Coal Among Diamonds │Benedict Bridgerton

Chapter Nine: Affairs of the Heart

"It's okay dearest, but first please take a deep breath. You are turning either blue or green, but surely nothing resembling your natural colour."

"You know Auntie, I am really not in the mood for jokes," she growled but also realised that she had been holding her breath, so inhaled deeply.

"Great, now talk to me, what are you feeling?" she inquired, eyes fixed on her niece.

"I," Franny started but trailed off as it was hard to put into words the inarticulate screaming rampaging in her head. "I don't know whether I reject the idea of marriage because I am told that it is all I can and must have, or because I truly do not wish to marry."

"Hmm," Lucy nodded with an understanding glint in her eyes. "You might believe that you are alone in the world with this dilemma, but let me tell you, you are not. Countless people do not necessarily wish to marry for several reasons. Perhaps, you are not yet ready, or you are simply not interested in men, maybe you do not want to settle for one person, or it is equally likely that you are afraid of what the marital act entails. We will find the time to talk about that, but not now."

Franny's head snapped up. If she was sure in one thing, it was that one man would be more than enough in her life. Also, she wasn't entirely clear on the baby business.

"Will we find the time, Aunty?"

"Of course. How could you have autonomy over your body and choices if you don't know how it works?" she replied in an earnest, determined voice. "Albeit, I reckon that Lord Wetherby offered you a mutually beneficial agreement rather than a genuine marriage proposal, did he not?"

"He did," she muttered and was too distracted to question how her aunt came to that conclusion, "I would be free to pursue my art, he would be free of courting and we could share a life if we wanted to, but no children. It all sounds reasonable, but I, I..."

"Franny," Mrs. Granville grabbed her by the shoulder, partly to get her attention and partly because she has been shaking like a leaf, "It's okay. We will go home and talk it through with Henry. Has there been any obstacle the three of us has not managed to overcome?"

Franny wrinkled her forehead, "Well, there was that one time when I almost burnt the whole,"

"We do not talk about that," she snapped in a playful tone and Franny finally chuckled.

✦

"Go on, tell Henry, I will make tea," Mrs. Granville gently pushed her niece forward and slipped out.

Franny sat down on the arm of the sofa and surveyed her uncle for a few minutes in silence. She noted to herself how he frowned in concentration, also a habit of hers as she has been told, and how his hands alternated between light and strong strokes. She noticed the spot of charcoal on his jaw which he had probably stroke unconsciously. Watching him sketch has calmed her nerves down to a point where she could say in a steady voice, "Lord Wetherby has made me a marriage proposal."

The charcoal stick stopped abruptly in his hand as heavy silence fell between them. Mr. Granville's chest rose slightly; he knew that he could no longer bide his time and the moment came to be honest with his niece. Without saying a word, he poured some whiskey to himself and offered a glass to Franny as well. He sat down and signalled to his niece to do the same so they would be on the same eye level. Puckering her brows, she reluctantly accepted the glass and hopped on the sofa, knowing that some grandiose secret was about to be unfolded.

"Lord Wetherby and I are in love," he declared in the same tone Franny introduced the news of the marriage proposal, and the statement hung heavily in the air. Franny's jaw fell, but before she could decide about her next step, he continued.