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Part 7
Another question nagged at Edward as he struggled to find words: Is it right to argue with my father? Is it not my duty to obey his wishes?

No! Edward aswered his wn question. I love Jane Masters. I will marry Jane and no one else. I cannot obey my father's wishes this time. I will not!

Edward took a deep breath. "Sir," he called cauing Paul to trun away from the fire. "I cannot marry Anne Ward. I do not know her. She is a stranger."

"You will become acquainted with her after the wedding," Paul said sternly. "It is a vert fortunate arrangement for us."

"It is not fortunate for me!" Edward decalred heatedly.

"Do not raise your voice to me, Edward," Paul warned, his face a dark crimson. He raised the fireplace poker and pointed it as his son. "Anne Ward is an excellent match for you."

"But I do not know her, Father! I do not love her!" Edward cried shrilly.

"Love?" Paul tossed back his head and laughed. "Edward, we did not come to these colonies for love. My brother, Matthew, and I did not leave our village for love. We came here to succeed! We came here to escape the poverty of our lives, to escape it forever!"

"I know, Father," Edward said, sighing. "But.."

"Do you know how poor our family was in the Old Country?" Paul demanded, setting down the heavyiron poker and returning to the table. His eyes brned ito Edward's hotter than the fireplace flames.

"Do you know how poor Matthew and I were? We ate RATS to survive, Edward!"

"I know, sir.." Edward tried to interrupt. He had heard this speech before.

"Many was the night we huddled together to keep warm," Paul continued. "We had no fire, no blankets..."

Edward lowered his gaze to the floor. He held his breath, waiting for his chance to speak.

"We came to the New World to succeed, Edward. Not just to succeed but to prosper."

"You have done well, sir," Edward broke in. "You are the respected magistrate of Wickham. And Uncle Matthew's farm is the most-"

"We can do better!" Paul exploded, slamming his fist on the table top. "Your marriage to Anne Ward will help us do better, Edward."

"Why, Father? I don't see.."

"August Ward is the tea importer for Portsmouth," Paul explained, lowering his voice. "It had made him a very wealthy man. As his son in law, you will become a tea importer too. You will share his wealth."

"No, Father." Edward shook his head. "I cannot and I will not."

"You will," his father insisted sternly. "You must. You must marry August Ward's daughter."

"I cannot, Father! I am in love with someone else....!"