Post by Elizabeth Sinclair on Oct 29, 2017 20:00:53 GMT -5
Elizabeth inclined her head to his reply on advising her when he returned. Clearly, he was someone who preferred to take the burden of oversight onto himself, something she respected. Her father and eldest brother were like that, taking the time to work with and alongside the people of Ashworth. It spoke well for Dederik in her mind as a Count and a landowner. "That would be appreciated, thank you."
The entire meeting carried a surreal feeling to it, Elizabeth felt. After her encounter with Prince Stephane and the subsequent humiliation that was the truth of their so-called betrothal, she did not trust that this wasn't another such attempt. Titled lords had obligations to their names and estates; they did not look to women such as she as anything more than a fling, a little fun before they chose well-connected young ladies to marry and set up their nurseries. No matter how Ambrosia argued for the romance of it, Lizzie was firmly steeped in reality; thanks to the Deverauxs, she'd crossed over into wary cynicism where romance was concerned... and even more so when it came to unmarried men.
Parting her lips to speak, she opted not to be ungracious... yet. No promises were made, nor - if she had her way - would they be made beyond friendship, companionship. Elizabeth was not looking for a broken heart and shattered dreams. If that meant keeping him at arm's length, so be it. She would do what was right, whether he agreed to it or not.
Tilting her head cautiously to the side, she couldn't keep the frown from her face. "Did Princess Antoinette send you?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, but Elizabeth was curious if he was being sacrificed as some sort of amelioration for the game the Princess was obviously playing with her cousin. "You are quite charming, Lord Delamara, and very kind, but if this is some sort of... arrangement at her hands, then there is no need to continue, thank you."
Bound as she was to the chair, she could not bring the interaction to an end by sweeping out of the room. Her sisters were gone, so they could not assist her either. All Elizabeth knew in that moment was that she wished the floor would open and swallow her so she could put this behind her. Poor man - he did not deserve to be used like this... and neither did she.
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Dederik Delamara