To Love or Hate?

The loss of her mother's diamond bracelet was devastating for Emma. That bracelet meant everything to her as her mother had given it to her on her deathbed. And now it was gone...taken by the very man who had swept her off her feet. How could he do that to her? Or, more importantly, how could she have been fooled by him? Clearly, he had just been using her and nothing he had said was true. He was nothing more than a con man and she had fallen for his charms and his tricks. But why, if he was only fooling her, had everything felt so real? She hated him for what he had done to her and vowed that if she saw him ever again that she would make him pay for taking her mother's bracelet.

The next few days she remained in her room mourning the loss of the bracelet and not wanting to go outside or do anything. The pain she had felt over her mother's loss had returned with this loss and she found herself missing her mother even more. Not even her dogs could cheer her up though they had tried.

That evening Helen and Emily were...decidedly quiet as they helped Emma remove her dress and prepare for bed. Helen had seen her with the blue-eyed man. Seen how she looked at him and Emily saw ‘the kiss’. For Emily, since she was marrying the Duke she had hoped that Emma would give an earnest try into loving him. There was so much debauchery and betrayal in the world she wanted something better for Emma. They looked at one another as Emma paced and kept fingering her wrist. And she’d seemingly go from furious to sad and then touch her lip as if she were remembering something pleasant too.

“Well, he seemed to give to your father what he was given Emma, we both saw it on the street. Emily harrumphed at Helen from bringing all that up now. She didn’t think it was a very good time for it. This continued on for days and the girls could do little to break her from this odd melancholy that they knew she was feeling. On the third day a missive arrived. Emma’s father Thomas rushed up the stairs and announced that the Duke wished to marry her sooner than later. An oddity to be sure but it could also mean that he really didn’t want to be without her as well.

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The Duke poured himself a drink, his brother Hamlun took a sip from his and they sat across one another in his study. He had just received word that another ship had been attacked. The men surrendered but not before all of his property was taken. It was The Golden Wolf...Again!

“That...that man!” The Duke exclaimed angrily. “He’s bleeding us dry Hamlun!” he growled. “This needs to happen, NOW!” he shouted and threw his glass. It crashed against the far wall, the tan liquid staining several books and items on a nearby shelf. His chubby cheeks were red and he paused then his eyes shifted to his brother. Hamlun saw his look and swallowed nervously.

“Uh, arrangements have been made Nathan...we only need pick a place for the conference. I have it on good authority that Mormont’s ship often port in the south in...Sussex,” he said. “There is a report there that should serve for what you want to do,” he said and wiped his brow. Nathan could be...difficult sometimes he knew and didn’t wish to gain his ire. “Good, good,” the Duke said. “My…’marriage’ should happen soon,” he said. “She is a beautiful woman…” Hamlun said and the Duke looked at him and then smiled. “Aye, she is, her father…” They said and chuckled and shook their heads. “Desperation makes a man do odd things sometimes,” Hamlun said. “Do you intend on making her Duchess of Cumberland?” He asked curiously. The Duke smiled darkly at him. “Ofcourse, it will drive up sympathy for our cause brother,” the Duke answered and Hamlun smiled as well and saluted him with his drink.

Emma was confused as to why the Duke wished to move up the wedding. There didn't seem to be any real need for it that she could see and it only made her more suspicious as to why he wanted to marry her in the first place. Something didn't seem right, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Finally, she decided that she just needed to go see her father. She bathed and dressed and left her room for the first time in days and walked down to his study. She knocked and waited for him to respond and walked in.

"Father, I wanted to talk to you about the Duke. Has he mentioned why he wants to move up the date of the wedding? It seems rather strange to me. There is no reasoning for it."

Thomas had been looking over the ledgers, there was a stack of them on his desk when he heard Emma come in. He stood politely for a moment then sat again as gentlemen did for women. “Ah, Emma, it is good to see you out and about,” he said. When she began though his mirth subsided as he listened to her concerns. He didn’t answer her immediately, but he also thought it odd but then remembered how she looked that night and this...this hoodlum that tried to have at her.

“I won’t deny that it’s odd but...he did see you at the ball and then this...this man tried to have at you. He likely is concerned that his wife to be might be in danger. From him or even perhaps, yourself. Obviously your...virtue means alot to him,” he said honestly. “People who were dancing seen alot, it seemed,” he said in little more than a murmur as he wrote in the ledger.

Emma was surprised by her father's response and she wasn't entirely sure how to respond at first. She found herself becoming both angry and upset at the possible reasoning.

"I don't understand Father. Does the Duke think that I would have slept with this man? I don't even know him and I wasn't expecting him to kiss me like that."

Thomas looked at Emma and scowled. “Certainly not! I raised you better…” he began than moderated his tone. “No...no, that’s not what I meant at all my dear. A man who cares for a woman can be somewhat...possessive about her. Does anything more than being kissed have to happen?” he reasoned. “Maybe he is just anxious to have you by his side,” Thomas said. But it might be clear to her that what he meant was…’sleep with her’. But, was that so bad to have a husband who desired her in that way? She’d be rich, have authority as a Duchess AND have a powerful husband who desired her and was anxious to be ‘with’ her. True he was overweight and needed a bit of housebreaking to be sure but he looked and felt solid. And the ring he gave her...it was amazing and she knew she looked at it often.

Emma sighed and wasn't entirely convinced by her father's reasoning. She paced a little bit back and forth in front of her father's desk as thoughts swirled around in her head.

"I just don't understand Father. Why does the Duke want to marry me? Yes, he said he has admired me from afar, but he is rich and powerful and could have anyone. When he proposed his speech seemed...rehearsed. Don't you think this whole thing is a little strange?"

Thomas didn’t look at her right away, he paused as he looked down at his ledger. The tip of his pen dripped a spot of ink on a value and he didn’t seem to really care, this time. He looked over at her. “He is a widower without an heir. He is under pressure from his family as eldest son, he is an extremely busy man who needs your help daughter. And you are very young, healthy and beautiful. “He will likely want to start a family soon,” he added but also he was confused as well. There was...something that didn’t sit right with him. Something he was missing but it escaped him right then and he sighed.

“Emma, might this...doubt have something to do with you just don’t want to marry him? I’m certain anxiety and doubt are easy to find when you don’t want to do something. Have you changed your mind about this?” he asked. His face was neutral she saw and also a little concerned.

Emma sighed and rubbed her left arm as she continued to pace back and forth. "No, I have not changed my mind. I will honor my promise to marry him and I will bear his children. I just...I can't help but feel that something else is going on. Perhaps it's just nerves, I don't know, but it's how I feel."

She stopped and looked at him. "I suppose I also feel bad leaving you here alone."

Thomas sighed and shook his head. He looked and felt sad about her going but someone had to pay for his mistakes. And she was already paying. None of this was fair, his wife dying, his son, her officer...none of it. It was like a bad dream that he could never wake from. But someone had to pay he knew.

“I have to stay and keep your birthright in good order. I’ve left it all to you, the house, the land, every stone,” he said sadly. He wanted to cry but he managed to hold it all back for her sake. Perhaps you will visit...when you have time,” he said and smiled over at her.

OOC-Where did we want to go from here?

ooc-the wedding? or just after?

OOC-I say after the wedding.

ooc-sounds good. i want to go into some specifics on the wedding night to create a contrast between the duke and Silas.

OOC-Sure, that's fine.