Chapter 19 #2
“It isn’t that simple,” she murmured. “Once, I knew my brother very well. I knew what he was capable of. Now, I’m not so sure.
You hear terrible stories of women being kidnapped and forced to marry or declared insane and moved into an asylum.
Jonathan has the power to do all those things.
I’d like to believe that he would never go so far, but I simply don’t trust him anymore. ”
“But our betrothal will only buy you time.”
She closed her eyes. This moment was inevitable. She’d expected it. Now, the question that remained was whether she would answer truthfully or not.
Well, lies never improve a situation, do they?
She breathed out and opened her eyes, meeting Christian’s gaze head-on. “If I am still unmarried at three-and-twenty, I will inherit a fortune,” she said briefly. “Twelve thousand pounds.”
Christian’s eyes widened. “That is a princely sum.”
“Yes, it is.” She nodded. “I would be comfortable forever. I would have my own money. I could donate as much money to St. Sarah’s as I like. With a fortune like that, the board of trustees would have to take me seriously. I would be free.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “And this fortune is yours only if you don’t marry?”
“Only if I don’t marry until my twenty-third year.
I daresay I can marry after that if I like.
My father had a horror of fortune-hunters, you see.
My mother and stepmother did not have much fortune of their own.
Papa was a great believer in looking beyond money and at people’s true selves.
The money is not for my dowry. His will was very clear on that point.
Of course, I have not read it until recently. ”
Christian frowned. “You had no idea of this codicil?”
“None whatsoever. An old family friend, a solicitor whom Papa had asked to help him draw up the will, told me about it.”
“Then your brother—”
“Jonathan knows of the terms,” she interrupted tightly. Her chest began to constrict. She felt ill.
Understanding dawned on Christian’s face. “But then why would he be so keen for you to wed?”
She gave him a tired smile. “If I marry before my twenty-third year, who do you think will get the money that ought to have been mine?”
He briefly closed his eyes. “Oh.”
“Jonathan has always felt that Papa loved him less,” Thalia sighed, trudging over to a long bench set in the middle of the hallway. Her legs had begun to ache for no reason, and she wanted to rest. It was talking about Jonathan and their papa that did it; she was sure of that.
Christian padded over and lowered himself onto the seat beside her. “But Jonathan was his heir.”
She shrugged. “Papa and I got on better. He was a charitable man and cared little for money. Jonathan is simply cut from a different cloth than me and Papa. It hardly matters. But I suppose to my brother, it did. Papa had been dead less than eighteen months, did you know that?”
“I did not.”
“Jonathan could not very well pressure me to think of marriage right away, not while we were in mourning. But he did force the family out of mourning earlier than we would have liked and immediately launched me into the Season. He won’t even let Augusta wear mourning black.
He says that it puts off suitors. Augusta thinks well of everyone, and she loves him a great deal.
She chooses to believe that his pressuring me to marry comes only from a place of concern.
That he wants me to marry because then I will be safe and happy. ”
A brief silence ensued. Thalia breathed out raggedly, closing her eyes.
“And now, I hear from Mr. Pembroke that my brother is spreading rumors that I am untrustworthy. A liar. He does this so that nobody will believe me if I begin to talk about things he would rather I did not.”
“And this money, your brother has no idea that you know about it?”
“That’s what I believe. But you see, time is running out.
He’s growing more and more concerned. I suppose if I am set to marry, he’ll be content that he can quietly push the will aside.
And if I marry, say, a week or so after my twenty-third birthday, he could argue that the money should go to him.
A courtroom full of men would likely agree, especially if he’s already taken the money for himself.
But you see, this is why I need a betrothal.
I need to avoid pushing my brother to desperation.
When I have my money, I shall build a little cottage by the orphanage, and I shall live there. It’ll be quite cozy.”
“And you don’t wish to marry?”
“No. Not if I am not in love. I know that proper ladies aren’t meant to think about love, but I can’t see any reason to marry without it. And I am certainly not in love with the awful men my brother tries to force upon me. Besides, marriage is a tricky thing, I’ve heard.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Oh, indeed. Men are shallow, nonsensical creatures. None would bother to delve deeply enough to love me back, I bet. I have everything I need right here.”
Christian shifted, his eyes burning into her face. She ignored his stare for as long as she could. Then, as if drawn by magnetism, her gaze slid over to him. Their eyes met, and heat flared in her chest.
“You deserve far more than this,” he whispered, lifting his hand and letting the back of his knuckles trail down the curve of her cheek.
The touch, slow and tantalizing, left goosebumps in its wake, making her shiver.
“You deserve more than me,” he added, and there was a wry twist in his voice that she could not quite work out. “Much more, my dear.”
Well, what was she supposed to make of that?
He stared at her for a moment longer, then turned away, letting his hand drop. She could still feel the phantom tickle of his fingers against her cheek and had a mad urge to dart forward, seize his hand, and press it against her face once more.
She didn’t, of course. It would only make things strange between them.
Besides, she had some pride. Whatever had happened between them last night would clearly not happen again.
It had been neatly shelved away in the same category as the kiss they’d shared: remembered but never spoken about.
Perhaps there was a rule about these things that she was missing.
Maybe.
Christian rose to his feet, clearing his throat. “I had better go. Thank you for returning the notes, Thalia. And again, thank you for your help. It means a great deal. I wish you luck with the children.”
He gave a nod and a smile, then strode hastily down the hall, leaving her staring after him, baffled.