these other people did not.

She looked up at him for what felt like hours, but he did not look away. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but it seemed she was struck dumb by their encounter. Had he asked her a question? No memory of it came to her mind, she was so wrapped up in this moment. Deep into his eyes, she held his gaze without fear. This was different to her awkward encounters with Jonathan. Here, silence felt right. They made themselves known to each other in the thoughts and feelings communicated through this gaze. Instead of not speaking because she had nothing to talk about, here she had simply found a mode of communication preferable to speaking. There was no need for talking, and thus there was nothing awkward in this silence.