Free Macbeth's Niece by Peg Herring

be. Married women are more independent than you might
think, if they marry carefully.
    “When my father gave me to William, he
thought he had done what was best for me, and perhaps he had, but
not in the way he intended. William is so full of himself that he
all but ignores me, which has allowed me to lead a life I enjoy. A
happy woman needs either a dull husband who ignores her after a
year or a clever one who understands her and respects what she is.
The first is much easier to find, so I propose to help you
accomplish it.”
    Tessa was aghast. Here Eleanor sat, calmly
defying custom and belief, claiming women had a right to find
happiness through subterfuge and deceit. Tessa had never considered
choosing a husband with cold calculation, never thought of
appearing to be something she was not in order to capture a man.
Still, she knew her Aunt Gruoch and even her mother had manipulated
their husbands. In a society where women had no choices, clever
ones employed the means at their disposal.
    “Are you saying I could have a husband who
would let me live life as I choose?”
    “He will have to be a little stupid, as mine
is,” Eleanor replied coolly, shifting a bit with a grimace.
Menstrual cramps, Tessa guessed, and wondered if there was
mistletoe available to soothe them. “William, you see, thinks he is
clever, living in London and having affairs. He doesn’t realize
that as long as I have my home and my freedom, I don’t much care
what he does. Now Jeffrey is not stupid. He would expect more from
a woman than appearances, but he will never marry anyway. The lands
in England have been divided and divided until there is no more to
be gained. You don’t want a landless younger son like Jeffrey, so
we must find you a husband who is rich.”
    As if Jeffrey Brixton would be on her list
of potential husbands!
    “I can teach you how to dress, walk, and
speak properly, how to converse with a man without intimidating
him, and—” Here her eyes sparkled. “—how to charm his mother, a
very important thing many young women forget. Without a dowry, you
must offer something attractive to the man, which is fairly easy
with your looks, but also to his mother, which is a little more
difficult. It doesn’t do to please only one or the other.”
    “Was your mother-in-law pleased with
you?”
    Eleanor smiled at the memory and the pinched
look on her face relaxed somewhat. “I liked Lady Brixton very much,
but I’m afraid William was born selfish. She tried to provide for
all her children, but when she died, William ignored her wishes.”
Eleanor looked out the window, her face bleak. “When I first met my
husband I thought him dignified, but I learned later that dignity
is what he holds around himself so no one sees his empty
heart.”
    Forgetting the game board before them,
Eleanor rose, her arms wrapped around her middle as she paced the
room. “The law of primogeniture brought William all the property,
and he keeps his brothers paupers, begrudging every penny he spends
on them. Ethelbert, the second son, entered the priesthood, but
William refuses him the funds to get a decent posting, saying
clergymen should observe poverty, as Christ did.” Her tone held a
sneer at her husband’s choplogic. “Aidan you will meet soon. He’s
treated more as a servant than as William’s brother. When Jeffrey
saw how the other two fared, he offered a deal. If William would
outfit him for soldiery, he’d take himself off and never ask for
another cent. It was all William could do to keep from chuckling as
he gave Jeffrey an aging horse and the worst arms from the
storehouse. Still, Jeffrey has done well, becoming a respected
soldier and a trusted aide to those who pay his hire.”
    Tessa felt a pang of unexpected sorrow for
Jeffrey, cheated of his inheritance, and for Eleanor, married to a
man she obviously despised. No wonder they found solace in each
other’s arms.
    Eleanor looked at Tessa directly, as if
trying to make a decision,