Defiant Heart Read online

  It was not fair that all the eligible men in the area were duped into believing she was a Belington, when she was not worthy of even marrying a Belington. Therefore, she had decided she would never marry. If Uncle Hector would not allow her to marry Teddy, whom she was very fond of, and she knew Teddy loved her, she was not worthy for anyone to marry, she decided.

  A tear slowly slid down Eleanor’s cheek, just as a tap came on the door, and Nelly stuck her head in. “Papa wants to see you downstairs,” she told Eleanor.

  Eleanor quickly wiped the tear away and hoped it was not about her kissing Teddy on the dance floor. She was certain no one but Dutton and Teddy had seen her kissing Sir Percy, so she didn’t think that would come into the conversation. Even so, being reprimanded by her uncle was becoming a regular occurrence lately.

  “I am about ready to come down,” she told Nelly. “Come in and tell me whether you had an enjoyable time last night,” she invited her cousin.

  Nelly stepped into the room and looked around. “Papa seems upset. What ever did you do?” she asked, as she shut the door.

  “Other than kissing Teddy on the cheek…”

  “You know how that infuriates Papa. He has already told you there is no chance of him ever allowing you to marry Teddy.”

  “I don’t want to marry Teddy,” Eleanor confided. “I love Teddy, but only as a sister loves her brother. It is the fact that he would not let me do it, if I truly did love Teddy that galls me! He does not think I am worthy to marry his own son, even though he and your mother practically raised me. It is only because he doesn’t know my background, so how does he expect to pawn me off on some other suitable man? I should just go marry a beggar and everyone would be happy!”

  Nelly giggled. “And then Papa would probably scold you for wanting to lower yourself to such a choice,” she pointed out.

  “Yes. It seems there is nothing I can do to please your papa. So how was your evening?”

  “Dull as usual. Only elderly gentlemen asked me to dance, and when a younger one did ask me, I couldn’t think of a thing to say to him. Anyway he kept going on and on about you, and wanted me to tell him more.”

  “And who might that have been?” Eleanor asked, raising her eyebrows, and giving Nelly a stare.

  “A Sir Percy Macomb, I believe. He was rather good looking, but all he could do is watch you all night.”

  “That must have been before he approached me with a challenge, but I will tell you about it later. I don’t want to keep Uncle Hector waiting.”

  Eleanor and Nelly walked down the hall arm in arm, and then went down to the drawing room where Uncle Hector was waiting. He waved Nelly away and motioned for Eleanor to come forward. Eleanor gritted her teeth in preparation of his likely onslaught.

  “Sit down,” he said almost kindly, and Eleanor sat on a high backed chair.

  “I had a visit from a Sir Dutton Galesburg this morning.”

  Eleanor widened her eyes. It was just like Dutton to try and cause her trouble.

  “He informs me that you were throwing yourself at his guest, Sir Percy Macomb, at the dance last night. I saw how you were shamelessly kissing Teddy, and Dutton claims you were kissing his friend in the garden, willingly, it appears. For someone who refuses every man…”

  “Apparently Sir Dutton managed to leave out the part where I slapped him,” Eleanor cut in. “Sir Dutton Galesburg himself tried to take advantage of me and he probably encouraged his friend to do so as well.”

  “You danced the last three dances with him,” Hector pointed out.

  “Isn’t that the purpose of a dance? To dance with men?” she asked, suddenly jumping to her feet. “You want me to chose someone, and the moment I show any interest, I get reprimanded for it?”

  “Well that is the whole point to this conversation. I was just trying to find out if you are truly interested in Sir Percy, because if not, I have other plans for you.”

  “I only danced with him, Uncle Hector. And he kissed me, it’s true, but it was to get back at Dutton who bet his Hunter Percy could not kiss me, and since I have a very low opinion of Dutton, I decided to put him in his place, and make him lose his horse.”

