by Finch, Fanny
“What a lovely thing to say,” the Countess of Nottingham said, smiling and patting Hestia’s knee. “Say thank you, Hestia.”
Hestia gave her mother an amused look before turning her eyes to Lady Eugenia. “Thank you, my lady.”
Lady Eugenia tried not to laugh and it came out as a soft snort. This made both her father and Hestia chuckle.
Speaking in a low voice, the Earl of Nottingham said, “If I could trouble you, my lord, for a moment alone with my daughter.”
Hestia looked at him, trying not to show her suspicion. She was about to find out why her parents had come to the Culross mansion. She did not know whether she wanted to hear what it was or not.
“My lord, please do not hesitate. There is a small meeting room through that door. Feel free to use it.”
“Thank you, I do appreciate it.” The Earl of Nottingham stood up and looked down at Hestia. “Come, Hestia. This will not take long. I do not want to take up too much of the Viscount’s time.”
“It is quite all right, sir,” the Viscount of Culross said, shaking his head. “I will listen to the ideas of your wife and my daughter as they discuss various dishes to serve.”
Hestia followed her father to the door the Viscount of Culross indicated. The Earl of Nottingham was the opposite of the viscount at 6 foot 4, with a large, broad chest and arms the size of small tree trunks. Hestia felt like a little girl whenever she was around him.
For being such an intimidating man, it could have been assumed that he was very successful. But his gambling and bad business decisions soon put a stop to that impression.
Chapter 17
Hestia fell into a state of panic when the door closed behind her. She turned to her father, who held out his hand to one of the chairs in the room.
“Please sit, Hestia, I just need to have a short conversation with you.”
“What is it, Father?”
“I have been dealing with extra problems at home that you are involved in.”
Hestia frowned in confusion. “What do you mean, Father? What has happened?”
“Virginia and Marianne have been questioning why I have let you seek employment elsewhere, leaving them to carry the burdens of the house.”
Hestia was fearful. Was he going to tell her to terminate her employment with Lady Eugenia? She would refuse. She was not going to leave now when she was on the brink of a possible future with Leander.
“I am sorry to hear that, Father. But what has that to do with me?”
Hestia braced herself for her father’s response. She recognized his tone. It was his “deal-making” tone. She had heard it on several occasions when he was attempting to borrow money from his friends or make a deal that would get him some money with little favor in return to the giver.
Surely, he would not attempt to make a deal with her or borrow money from her.
“I wonder if you are happy here. If you enjoy working as a companion for Lady Eugenia.”
Hestia was immediately suspicious. Her father was not interested in how she was doing. He had never asked her in a year whether or not working for Lady Eugenia made her happy. He had barely said two words to her during that time.
“I am pleased with my work here. I do not wish to leave. Please do not ask me to.”
To her relief, the Earl of Nottingham shook his head. “I am not asking you to cease your employment here. I believe it is a fruitful venture on your part. It brings you the money you will need to secure a better future for yourself.”
Hestia raised her eyebrows in surprise. She did not expect her father to repeat back to her the reasons she had given him when she consulted him and her mother about finding a job.
“Thank you, Father, I agree.” She softened her tone, looking at him gratefully. Perhaps she had misjudged him. “It has been a learning experience for me. I am good friends with Lady Eugenia now.”
She was tempted to tell him about Lord Price and the prospect that she might be able to win the man’s heart.
Her next thought, though, was that if her father knew she was interested in Lord Price and that there was a good possibility Leander was interested in her, too, the Earl of Nottingham would set his sights on Leander and his money. He would be relentless and dogged in his attempts to extort money from Leander somehow.
Of that, Hestia had no doubt. Her father was showing the first signs of caring about her but her suspicion remained high. She did not mention Leander, though his name was on the tip of her tongue.
“That is good to hear.” The Earl of Nottingham nodded. He paused, looking around the room as if there was anything to see but the four walls around them and the one painting hanging at the other end of the room. “I have been thinking about this and talking to your mother about it, as well.”
“About what?” Hestia asked, tilting her head to the side. Her body became tense as she waited for the response.
“Your sisters do not have the fortitude you have to make money for themselves. They will be relying solely on their husbands for their income, other than the small amount I will bestow on them upon my death.” He looked back at her. “As well as you, of course.”
Hestia nodded. “Yes, Father.”
“Since it is not likely you will marry, having taken this position as a companion, it is important that your sisters look their very best and attract the wealthiest men they can. The future of our family depends on it.”
Hestia was resentful that he assumed she would be a spinster, even though she had been thinking the same thing for the last year. And the only future her father was worried about was his own, financially. If he was concerned about the family, he would have gotten control of his gambling and bad business decisions.
He would have put his family before his own selfish desires.
“I may marry someday, Father,” she said, coldly. He just stared at her.
