Free The Last Princess by Cynthia Freeman Page B

don’t want you upsetting your mother. I wouldn’t worry so much about being in love with Roger, as about making him a suitable wife.”
    “I’ve already told Roger, Father, and he’s accepted it.”
    “You’ve what?” Charles Goodhue stared incredulously at his daughter. “What’s brought this on? There’s another man involved, isn’t there?”
    “You’re right, Father,” Lily said, trembling. “I’m in love with someone else. Is that a sin?”
    He had known there was another man involved, otherwise she never would have found the courage to defy him.
    “How did you meet him? What’s his name?” he barked angrily.
    “He is a friend of Randolph’s; his name is Harry Kohle.”
    Charles Goodhue was, for once in his life, speechless. His face reddened and the cords in his neck stood out like twisted ropes.
    “I will see you dead, Lily, before I will allow you to marry a Jew.”
    Lily was terrified. With all his faults she had never realized her father was anti-Semitic.
    With blind rage, Charles shouted, “Do you realize your children will never be accepted?”
    “By whom?”
    “By society. By me! Your sons were supposed to carry on the Goodhue banner, but I will never allow one of them behind my desk. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Yes. That’s why you wanted me home, isn’t it? To make sure you had the proper grandson to carry on your name. You picked Roger to merge the two fortunes. You weren’t thinking about me—just money.”
    “Why do you think Harry Kohle wants to marry you?” he spat.
    “Because he loves me—he doesn’t need my money!”
    Contemptuously he said, “You’re a fool. He wants you for two reasons only: your inheritance and your social standing. But let me tell you, if you marry this Jew, you are no longer my daughter and you’ll never have a penny of my money!”
    Perhaps it was the thought of Harry’s love, or maybe it was her father’s blunt avowal he didn’t love her, but Lily no longer felt afraid. She understood that Charles’s threat was real; but what difference would it make? She had never been his daughter in the real sense of the word. And before leaving his house for the last time she wanted him to know how terribly he had abused her.
    “Father, you’ve taken your frustrations out on me since the day I was born. First you hated me because I was a girl, and then because I lived and little Charles died. You know as well as I that his death was just a terrible accident, but for years you made me believe I killed him. Then when you called me home I was foolish enough to think that you had forgiven me. I even deluded myself into believing that you loved me. But I was just a tool to augment your wealth and carry on the family name. You’re cruel, Father, and I no longer feel I owe you anything. I’m going to marry Harry Kohle with or without your blessing. You can do whatever you like with your money.”
    With that, she turned and went up to her room, where the tears she had been holding back finally burst forth uncontrollably. It was almost dark before she felt sufficiently composed to call Harry. All she told him was that she’d had an unpleasant scene with her father and that she was leaving.
    “Oh, Lily darling, I feel terrible that I’ve been the cause of such trouble.”
    “Don’t say that, Harry!” she cried. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me!”
    “When can I pick you up, darling?”
    “Can you be here by seven-thirty?”
    Lily packed what she could in one large suitcase; the rest she would have sent. Then she walked down the hall to say good-bye to her mother.
    Violet, who had become hysterical when Charles told her the news, was resting now against her satin and lace pillows, still occasionally touching her eyes with her handkerchief.
    “Mother,” Lily started to say.
    But Violet interrupted. “I’ll never forgive you for what you have done, Lily. You’ve brought us nothing but unhappiness from the day you were