  Uncle Hector started to laugh. “I am sure Sir Dutton was very disappointed in losing his Hunter, and perhaps that is the reason he came to me, in order to put you in a bad light. But I am getting rather tired of your games, Eleanor. You are too old to continue playing them. So I will put it to you. Either you discover if Sir Percy is really interested in you, and it wasn’t just a case of winning a horse, or here are your other choices. I already know of a man who wishes to have a wife, sight unseen. He is very dashing. Just your sort. Owns a fleet of ships. If Sir Percy is not serious, I plan to offer you to Sebastian Brentwood. If you refuse that, you have one month to secure a position in a acceptable household, because I am about ready to wash my hands of you.”

  “Uncle! You would not insist I marry a total stranger, sight unseen! And once Sir Percy discovers I have no real Belington blood in my veins, even if he is interested in me, he will not have me. Don’t you see that is why I don’t ever bother to encourage anyone? I am not even good enough to marry your own son, and I must inform you that he asks me almost every day.”

  “Theodore is throwing himself at you? That settles it. Make your choice, Eleanor. I will not have you leading my son on with your kisses and living under the same roof as him. He is much too vulnerable, considering he thinks himself in love with you. You are not planning to run off together, are you?”

  “Of course not. I don’t want to marry Teddy. He is the one pursuing me. But the fact that you disapprove, hurts me, Uncle Hector. I thought you loved me.”

  Lord Belington looked sadly at his adopted niece. She was so beautiful. She would make any man a good wife, if she would only settle down long enough to consider it. But she was right. The only man who would marry her without any questions asked would be Sebastian Brentwood. He was not a blue blood. He came by his money through enterprise. He only cared for beauty and someone who knew how to run a household of the upper class. He wouldn’t care who her ancestors were. But getting her to agree to marry him was another question. How much of a fight would she put up, he wondered? He would hate to see her having to work to support herself. It just wasn’t fair to the girl, but he had nothing else to offer. She could not remain in his household for the rest of her life.

  “I do love you, and that is why I am willing to set you up with someone who would accept you and give you the kind of life you deserve. You have lived the life of privilege and therefore you need someone who can continue to give you the kind of life you are used to living. Sebastian has money, if not a title, and he cares little about what people think, the same as you. He needs a wife, and you need a husband. It is as simple as that. He will be here in three weeks, and I expect you to have an answer for me before that time is up.”

  “You say he owns ships?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Yes. In fact one of them will be docking soon. And he is coming to inspect it before it sets off again. I have already informed him that you might be suitable for him, and he is anxious to meet you.”

  Eleanor frowned. “It seems you have everything in hand, uncle,” she said in a low voice.

  “I hope you do not create a scene when he presents himself,” her uncle cautioned.

  “I would not dream of it, Sir. Apparently my destiny is already fixed, since I have no other choice.”

  “You could always discover if Sir Percy Macomb is as interested in you as he pretended to be last night. I saw you dancing with him and he seemed…”

  “That was all an act, Uncle Hector. We were playing Dutton on.” But she could not dismiss the kiss he had given her, and in spite of herself she started to blush.

  “Then I will leave you to make up your mind,” he informed her, and left the room.

  “I heard my father wanted to talk to you,” Teddy said, as he poked his head in the door. I know about Dutton visiting
him this morning. What kind of trouble is he trying to cause?” He walked over to where Eleanor was staring across the room. A stunned look was on her face. “Well?” he questioned, when she did not answer, let alone even look at him.

  “Uncle Hector is going to marry me off to a merchant marine,” she whispered in a tight voice.

  “What!” the word was explosive, and he bent down immediately and knelt at Eleanor’s feet, taking her hands in his. “This cannot happen! Run away with me, Eleanor and we will beat father at his own game!”