“Perhaps. But for now, you will not marry until you are no longer a companion and I know you have to work for several years before you will have enough money to venture out on your own. You will have to find different employment when Lady Eugenia marries anyway.”
Not if I am with Lord Price, Hestia thought.
“Please, Father, what is your point?”
The Earl of Nottingham pulled the corners of his lips down, frowning at her. “It has come to my attention that you will be receiving your monthly wages soon. I am asking that you consider giving some of that pay to your sister, Marianne. She has an important wedding to attend next month and needs to buy a new dress and accessories. She will be going to a skilled tailor to make sure her gown fits perfectly.”
When he took a breath, Hestia gritted her teeth. She had expected this. She should not be surprised. But she still found that she was.
“It is vital that she look her best, as she will be meeting with one of Lord Ventnor’s sons, who has a massive amount of wealth left to him by his grandfather.”
Hestia remembered Lord Ventnor’s sons and because of the description her father gave her, knew which one he spoke of. It was the oldest son, Vincent, and he was a despicable man. She’d had the misfortune of dancing with him on several occasions the season before. He was not a skilled dancer or conversationalist.
When each dance with him was over, Hestia felt a massive amount of relief getting away from him. She was convinced he was a self-absorbed idiot and she wanted nothing to do with him. He’d shown her indifference anyway, so she knew he was not interested either.
She nodded. “I know Lord Vincent. I danced with him several times.”
“He has shown keen interest in Marianne and we wish for her to look her best.”
“I am sorry, Father. I suggest that you hold back on your gambling and consult someone with more business acumen before you make any more deals. Perhaps you can save enough money in the next few weeks to buy her what she needs and pay for her skilled tailor.”
Her father’s face turned dark but she did not care. She was going to keep her money.
&
nbsp; “If Marianne wants these things and you are not willing or able to pay for them, I suggest she take a job as a companion, just as I did, save up some money and try again next season.”
“Hestia, that is very rude of you.”
Hestia shook her head. “I am not being rude, Father. You are responsible for your children, not me. I have no children.”
“At this rate, you never will.”
His words would have cut her but she was beyond that with him. She no longer let his insults hurt her. She was more offended than hurt by anything he said or did.
“I have not been gambling in some time.”
Hestia knew it was a lie.
“Then you should have plenty of money to help Marianne.”
Her father shook his head. His face was turning red. Hestia did not know whether it was from anger or shame.
“I have not had any successful business ventures in the last month or so. I cannot afford it.”
“Again, I am sorry, Father. But the money I make is money I have earned and I will not give it to anyone else for any reason whatsoever. If it was a loan, and I was expecting to get it back, I might consider it. But I know that you are not talking about a loan.”
“Marianne should not have to pay you back. She has been taking care of the house since we let the servants go.”
Hestia raised her eyebrows. “I am not required to pay Marianne for taking care of your house, Father. The money I make is going toward my future security. I know I cannot rely on you to leave me with a great deal, so I must secure myself so that I will not starve on the side of the road.”
The look on her father’s face told her he was not going to listen to her reasons. She did not care how much he pushed her to give her money to her sister, she was not going to do it. His family was his responsibility. She would take care of herself.
“Until you decide to find a husband, if you are even considering that, you are obligated to help the family financially. Anything you earn should be given to benefit the family.”
Hestia closed her eyes and shook her head. She was gripping her hands in her lap so hard her fingers were beginning to hurt. She consciously relaxed them and opened her eyes again.
“Father, I will not give my money to the family. You are responsible for your daughters and Mother. I am not. I can only look out for myself. I cannot bear the burden of everyone else at the same time. That is not my job. It is yours.”
“If you are unwilling to help the family, I am considering delving into the family’s savings and dividing it between your sisters.”
Hestia frowned. She had always counted on using what little she could get from the savings to boost her to where she needed to be to make her own way in the world. She was saving on her own but the money from her father would get her further along.
If she did not receive the money, she would surely be required to work for several more years before even attempting to reestablish herself as a lady in society. The thought disappointed her. Leander would certainly be taken by then, as would most of the good men in society. It would leave her with the outcasts, the men no one wanted.
They would be boorish and rude, she was sure. They would be just like Lord Vincent. Intolerable.
“Father…”
“You have one week to decide whether you will be willing to help your sister and send her the money she needs. You will send it to my care, as I am the one who will pay for what she needs.”
Hestia did not believe that was where the money would be going. She was now convinced there was no wedding, no skilled tailor. Only a gambling debt or game her father wanted money for.
“You will reconsider your selfishness, young lady. I will return in a week for your answer.”
“Father…”
He stood up and turned his back to her. He walked to the door. Once he was there, he looked over his shoulder at her. “One week, Hestia. That is what you have.”
