Behind the Facade by Margit Sandemo

Author:Margit Sandemo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas A/S
Published: 2019-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

Mrs Tark, the brothers’ mother, gave her husband an inviting glance and he cleared his throat.

“Well, young Elisabet, of course you know why we’ve asked you to come. Our dear son would like to marry you. Yesterday, his brother Vemund revealed that he had already asked for your hand on behalf of his brother, Lillebror, and that your parents ... don’t object.”

Elisabet bent her head and tried not to tear her handkerchief into pieces. She held her arms straight and had them on her knees. Her terrible shyness, which she was never able to control, was pressing her throat so that she was unable to answer. She felt Lillebror’s warm gaze on her. It had been obvious throughout the dinner that he had nothing against marrying her – yet Elisabet was so unsure of him. Could she trust him? Would she be able to win his love so well that he would always stick to her? Or would he take mistresses like so many other men? Elisabet would not ignore infidelity. That required a totally different type of woman, and Elisabet was not one of them.

She concentrated on listening to the father of the brothers, but he was not a dominant figure and his words had no expressive power. They were nothing but words.

“We’ll probably have to plan the wedding if it is to be a success,” Mr Tark said. “There has to be a certain balance between the participating families. I’m sure you appreciate that. As you know, we’re not poor ...”

Mandrup Svendsen stretched out his sausage-like fingers and took another crafty swig from his glass. He gave Elisabet a swift, sly glance, which also contained something else. Was it horror? Angst? Or was it merely judgmental?

Mr Tark went on: “We know, of course, that your father, Ulf Paladin of the Ice People, owns the well-kept Elistrand and that his private fortune is not to be sneezed at.”

How did you get to know that? Elisabet thought suspiciously.

Mrs Tark seemed to notice her indignation and came to her rescue. “Dear child, of course we don’t want to tire you with these boring matters. My husband will visit your father in order to discuss your future. But before that, there are a few things the gentlemen would like to have confirmed.” She gave Elisabet an apologetic smile; Mrs Tark seemed not to agree with the way in which the men were proceeding. But she let her husband do the explaining again. “We gather that you’ll also inherit Graastensholm and Linden Avenue one day,” Arnold Tark said cautiously.

“That’s not at all certain,” Elisabet said swiftly. “They belong to another branch of the family: the Linds of the Ice People.”

“Yes, but they live in Sweden,” Lillebror said, having sought his mother’s approval with a glance. “Their farm is the hunting lodge at Mörby.”

“Not any longer,” Elisabet said. She was beginning to be irritated because they all seemed so well informed. “Count Göran Oxenstierna is at Skenäs in Vingaaker, and my relative, Daniel, has travelled there with him as his aide-de-camp, and taken along his family.

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