“Yes, but she must speak with you alone.” Julia almost stretched up to kiss his cheek but at the last moment settled for a smile. She had to be more like Melanie from now on. “I will speak to you later, yes?”
“Come for dinner, Merton,” Linus interrupted. “Bring your sister if she’s of a mind to join us.”
“I’d be happy to.” Valentine smiled. “What do you think, Melanie?”
Melanie shook her head. “I should like to join you very much but our father
has engaged me elsewhere this evening. My time is not my own now and I would not be permitted to change my plans.”
“That is a shame.” Julia sighed, genuinely disappointed to miss a chance to speak with Melanie again. She had been unusually supportive. So different from the past. “Well then, just us three.”
Valentine nodded but his expression was puzzled. Regardless, Julia took her leave, and when she was at home and alone once more in her locked room, she settled into a fighter’s stance, arms upraised, fists clenched. She’d never been made to feel so cheap before, and only Melanie’s sympathy had revealed how normal that result was when dealing with Mr. Merton Senior.
She threw out her fist and snapped it back, mimicking a boxer she’d once seen practicing. She didn’t know how Melanie could bear living with parents like that. She threw another punch, and another. Mr. Merton deserved to be taken down a peg or two.
Julia straightened. “There may be no way to fight a man who believes he knows what’s right for his son, but I will prove to him I’m no detriment to Valentine’s life.”
Eight
“What was that all about?” Valentine asked of Melanie after the Radley’s had abruptly taken their leave. Something unpleasant had just happened and he didn’t like being left in the dark or lied to.
“A female discussion,” she murmured.
Melanie paled even further and he checked his frustration. She wasn’t well, and looked it. “When did you sleep properly last?”
She shrugged and cast a nervous glance at George. “I don’t remember. Might we talk in private, Valentine?”
Melanie often suffered nightmares, a terror she wouldn’t name. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, the dreams had returned, and frequently. “Very well. Go to my study.” He turned to his friend. “I’ll be with you in a moment, George, unless you’d prefer not to wait.”
George’s attention remained on Melanie as she slipped away. “I’ll wait.”
Valentine followed his sister into his study and closed the door. “What did you say to her? Did you upset her?”
“Father had already done his work very well on that score.” She gripped her reticule tightly. “Julia needed reassurance.”
He couldn’t help but be surprised by her claim. Julia was almost overconfident most of the time. “Reassurance from you?”
Melanie nodded. “As you know, our father is rather abrupt when he speaks to others, especially to women he hasn’t a high opinion of. He made certain insinuations against her that were most unpleasant to listen to. She took them to heart initially.”
Valentine gritted his teeth. “I’ll kill him.”
“Don’t bother.” Melanie shook her head swiftly. “Julia isn’t about to fall to pieces because he doesn’t care for the alliance and told her so. She’s not made of feathers or paper; she’s not so easily destroyed.”
“She was upset.”
Melanie shrugged. “She’s had a shock. In the past, most censure has been subtle.”
Valentine raked his fingers through his hair. “And Father couldn’t be subtle.”
“No. She will survive his disapproval quite well, brother. She is as strong of character as I’ve ever complained of. But her heart is large enough to put it behind her if given enough time.” Melanie met his gaze. “Now, forgive me for being in a rush but Julia mentioned you were having some other difficulties and wanted to talk to me. Something to do with the company?”
He gestured her toward a chair. “I have found out that the company requires their members to be married or on the brink of it.”
“To make clocks?” Her eyes widened as she sank down. “High-handed indeed to leave it till the last moment to bring it up.”
“An unwritten rule, it seems. There is more. Even if I am now to be married, some noses are out of joint on account of the race with Julia. It seems no matter what I do, my ambitions might come to naught.”
“I did try to warn you that others would not approve. However, I believed you’d receive nothing more than a warning and that would be that. Men usually can get away with so much more than a woman.”