O father, how couldst thou think it?
He is a kind friend; but I have thought him Cecilia's knight, and I trow she thinks of him thus herself." Lady Frances now spoke to her daughter for the first time, fixing her eyes upon her, and addressing her with composure, although visibly struggling against inward agitation.
"Listen to me, daughter Kate.

Thou hast spoken words which, if they refer not to Sir Robert, as thy father and I believed, have need to be explained.

Thou hast spoken of loving and of being beloved; what dost thou mean by that?
Who is he that has dared--" "O mother, thou knowest that; thou hast heard it a hundred times.
It is Culverhouse, my cousin, who--" But Sir Richard's face had clouded suddenly over.

He had set his heart on marrying Kate to his friend Sir Robert, who would, he believed, make her an excellent husband; and he had long ago given a half pledge to Lord Andover to thwart and oppose the youthful attachment which was showing itself between Kate and Culverhouse.
The Earl wished a grand match for his son, and the Trevlyn pride was strong in Sir Richard, who would never have had a daughter of his wed where she was not welcome.

He also disliked marriages between first cousins, and made of that a pretext for setting his face against the match, whilst remaining on perfectly friendly terms with the Viscount and all his family.