Fredrick shifted in his saddle before asking, “Why not?”
“Even I know that young women must avoid some topics, such as politics and religion,” Emilia said. “No gentleman wants to hear a woman’s opinion on those.”
“Perhaps you are not spending time with the right gentlemen,” Fredrick argued.
Emilia laughed. “You and Lord Roswell are the only gentlemen that I am acquainted with. Well, besides Calvin.”
Fredrick looked at her curiously. “You are acquainted with Calvin?”
“Remember, I told you that he called upon me, along with Clarissa, and hoped to repair our relationship, considering it did not begin well,” Emilia shared.
Having been distracted by the Caleb disappearance, he had completely forgotten about what Emilia had told him earlier. He couldn’t shake off the unease that settled within him. He wasn’t quite sure why that bothered him, but Calvin’s sudden interest in Emilia seemed rather suspect. Calvin only seemed to care for himself so why had he called upon Emilia? What did he hope to gain from that meeting? The questions swirled in Fredrick’s thoughts as they continued their ride through Hyde Park.
Emilia continued, unaware of his thoughts. “I do hope that Calvin and Clarissa are sincere because they are the only family that I have left.”
“I would be leery of them,” Fredrick counseled.
She nodded. “I am, partly because I am slightly afraid of Clarissa,” she said. “She is rather vocal in her disdain for things.”
“It has been that way since she was a little girl,” Fredrick shared.
“I did get her to agree to go to the boarding school and meet the students. I am hoping that her heart might soften once she sees the girls.”
Fredrick shook his head. “I doubt it, but Clarissa is no different than most young women of high Society. You are the anomaly.”
“I just feel like an outcast, more than anything,” Emilia sighed. “I fear that no one will come to my ball and all of Anette’s hard work will be for naught.”
“Do not fret. I have no doubt that your ball will be acrush.”
Emilia offered him a weak smile. “I wish I had your confidence, or even a portion of it. Perhaps I should just pretend.”
“True confidence starts from within,” Fredrick said. “Pretending to be confident may impress others, but you will know the truth.”
“I just can’t help but wonder what I would be like if I had been born into this life,” Emilia said.
Fredrick grew quiet. He rather liked the fact that Emilia wasn’t like most girls of theton, partially because she possessed a rare sense of humility and a distinctive perspective on life.
“Do not try so hard to fit in,” he counseled. “You may think that will solve all your problems, but it will just create new ones.”
Emilia glanced over at him and asked, “Do you ever worry about fitting in?”
He smirked. “I am an earl, and my father’s heir. I have no need to fit in to anyone’s perceived notions about me.”
“That must be nice,” Emilia murmured.
“But I will need to rally support when the time comes for me to take my seat in the House of Lords,” Fredrick admitted. “My father may be a powerful man in Parliament, but I have much still that I need to learn from him.”
Emilia bit her lower lip. “Can you tell me more about my father?”
“What would you wish to know?”
“I know so little about him, other than what has been told to me,” Emilia replied. “I know he was kind to the servants, and to you. For some reason, I still struggle with why he never came to visit me. Do you think he was embarrassed by me?”
Fredrick met Emilia’s gaze, and the vulnerability in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings. He suspected she was asking what she already believed to be true. “Why would Sir Charles ever be embarrassed by you?”
“I grew up poor and I lack the sophistication that people possess in high Society,” Emilia said, her gaze downcast.
“You are, and always will be, someone who is worthy of your father’s notice. I cannot speak as to why he kept himself from you, but he chose to leaveyouhis fortune, not Clarissa and Calvin,” Fredrick asserted. “In the end, he chose you.”