Blinded Fools | Anthony Bridgeton

Prologue

Elizabeth Priestley had always known that if she would marry it would only be for love.

Oh, not as a child. Young Elizabeth had never been exposed to such examples of feelings, she was aware of love of course. She loved her mother dearly and her siblings. She read of such love in fairy tales that her governess would read her before bed, but real love between a man and a women she had not witnessed as a child.

Her father, Lord Priestley had died before she was born meaning she had never came to know if her dear mother and father were in fact a love match and young Elizabeth had never dared to bring up the topic to her mother in the fear of upsetting her. And by the time Elizabeth had grown out her fear she was too late, at the age of 13 she would lose her dearest mother to sickness.

So it was not till the marriage of her elder brother now Lord William Priestly married his wife Lady Julia Priestley a few years later did she really understand what a love match was, for her brother truly loved his wife and their daughter Fanny.

She was content with a life on the shelf as a spinster if it meant that she was not stuck in a loveless marriage, she seen the effects of a loveless marriage with her older sister who had married Lord Charles Green. Her sister Lydia claimed she was fine that her marriage was without love and that they had a mutual respect and understanding for one another which is why they had decided to marry. But Elizabeth knew this was not the reason other than poor Lydia was on her third season when Lord Green had proposed and as it seems was the only suitor to propose to her dear sister.

"But you do not love him sister! Why would agree to loveless marriage" was the first this that Elizabeth had blurted out upon hearing the news the night of the proposal.

"Lizzie I am 24 years old and on my third season, I would be foolish to turn down Lord Green. I do not wish to become a spinster! I do not need love to be content. I shall be the Mistress of my own household and produce heirs for Lord Green." Elizabeth face paled at her sisters response, she could not think anything worse. Her sister was willing to become his property with the sole purpose of producing heirs. She had always enjoyed her freedom and would die before allowing a man to own her.

"Can't you just be happy for me?" Lydia whispered on the verge of tears. They had always been closed from a young age even with such a big age difference.

"very well, if you are happy then I shall be too!" Elizabeth reached for Lydia's hands and pulled them to her chest. "I shall miss you dearly"

She did not lie as she had decided that if this was the life her sister wished then who was she to critique? No Elizabeth was many things but a liar was not one of them. But hearing of her sister's impending marriage She knew from that moment on that she would only marry for love, for if she could not marry for love then she would never marry at all.