Page 6 (1/2)
“Why do you feel that?” she asked, feigning disinterest; her bitter expression canted towards the stones, ar atop her chest in disappointment
“The ed words with that man, particularly in front of a proper woman like yourself—”
“Please,” Anne interjected “I’ve no interest in whether you regret your words and thoughts simply on the silly, broken principle of social impropriety A man can show to the world whatever face he likes, and I’d support him in that,” she bristled “It’s not a matter of whether it’s socially iht” Her response clearly caught the gentleht response
“I had not hed
“I take no offense to the manner of your speech But if you feel as blustery about the nature of women, and your belief in their position in society, as your friend the earl, then I’ve nothing else I feel co herself in a whirl away to search for Se, and an escape from this disaster
“I don’t!” Lawrence called after her,at him over her shoulder Conflict brewed in her chest She had already evaluated the duke as a rather terrible liar, and he seeenuine in his claim; she had sensed earlier an unease within him about the earl’s brash choice of words “The Earl of Carteret is, begging your pardon,swine,” he said, the rather unassu quite a bit of work into his insults She held back a snicker She couldn’t deny that he had quite a char side to him
“And if you hold those beliefs, about women, then why did you inherit your estate over your sister? As a e that silly belief,” Anne excoriated hier in her expression “And yet you simply saw fit to take your family’s fortune and titles instead”
“I… m’lady, the world we function in, it’s a co chances of leaving the exchange with Anne on a positive note
“And you think it possible that you, a man in a position of power, could explain precisely to me just how coestion “You do not think a woman like myself has already faced all of those complications, and many more than you could hope to conceive of?”
“I… m’lady, I had not led
“You had meant that you found it inconvenient to lobby for the inheritance of your sister over yourself, and that you had no interest in doing so,” Anne retorted sharply “I certainly cannot blame you - the system that we’ve built up for men like yourself has certainly helped you to do quite well, hasn’t it, m’lord?”
“I had no interest in inheriting over my sister, in point of fact,” the duke exclaimed rather uncere into his voice “I did not think myself completely worthy of the position And yet, father wanted it that way - when he passed, neither ainst his wishes, or the old-fashioned manner in which he saw that such decisions needed to be hed “We are sometimes prisoners of our own opulence, of the success of our families”
“What do you know of being a prisoner?” Anne struck back “I’ve my own shackles under which I labor - and I’h just as heavy as the burden upon your own shoulders Those burdens of wealth and title, mostly certainlysarcase, to…” she took a deep breath “Of the manner in which this society treats wo across the rows of carriages; a cool breeze passed between them as Anne quietly lamented her situation “I shall not think you know the curse a woular, while also fighting to maintain her own independence”
“I… apologize, ned himself, full of pained dread “It was presumptuous of me to assuood eve, then,” he said with a defeated nod She watched hi for her not to let hiainst her heart
But she did not call out to him Instead, he disappeared with shoulders slue wheels and cabins, and Anne breathed out in dusky disappoint elemental when she saw hied those pleased laughs over her confusion She knew hi, and she had discovered him to be honest