  Eleanor lifted one hand from his, and placed it on Teddy’s cheek looking into his eyes. “I love you, Teddy. But I love you as a brother. I could never marry you, even to spite your father. You would hate me eventually, because I don’t think I could ever match the love you think you feel for me. Don’t punish yourself, Teddy. You deserve better than me. Not just because I don’t have a true name, but because you would be short changing yourself.”

  “No, Eleanor. I would love you enough for the both of us.”

  “While being at odds with your father for the rest of our lives? No, you don’t want that, Teddy. I don’t want that. I would rather marry some stranger, like your father wants, than to make your life miserable. I love you too much to ever do that, but not enough to try and build a marriage on it.”

  “So you are willing to marry this stranger?” He searched Eleanor’s face with his eyes.

  “Either that or support myself in some way on my own. You father suggested I see if Percy was interested in me.” She began to laugh. “Imagine that! Once Percy knows the truth about my birth, he would have nothing to do with me.”

  “Perhaps you are judging Percy too harshly,” Teddy suggested. “I tell you what. I will feel the fellow out. See if he really is interested in you.”

  “Don’t you dare, Teddy. The only way I would allow it, is if he knew about the circumstances of my birth. The daughter of a maid and a nameless man. And if he wasn’t interested, you can be sure that between him and Dutton the story would be spread in every direction. You can’t tell him, Teddy, and his only interest in me would be because he didn’t know anyway. I would not pull the wool over his eyes either, and make him believe I am someone I am not.”

  “You didn’t mind playing false games last night. I saw how you kissed him,” Teddy murmured.

  “That was different. That was not for life. Marriage is for life, Teddy.”

  “Which means if you marry this merchant, I will probably never see you again, and you will be stuck with him for the rest of your life,” he moaned.

  “Perhaps that is true,” she said quietly. “But maybe it is for the best,” she breathed. “At least he doesn’t care who I am.”

  “I know what we can do. I will hint to Sir Percy that you are interested in him. Let him take you out a few times and see how he feels, then somehow you find a way to break the truth to him. I am sure by that time, he will be so madly in love with you, he will not care a tupence if you have blue blood, or green, for all that matter.”

  “You are such a romantic, Teddy,” she smiled.

  “I love you, and I know who you are. If he really loved you, he wouldn’t care,” Teddy insisted.

  “You know nothing,” she laughed. “Not everyone is as sweet and loving as you, Teddy.”

  “Just let me do it, Eleanor. If it doesn’t work, then at least we can say we made an effort.”

  “If you insist, but I am not going to hold my breath,” she informed him.

  “Good. I think I will talk to him today. How much time do we have before Papa banishes you off to that merchant marine?”

  “Three weeks, I believe,” she told him.

  “That doesn’t give us much time. You will have to see him every day to give him a chance to really get to know you. He will certainly offer for you then.”

  “At least you have faith in me,” Eleanor said sadly. “Do as you please, but don’t be too disappointed when it doesn’t turn out the way you planned.”

  “Would you marry Percy if he asked you?” Teddy asked. “You aren’t any more in love with him, than you are with me.”

  “He kisses nicely,” is all she said, and Teddy frowned.

  ***********************

  “There you are,” Teddy called over to Sir Percy, as he came into the club. “I was hoping you would show up.”

  “Really? I don’t think I have had the pleasure, but I do believe you are the cousin to that beautiful woman who helped me win a certain Hunter, from Dutton.”

  “Yes. That is what I would like to talk to you about. I was in the garden last night when…”

  “Please don’t tell me you have come to call me out. The kiss was only…”

  “No. Come into a private room with me. I think we should talk,” he motioned to a nearby door, and started walking in that direction.

  “Very well. You do not look like you are angry. Dutton tells me you have designs on your cousin.” He followed Teddy into the room, and Teddy closed the door.

  “Actually, I have been asking her to marry me since she turned sixteen, but to no avail. However, I think she actually likes you. After all, she was willing to dance with you three times in a row and kiss you in the garden. She has not even done that with me.”

  “But you do know it was all over a wager. I asked to see her again, but she has turned me down.”

