Chapter 1 #3
“What is the other option?” Liam asked, looking resolute.
In that moment, Garret had new respect for his brother.
It could not be easy to hear that he might lose the land he’d been raised to inherit, and with it, every semblance of respectability and honor.
Would they all have to become merchants?
Garret could stomach such a fall, but he wasn’t sure Liam could.
Liam had always had more pride in the family name and history than any of them.
“The other option,” the earl said, staring straight ahead, “is for Mariah to marry a wealthy peer.”
Mariah sat back as though struck. Garret stared at his father, waiting for him to grin and admit he was joking—it was a disgusting joke, but it must be a joke.
His father did not smile. In fact, the earl continued.
“If she were to attract a man with considerable funds, we might negotiate the marriage contract in such a way that, upon her marriage, we would gain either property, which we could sell, or money to meet our obligations.”
“You cannot be serious,” Liam said quietly.
“I’m afraid I am,” the earl said.
Mariah put a hand to her lips, and Garret could see that her fingers shook.
At fifteen, she was half his age. He still remembered when she was born.
He recalled holding the squalling infant and thinking she was rather tiny to make such a lot of noise.
He’d missed her toddler years, as he’d been at sea, but he’d come home often enough to admire the intelligent, beautiful young lady she’d grown to be.
Now she was old enough to marry, but Garret couldn’t help but look at her and see the four-year-old child running to greet him with ribbons trailing behind her and sticky, outstretched hands.
The room seemed to explode as though a cannonball had landed in the center of it. Suddenly, Daire, Liam, and Killian were all speaking at once. Mama had begun weeping, and the earl looked uncharacteristically stoic.
“Wait a moment!” Garret yelled, rising to make himself seen and heard. “Listen!”
His siblings gradually quieted, and Garret took advantage of the lull, knowing it wouldn’t last. “We haven’t heard from Mariah. This scheme pertains to her, after all. Let’s hear what she has to say.”
Mariah blinked at him, her large green eyes seeming even larger in her face as she noted all eyes on her. But she straightened her shoulders and stood, smoothing her skirts. She looked at each of her brothers in turn then met the earl’s gaze. “If this is what you wish of me, Papa, I will do it.”
“No, you won’t!” Liam interjected. “You are barely fifteen.”
“I’ll be sixteen in a month!” she objected.
“I don’t care how old you are, I’ll lay any man flat who dares to even approach you,” Killian threatened.
“But we can’t sell Castle Glenister,” Mariah said, throwing her arms out in exasperation.
“Boys—and Mariah!” the earl said, lifting his hands. “We do not need to make a decision tonight.”
Garret glanced at the window on the far side of the room and noted the sky had grown dark while they spoke. His stomach rumbled, meaning they had probably missed supper.
“If you can think of an alternate plan, then by all means, present it to us. I believe the solicitor was quite thorough in his explanation of our options, but he may have missed something.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have correspondence to attend to.” The earl started across the room, and Garret watched him walk away. For the first time, his father looked old and tired. Garret didn’t like seeing his father so dejected. He wanted his smiling, energetic papa back.
“I shall retire,” Mama said. “My head is pounding.”
When she was gone, the five siblings sat in silence. “My head is pounding too,” Killian said. “I’m famished.”
“We should have eaten supper an hour ago,” Mariah said. “Shall I ask Cook to serve it now?”
“Yes,” Daire said.
“But you will have to take it in your room.”
Everyone turned to look at Liam after that pronouncement.
“Why is that?” Mariah asked, hands going to her hips in a sure sign of annoyance.
“Because we have important matters to discuss.”
“Matters which pertain to me!” Mariah argued.
“She has a point,” Daire said. He usually took her side.
Liam scowled at him.
“I agree with Liam,” Garret said. “We need to be able to speak freely.”
“Traitor!” Mariah pointed at Garret, and if her finger had been a knife, Garret would have considered flinching. “You can speak freely with me present,” she argued.
“No, we can’t,” Killian said. “Sorry, Moppet. Don’t strangle me in my sleep.”
“I’ll strangle all of you,” she threatened. “I’ll put pepper in your drawers. I’ll put spiders in your beds. I’ll—”
Liam took her by the shoulders and ushered her out of the room. “Go plan your revenge in your bedchamber. I’ll see that Cook sends a tray up.”
Garret and the others followed Liam downstairs, and while Liam went to speak to Cook, the men took their usual places at the dining table.
Liam returned, followed by the butler with several footmen and the first course.
When the servants had departed, on Liam’s order, he sighed and raked a hand through his dark hair. “So, who has an idea?”
“I could give up my studio,” Killian said. Garret raised his brows. He knew how much the painting studio meant to Killian.
“The rent on that studio isn’t enough to cover even a quarter of the expenditures Papa is facing,” Daire said. Garret nodded. Daire was the smartest of the brothers, and he had a head for business. He always seemed to always sniff out good investments.
“What if you made more investments?” Garret suggested. “We could use the dividends to pay the expenses.”
“I considered that, but any investment with large dividends will take time to come to fruition. Not to mention, I need money to make money. I’d have to invest quite a lot to recoup the fortune Papa needs.
I already promised Papa the ready blunt I have.
If I invest it instead, I may not see returns for several years—far too late for our timetable. ”
“Then we are right back where we started,” Liam said. “Either Mariah marries some rich duke three times her age or we sell Castle Glenister.”
“I think we may all agree we’re not sacrificing Mariah,” Garret said.
What sounded like an exclamation came from outside the door, and Garret rose and put a finger to his lips. Daire made circular motions with his hands, indicating someone should keep speaking.
