Chapter 16 #3
When he spoke, he was all bristling pride and regret and Hetty ached for him, wishing he could understand that it did not matter to her.
“For myself, I don’t give a damn about your money, Hetty.
But you must understand, I… I cannot afford a wife.
I have a small apartment in town which is my own, but other than that, I have no property, no investments.
All I have is my ambition, and the hopes that I’m creating something at the Grand Hotel that no one can ignore. ”
“You are, Gideon,” Hetty assured him. “And you will be the most marvellous success. I know you will. I don’t care about the money either, and I’d be willing to live anywhere with you. If… if you wanted me.”
He smiled at that. “Don’t make out as if you don’t know that I’d walk on hot coals for you, Hetty, but all the hope in the world is not a guarantee of success. I might fail, and then we would be poor. You would not enjoy that, my love, no more than I would.”
“I would not care if we were together. I would rather be poor with you than rich with a man I despised,” she said, meaning it.
She blushed at the tender look in his eyes, but his expression grew sombre and she knew his pride would never accept it, even if she could.
“You say that, but you do not know what it means, love. I mean no disrespect to you when I say that you are a little spoiled. You’ve got the best of everything and always have had. Do you even know how much that dress you’re wearing cost?”
Hetty glanced down at the pretty white muslin. The gown was dotted all over with tiny blue silk knots and was simple but lovely.
“Not precisely,” she admitted.
“Well, suffice to say, I can’t afford you.” His expression was grim now, and he sat back, frowning out at the sea, which was getting farther and farther away from them.
Hetty sat up, hugging her knees. “So, what do we do?”
“Wait,” he said with a shrug before turning to look at her, seeming suddenly closed off. “That is. If you want—”
“Oh, Gideon!” she said in exasperation, moving towards him and throwing her arms around his neck. “If you don’t know the answer to that by now, you are not the man I think you are.”
He smiled then, his relief evident as he settled his hands at her waist.
“When the hotel is finished and my contract fully paid, I will be in a better position. Furthermore, if the hotel is well received—”
“—You’ll be in demand from everyone from the Duke of York to Prinny himself.”
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, love,” he said, but he looked happier now, his eyes once again lit with possibilities. “You’ll wait then?”
Hetty bent down and kissed his nose. “I’ll wait. Impatiently and gracelessly, but I will wait for you, Gideon, for as long as it takes.”
“Speaking of waiting,” Gideon said with a sudden frown, fishing in his waistcoat pocket and taking out a battered silver fob watch. “We’re late!”
“Sorry,” Hetty said again as Cilly guided the dog cart up the hill towards Hatherley Hall.
Cilly shot her a long-suffering grimace and then laughed. “You’re not the least bit sorry, you wretched girl, but never mind that. Did he propose?”
“Sort of,” Hetty replied, explaining when Cilly looked concerned.
“He’s right, you know. You’ve not the faintest idea of how to economise and knowing he could not provide all the things you are used to would make him wretched. It’s not a good start to married life, love.”
Hetty frowned. “I’m not so spoiled as all that. I could cope.”
Cilly reached over and patted her hand. “I know that. You’d cope admirably, and be cheerful and never complain, and it would drive him to Bedlam, because he’d know you were being cheerful and not complaining for his sake.”
“But I don’t want to wait,” she said with a sigh, allowing herself the indulgence of whining like a child to her sister.
“I know, love. So, you’d best get Grandmama on side.”
Hetty looked at her sharply and Cilly rolled her eyes.
“Oh, honestly, Hetty. Wake up. If Grandmama takes to your Mr Bramwell, she’d fight tooth and nail for him and enjoy doing it.
I’m not saying she’d win, because the odds are not good, Hetty, but she’d take your side, which you desperately need.
If anyone has a chance of persuading our father to allow you to marry him, it’s her. ”
Hetty brightened at once. “What a ninny I am! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you are besotted, and it’s damaged your brain,” Cilly replied frankly.
Hetty laughed, but her good humour diminished somewhat as she considered Gideon. “He won’t like it.”
“Mr Bramwell?”
Hetty nodded.
Cilly shrugged. “Once you have the money, he’ll forget about that. You’ll be married, and well able to soothe any ruffled feathers or bruised male pride.”
“Cilly, you are a good deal more ruthless than anyone realises,” Hetty told her admiringly. “You even surprise me, and I know you’re not as sweet and mild as everyone thinks you are.”
Cilly smiled, and Hetty wondered if she was imagining the rather dangerous glint in her sister’s eyes but was too caught up in her own plans to consider it with the proper amount of concern.