  “I don’t think she meant it,” Teddy insisted. “She is so used to turning everyone down, it comes as second nature to her, but knowing Eleanor like I do, I believe that if you called on her, she would not turn you down a second time.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Percy wanted to know.

  “Because I love my cousin and I want to see her happy. My father is trying to marry her off to someone she has never met. Better to find someone that she actually likes a little bit, than to…”

  “Dear me, I am not in the marriage market, old chap,” Percy said, suddenly striding across the floor, and sitting down on a settee. “What are you trying to do here?” His thoughts shot out to Glenda and the fact that he was practically betrothed to her.

  “Oh. I am sorry. The way you were kissing my cousin last night… I thought you were interested in her. She is of a marriageable age, you know, and she seemed to like the way you were kissing her.”

  “She told you that?”

  “As a matter of fact, she said you kissed very nicely,” Teddy told him truthfully.

  “And yet she said I couldn’t call on her.”

  “But that was before she discovered my father’s plans. You wouldn’t want her marrying some merchant marine, would you?”

  “A merchant marine? Isn’t that a little beneath her?”

  “Not as far as my father is concerned. You do know she is my father’s ward. He has looked after her most of her life, and he has decided it is time she get married, and since she has turned down most men in the area…”

  “What makes you think she won’t turn me down as well?” Percy asked anxiously. He had heard too many stories about the woman that no man could get near to, from Dutton, and he was beginning to feel intrigued.

  “Because she has run out of time, and you are the first person I have seen her with that she even pretends to like.”

  “How absurd.”

  “Yes, well are you interested or not?”

  “The thought of marriage had not crossed my mind when I…”

  “But she is beautiful, so what is there to balk at?” Teddy quickly put in.

  “I know many beautiful women.” And some not so beautiful, he thought as the face of Glenda came to mind.

  “None like my cousin Eleanor. The very fact that she would participate in that ridicules wager you had going with Dutton, shows you what kind of spirit she has. She is very exciting to be around. There would never be a dull moment…”

  “Which is what I should be concerned about,” Percy admitted.

  “I guess she is just too much woman for you then,” Teddy said. “Sorry I
bothered you about it.” He started to walk out of the room.

  “Since you put it that way…” Percy said almost under his breath. “I will come calling tomorrow. No promises, you know, but I wouldn’t mind spending some time with her, just to discover how exciting she really is.”

  Teddy turned. “I hope you do not have ulterior motives,” he said harshly. “Do not be planning on taking advantage of her, or compromising her in any way. If that is the case I will make sure you marry her, whether you like her or not!”

  “Steady there. I am a gentleman, above all else. I wouldn’t lay a finger on your cousin. Not against her will, anyway.” And since he was very adept at getting women to swoon in his presences, he was sure he could woo her with his charms, and have his way with her, in spite of the risk.

  “Just make sure you don’t,” Teddy said between clenched teeth, “Or you will have me to reckon with.”

  “You’ve made your point perfectly clear. Let your cousin and your father know I will be calling on her in the morning.”

  “I hope I don’t regret this,” Teddy said, turning back towards the door.

  “Don’t worry, old chap. I can be trusted,” Percy assured him, as he smiled to himself at his good fortune.

  Teddy left the room, leaving Percy to sort out his thoughts. He had liked the way she was kissing him, the night before, and he knew from Dutton that every man in the vicinity had his eye on her, hoping she would allow them to court her. So why was he feeling so concerned? There was something about the way that Teddy had approached him, and the fact that her uncle was trying to marry her off to a merchant marine, of all things, that made him feel uneasy about all of this. But she was beautiful. He had to admit that. And she was willing to see him, which was more than she had done for any other man around. But of course, now she was desperate. That was what bothered him most. He wondered how much time he had to make such a drastic decision about a woman he had just recently met? Percy took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow. Now what was he getting himself in for, he wondered?