Chapter 11 #2
“They are worried that I am twenty-nine and I am not yet wed and I do not have a child. The thing is, there are no other male heirs in my line. My living uncle is on my mother’s side.
I had cousins, but they have all died in a series of tragic events, the last two having gone down in a shipwreck a few years ago, so—”
“So if you die,” she concluded, “your title and any land associated with it go back to the Crown, and then Somerset Trust has to deal with the Crown, which they do not wish to do.”
James was impressed. For a country girl, she certainly understood the goings-on in Society.
“Precisely. They feel that my bachelor lifestyle indicates an unserious outlook on life and a lack of stability. They want me to get married as soon as possible, before the renewal of the terms.”
“Or what? They cancel everything?”
“Yes.”
She paused. “And what does that mean?”
“That means I would have to sell lands. Lands on which farmers live and work. I would probably have to sell the London townhouse and my shares in some ventures. But I am uncertain that even that would be enough to pay back the loan. It means a lot of good people would lose their homes and the lands on which they work. It means disaster for many of the families that rely on me. And I hate that I am in this position. There is little I am proud of, but I am proud of being a good landlord. Even if you accuse me of not understanding the needs of commoners.”
Frances paused and looked down at her hands. “So you want me to marry you so that you can renew your loan and not lose your estate.”
“Yes,” he said. “I need a wife. I never wanted to get married. I still do not want to get married, but it has become a necessity. I would make it worth your while.”
She looked up, a smile on her lips. “Worth my while? And how would you do that?”
He took a deep breath. He wanted to make it sound enticing, as though there was something in it for her.
“I understand that you do not have a dowry. No money to put into a jointure, and you would be entirely reliant on whoever it is that you decided to marry. So I would provide you with a trust of which you will be the beneficiary. I would sign over one of my properties to you. My grandmother left me a cottage in Somerset. It would be yours. I would give you enough money so you do not have to rely on me. It can be in the form of monthly allowances, so to speak. Or it can be a lump sum if you prefer that.”
It sounds like I’m buying her. This is a disaster. She will never agree now. Why did I let my temper get the better of me earlier?
“You offer all of that?”
“And of course, you would be a duchess.”
“Right,” she said. “A duchess.”
“A wealthy duchess,” he emphasized. “Your father will come crawling on his knees to be in your good graces—”
She sneered. “I no longer care what my father says or wants. I was never good enough for him. He always preferred my half-sister and stepmother. He never—” She clapped a hand over her mouth.
James looked up. He hadn’t heard such an outburst from her before. So she, too, resented her father, as he had.
“All right then. Forget your father, forget the family. Think of yourself. You will have more money and more freedom than you ever thought possible.”
“But I will never have love or children.”
“Did you not tell me earlier that if you went back, your best chance was to marry some miller or something?”
“You said that,” she scoffed. “But in any case, yes, I would go home and marry someone suitable.”
“Someone you love?” he asked, aware that some bitterness had slipped into his tone.
She paused for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I suppose not. I would’ve had to marry someone sooner or later, and probably someone my father picked.”
“Well, this will at least be your choice. Plus, you will not be bound to me forever if you do not wish to be. You can live your own life. You can take a lover.”
Her cheeks reddened, and she looked away.
“I mean, if that is the sort of thing you want.”
“So are you looking to take a paramour?” she asked sharply.
“No,” he replied.
Why was he making this so difficult?
“I only meant if that is what you wanted. I have no desire for such things. In any case, I’m telling you that you can be free—inasmuch as you can be free while married to me.
But you can travel if you like. You can live in the cottage on your own if you like, or in the London townhouse if you prefer. ”
She sat back, shaking her head.
She was going to say no. He was sure of it.
“I do not know,” she said instead, surprising him. “I must think about it.”
“Very well,” he replied. “Think about it, but not for too long. I must let them know.” He grimaced. “I might have implied that I was engaged already, in order to buy myself some time. Otherwise, they would’ve likely severed all ties.”
“I see. And did you tell them you were getting married soon as well?”
“I might have implied that I’m going to get married within the next six weeks.”
“Right,” she uttered.
“So, if you are going to think about it—”
“I will make haste,” she promised. “You’ll have my answer by tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. Twenty-four hours. He was going to have to suffer and struggle for twenty-four hours, hoping that the estate he had inherited from his father, with all its problems, was not going to slip through his fingers, destroying not only his life but that of the many tenants who relied on him.
He watched her face, trying to read her thoughts.
She was impossible to read sometimes—all fire and sharp wit one moment, vulnerable and uncertain the next. He had no idea which Frances would give him the answer tomorrow. And that terrified him more than losing the estate ever could.