Page 72 of A Single Obsession

Apart from the passionate kiss they had shared on the night Romeo had been stolen, but he hoped he would be forgiven for not mentioning that.

Mr Merry nodded and gave him a slight smile of approval.

“Do you love Eliza? Will you look after her and be faithful to her? When you marry, you are making promises—important promises—before God. They are not to be made lightly.”

“Eliza is very dear to me,” Beau said, growing red in the face as he struggled to get the words out. It seemed strange to acknowledge his feelings to her father when he had failed to express them to her. “You need not fear that I’ll continue in my…bachelor ways.”

“Does she hold you in affection?”

“I believe so, sir.”

“As head of your household, will you lead Eliza and any children you’re blessed with to follow the Lord by your own example?”

Beau hadn’t expected that question. He wasn’t sure he could lead anything, but with Eliza beside him, maybe he could. “I’ll try.”

Mr Merry gave him an encouraging nod. “A willing heart is all I ask of you. We are all learners in the school of life. How will you provide for your wife?”

This was the bit Beau had been dreading. “On my marriage, I come into my father’s estate with an annual income of over £5,000.”

“Are you sure you don’t wish to wed my daughter in order to get your inheritance?”

Beau closed his eyes briefly, gulped hard, and then opened them again. He looked Mr Merry in the face and admitted the truth.

“I won’t lie to you, sir. I did not intend to marry this year, but my circumstances make it desirable. It did not take me long to realise that Eliza was the woman who suited me above all others. Please believe me when I say that even if it was no longer necessary for me to take a wife, I would still ask for permission to wed your daughter.”

“You’ve surprised me. I had not expected such honesty, or such tact. I know well that your mother controls your fortune, and that it is she who is forcing your hand. You could have blamed her, but you did not. You did not have to admit your need for money, but you have. If you have been honest about this, then I am inclined to believe you when you say you care for my daughter. You have matured a good deal since my last interview with you in this room.”

He stretched out his arm. “I trust we can leave it to the solicitors to draw up the settlements.”

Until that moment, Beau had not realised how unsure he was about gaining Mr Merry’s approval. He let out a tremendous sigh of relief and took the outstretched hand.

“Then you give your permission?”

“I do,” he said, looking Beau in the eye. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Meanwhile, Eliza was being subjected to an interview of her own. After the gentlemen had left the room, her mother took her outside for a private talk, away from Hetta’s ears. Eliza appreciated her thoughtfulness, as her youngest sister was prone to offer her opinion, whether or not it was asked for.

“Is this match what you truly want?” her mother asked, as they walked down the garden path, arm in arm.

“Yes. It’s what I’ve always wanted—or at least, for as long as I can remember.”

Her mother didn’t reply, but the pinched look on her face suggested she wasn’t convinced.

“You needn’t fear I’m in love with a dream. I know Beau isn’t perfect, but I see the man he can become with a woman who loves him and believes in him. You must see we are well-suited. Neither of us is bookish nor clever with words. We are active, outside people who both adore horses.”

“Hmm. His passion for horses is no secret, and horses—especially racehorses—are expensive, but to be obsessed with the racecourse may prove even more costly. Gambling drains the deepest coffers. Are you certain he wants to marry you for the right reasons and not just to get money to fuel his obsession?”

Eliza swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at her mother’s words. They were fears she had fought in her own mind, time and again.

“Beau does not gamble like other men,” she said, focusing on the issue she could deal with most easily. “He knows horses and makes sound bets, and assures me he does not wager what he can’t afford to lose.”

“Very well. I’m not keen on wagers of any kind, but it is the way of the world. But what about his character and feelings? Does he share your faith? Does he love you? Do you trust him?”

Eliza avoided the first two questions, but answered the third without a moment’s hesitation. “Yes, I trust him.”

Her mother paused her walk and looked her in the eye. “Marriage is a monumental step. It is for life. You are promising not only to love, but to obey your husband. You must be sure of the character of the man to whom you make those promises. If you find you are mistaken—if anything shakes your belief in Beau before that moment when you vow to be faithful forever—do not push on regardless. Better a broken engagement than a lifetime of regret.”

“I’ll remember,” said Eliza with a little laugh, wondering what had prompted her mother to say such a thing. It was absurd to imagine her ever changing her mind about Beau.