Chapter 2 #2
Lucas smiled, and told Sophia to take a seat.
"Dearest sister, I have some delightful news for you before breakfast is served.
" He paused, enjoying every minute of her obvious discomfort.
"As I rightly anticipated, Lord Dilley has made an offer for your hand in marriage, and on this occasion I have given my blessing to it. "
Sophia stood up, immediately after the words left her brother's mouth. "You can’t do this to me, Lucas," she said, feeling that the bottom had dropped out of her world.
"But, my dear, you haven't given me any other choice," he replied, in such a way that it would have sounded quite reasonable if it had been concerning anything else.
Owen tried at that point to intervene, expressing his dissatisfaction at the arrangement.
Also much to Sophia's surprise, reminding Lucas that she would shortly receive the benefit of the trust fund left to her in Papa's estate.
It was a modest sum, but if she was careful she would be able to get by.
No longer being an expense that his brother had to pay for.
Also since she would soon be twenty-one, there surely shouldn't be any reason for her to be forced to marry against her wishes.
Lucas also stood up then, with two spots of red on his cheeks showing how angry he was.
"Owen, I am fully aware of my sister’s trust fund, given I am trustee of it, and this really is none of your concern.
However, for your information, the majority of the funds were invested in such a way that they received a poor return and what remains is practically worthless. "
Owen was clearly very angry when he heard this, also seeing how upset his sister now was, and he demanded an explanation for what he described as the misappropriation of the funds.
Suspecting correctly that they had somehow been removed from the trust by Lucas, to find their way into his brother’s own pocket.
He also mentioned the trust monies his father had wanted him to receive when he was twenty-five years of age, and said that he surmised they had been dealt with in the same way as his sister's.
Lucas had by this time a snide look on his face.
Without raising his voice he said, coldly, "You must wait and see, dear brother.
In the interim, let us not speak of it further for it does bore me.
Pray, sit down and let us take our breakfast as a family.I have already spoken to Lord Dilley this morning.
The matter is non-negotiable, and the arrangements are already in hand for your wedding, Sophia.
He wishes shortly to travel abroad, taking his new wife with him. "
Lucas smiled at her then. "I am sure you will also not have any objection to your husband handling the small amount of money which is left in your trust fund.
He will be spending some of his time when you are abroad negotiating business deals with his connections, which will effectively result in both sides of our family becoming richer.
The first meeting has been arranged, so you will need to board a ship crossing the Channel as soon as possible.
With this in mind, Lord Dilley intends to obtain a common licence so that you can be married by the end of the week.
As soon as Sophia tried to object more strongly, and give an outright refusal to go along with this charade, Lucas reminded her that the situation was entirely of her own making.
If she had been more reasonable and considered the other gentlemen properly, whom he knew were interested in her, she could have been happily married by now to the man of her choice.
Sophia began to cry in earnest and Owen intervened again, trying to protect her.
"Lucas, that's hardly fair! Sophia didn't have any choice of who would be on your list of eligible suitors.
I demand that you reconsider what you are doing.
You must know full well that Papa would never have countenanced something as cruel as this, or used Sophia's trust fund to further his own aims. Especially since a lot of the money in it came from our grandfather," Owen said, sadly.
Knowing before the words had left his lips that he was wasting his time.
Lucas laughed, as he looked from Owen to Sophia then back at his brother again, before the tone in his voice changed to one which was as cold as ice.
"You dare to try and interfere, brother.
Accusing me of going against my father's wishes for the family. Let me remind you that I am well within my rights to do this, as your sister’s guardian.
" He cleared his throat before he continued.
"Also to arrange for you to secure a small living in the country as a curate which shall be befitting for your status and, as you rightly mentioned, depleted trust funds which I am again entitled to do.
I intend to look into that as soon as Sophia is married.
Lord Dilley will be an excellent addition to our family.
I am very much looking forward to having him as a brother-in-law.
I will not have any more objections to it from either of you.
Do you understand me?" He said, glaring at both of them.
"But Lucas..." was all Sophia managed to say before he had turned on his heel with a face like thunder, and strode from the room.
Owen hurried to Sophia’s side, and held her as she sobbed.
Whispering how sorry he was, and that he would think of something to put a stop to this gross injustice, but without having the least idea what that might be.
Also knowing that he would only have a very short time to do it and unconcerned whether or not Lucas would find his behaviour unseemly in comforting his sister like this.
As far as he knew he was only doing what his father would have wished while Lucas didn't seem to have an ounce of compassion, let alone love in his body.
Owen knew for certain then that he had been right to fear the worst after their father died.
Owen knew that Papa did have doubts about leaving everything in Lucas' control, and this was the reason he had told him about the trust funds.
Sadly however, the knowledge was insufficient for Owen to stop Lucas from stealing the money from them.
Their father hadn't disowned Lucas when he should have done, because Mama had by this time died and she would never have a word said against her first born son.
Sophia had only been eight years old at the time, and Papa let the matter drift.
So that even when Lucas began to behave badly, and he doubted him nothing was done about it.
Owen wasn't concerned for his own needs since they were few, but he was exceedingly worried about his sister being married and then under the control of a man like Lord Dilley. Lucas should have had the backbone to help her choose someone suitable. As he would have done, had it been his place to do so. He welcomed the thought of no longer being in his brother’s household, or anywhere near him.
The stipend would be small, but if he was careful he could manage.
Although he was well aware that his own hope of marrying for love and having children would be thwarted, if there was insufficient money to support them all.
"Have faith, Sophia! All will be well," Owen said, gently.
Hoping in his heart that it would be so, or that they might have been able to turn back time if fate had been kinder to them.
But their father wasn't to blame. Lucas had always been manipulative and difficult, as a child.
So that he mostly got his own way, but he had waited until now when he was in a position of strength, to reveal the full extent of his bad character.
All Owen could do was carry on hoping that he would find a way to help Sophia get away from Lord Dilley, and him, before it really was too late.