“If I had my way,” Liam said louder than necessary, “I’d send her to a convent. She’d make an excellent nun.”
“I heard of a convent in France where the nuns take a vow of silence for an entire year,” Killian added.
“Silence and poverty?” Daire quipped. “Perfect for her.”
Garret threw the dining room door open, and Mariah all but fell into the room. Instead of looking embarrassed that she’d been eavesdropping, she glared at the lot of them. “If you think I shall willingly go to a convent, think again! I’ll run away! I’ll—”
“They were teasing,” Garret said. “We knew you were at the door.”
“I wouldn’t have to eavesdrop if you’d let me in.”
“Go upstairs,” Liam said, “or we’ll lock you in your room. Anna!”
Anna was the lady’s maid for the countess and Mariah.
“Anna!”
Anna appeared behind Mariah, breathing heavily as though she’d just run down the stairs.
“Anna, take Mariah to her bedchamber and be sure she stays there.”
“Yes, my lord.” The maid took Mariah’s elbow, but Mariah tugged it away.
“I hate you, Liam Kildare. I hate all of you!” She marched away, and Garret closed the door again and took his seat.
“You don’t think she means it, do you?” Daire asked.
“No,” Garret said. “She’ll get over it. Especially when she realizes we have her best interest at heart. Where were we?”
“Not sacrificing Mariah,” Killian said. “And ready for the second course.”
“Not just yet.” Liam sat back in his chair. “Where do we stand on selling the old pile?” Liam asked.
“Against it,” Garret said. “That’s our home as much as this town house.”
“It’s more our home,” Killian said. “We all grew up there. My first studio was in the summer house.”
“I rode my first pony there,” Daire said.
“I kissed my first girl.” Garret smiled at the memory.
“Who was that?” Killian wanted to know.
“Jane Chester,” Garret said, naming the daughter of a nearby farmer who had a small plot of land.
“Ha! My first kiss was Mary Chester,” Killian said.
“My first kiss was also Jane,” Liam said.
Garret made a face. “Well, that ruins the memory.” The last thing he wanted was to be kissing women his brothers also kissed. They were usually careful not to seek out the same women, which, for the most part, wasn’t difficult, as they all had different tastes and…
“Wait a moment,” Garret said. “Wait a bloody moment.”
“He has an idea,” Daire said, pointing out the obvious.
Garret ignored them. “We don’t want to marry Mariah to an old, lecherous lord, but what if one of us married?”
Killian frowned. “Er—I don’t think any old, lecherous lords would want us, Garret.”
“Not a lord, idiot. A lady! An heiress.”
Daire slammed a hand on the table. “Why didn’t I think of this? Of course! We need an heiress.”
“That’s brilliant, Garret,” Liam said, and Garret almost fell out of his chair.
Praise from Liam was rare. “One of us needs to marry an heiress with enough of a dowry to cover Papa’s debts.
I know if we give it a few years, the farmers at Glenister will produce a number of good harvests and we’ll have no more worries. ”
“In the meantime, we’ll all be rich,” Killian pointed out.
“She’ll need to have at least thirty thousand pounds,” Daire said. “I don’t think we can manage with less.”
Garret whistled. “That’s a lot of blunt. But I’m sure I can manage to woo an heiress.”
“You?” Killian laughed. “You think you know how to hunt an heiress.”
“I know how to catch an heiress,” Garret said.
“The most likely one to catch an heiress is me,” Liam said. “I am the heir to an earldom, and I’m a viscount.”
“An Irish earldom,” Daire said. “I’m the one with financial prowess.”
“Women don’t care about that,” Killian said. “They adore tortured poets and artists. Like me.”
“A woman might adore your tortured soul all she likes, but you still must acquire her father’s blessing, no easy task for a third son.”
“Says the fourth son!” Killian retorted.
“I happen to know fathers prefer suitors who have a head for business and finance,” Daire argued.
“Yes, well, you all have to meet an heiress first, and I’m the only one who actually goes out into Society with any regularity,” Garret said.
“Every time you go to a ball, Daire, you stand in the corner and argue with men twice your age. Killian, you start painting and forget the invitation, and Liam can’t even be bothered. ”
“I don’t like to dance,” Liam said, folding his arms over his chest.
“You think you can catch an heiress before I do?” Killian asked.
Garret nodded. “Absolutely.”
“I’ll catch one before either of you,” Daire said.
“I can catch one tomorrow,” Liam bragged.
“Fine.” Garret rose. “Then I propose we begin an heiress hunt. First man to win the hand of an heiress worth—what did you say, Daire?”
“Thirty thousand.”
“At least thirty thousand,” Garret continued, “and to marry her wins.”
“What do we win?” Killian asked.
“I know,” Liam said. “Possession of the summer house.”
Silence fell in the room as everyone considered this.
Garret had to admit it was the perfect incentive.
The summer house had been an integral part of their childhood and held different meaning for each of them.
He’d played soldiers there, setting up his toy figurines in strategic configurations and playing out the battles he’d read about in school.
Killian had loved the light there and spent hours painting.
Liam and Daire had written plays, and they’d all acted them out; even Mariah participated when she’d been old enough to join them.
It had been a sanctuary for them, and Garret couldn’t imagine it falling into the hands of a stranger who might sell it or demolish it for some other structure. As Liam was the heir and would have possession of all the Glenister lands, he could bestow the summer house as he liked.
“I agree,” Garret said.
“As do I,” Daire said.
“I’m in,” Killian said. “This will be easy.”
“I concur as well.” Liam rose and put his hand in the center of the table. Garret placed his own on top of it. Killian and Daire followed. “To the heiress hunters,” Liam said, and they lifted their hands with a whoop.