Hestia could not move. She continued to sit there, staring at his back as he left the room. Her mind was reeling from the news. Suddenly, she’d had her safety net taken out from under her. The cushion she had been relying on to make things easier when she was ready to venture out on her own.
She could see Lady Eugenia through the door, which her father had left open. She knew she was red in the face because her cheeks felt hot. When she caught Lady Eugenia’s eyes, she stood up to walk out.
She must have looked distraught because Lady Eugenia’s face fell into concern.
“Hestia,” she said, standing. “Perhaps you would like to come out on the veranda and enjoy some of the sunshine while we discuss the menu for Friday’s party?”
“I would like that, Eugenia, thank you.”
Chapter 18
“You should be more grateful, Leander,” his father was saying. He had ignored his wife’s words, never even looking in her direction. “I have given you many opportunities to ask for Miss Drusilla’s hand. You have taken each chance and quashed it.”
“What do you mean, Father?” Leander asked. “I have been attending parties on my own. What hand have you had in it?”
“I have notified Mr. Sirey of each event you are attending. That prompts him to make sure Miss Drusilla is also attending the event. We have coordinated to make sure you attend at the same time so it appears you are arriving together.”
Leander felt resentment slide through him. He had wondered how it happened that Miss Drusilla was always there when he was or shortly after. He had not attended one event that season where she did not show up at the same time. Only the house party had given him a moment’s peace before she got there and that was because he had told no one he was leaving early. Not even Toby.
“I did not realize you were asking about my schedule, Father.” He couldn’t help letting some of the resentment come out in his voice.
His father smirked. “I have ears where you do not know, son. I know what moves you make before you even make them.”
“My life is not a chess game, Father,” Leander said. “I will thank you to not play with it. Miss Drusilla is not a good match for me. I do not need to be forced into something that will make me miserable for my entire life.”
The Countess of Coventry set aside her embroidery and turned to them again. She directed her words this time to Leander. “My son, you must realize what your father is saying is correct. You are obligated to marry the person of his choosing. But I do understand what you are saying and I would like it so much if the two of you can come to a compromise.”
“What compromise can there be?” Leander asked in a sincere voice. “He is insisting that I marry someone I do not love.”
“You will possibly grow to love her. That happens in almost every arranged marriage.”
Leander wondered silently how she could possibly have come up with such a statistic. It sounded like she was just saying it to appease his father.
“I will not fall in love with Miss Drusilla Sirey,” he replied in a cold, confident voice.
“You do not know that,” his father said. Leander looked at the man.
“Yes, I do.”
“I have made sure she is available to you whenever I can,” the Earl of Coventry said. “You have wasted all these chances. You should not waste any more.”
“Father, I resent that you are following my movements in such a way. I am not a child. I would like to know who has been telling you these things. Have you had them spy on me, as well? That is how you know that I showed extra attention to Lady Eugenia?”
“So you did show her extra attention?” The look on the Earl of Coventry’s face was one of jeering satisfaction.
Leander shook his head. He was not lying when he denied it. “No, Father. I only meant you think you know that. Someone has told you that. I want to know who you have spying on me. I want you to tell them to stop.”
“You must do what is right for the family!” His father suddenly seemed to burst, coming forward in his chair and slamming his hand down on
the table beside him, in between himself and his son. Leander was taken aback and stared at his father with wide eyes.
“You must be calm, my lord.” His mother was beside the Earl of Coventry in moments. “You must be calm. Think of your health. You do not want to die on the floor right now, do you?”
The Earl of Coventry did not move his eyes from Leander’s though he put a hand on his wife’s arm when she touched him.
The Countess of Coventry looked at Leander. “Son, perhaps we should have a talk in the other room?” She looked back at her husband. “You do not mind if I have a word with Leander, do you, my lord?”
The Earl of Coventry looked up at his wife.
Leander wondered what he was thinking. He had never told the woman he loved her, not in Leander’s presence anyway. He had always suspected that there was some love in his heart for the Countess of Coventry but the institution of marriage was a business transaction to him. He had made that clear many times over.
“I am not finished with him,” his father said, narrowing his eyes, glancing up at his wife.
“You will not accomplish anything by continuing to badger him about something he feels so strongly about. Patience is needed here.”
“I have given him enough time. My patience has grown thin.”
Leander stood up. “I want to take a walk and think about this. Mother, I will be back shortly. We will talk then.”
The Earl of Coventry stood up, too. “I said I am not finished with you.”
Leander shook his head. “I am finished. We will talk about this when I have cleared my head and calmed my anger. Mother is right. This is not going to accomplish anything.”
“Rest here,” the Countess of Coventry said to her husband. “You both need to calm your tempers. You can speak about this when you have both let go of your anger.”
Leander was almost to the door when his father said, “I am not angry. I am disappointed. There is a difference.”
Leander left on that note, his heart pierced with guilt and sadness. He never wanted to disappoint his father.