by Joan Wolf
Evan took a seat on one of the spectacularly uncomfortable French chairs that were placed in front of the marble fireplace and prepared to wait.
In a remarkably short time, a tall, handsome, blonde-haired woman came in the door. “Evan, my dear,” Lady Barbara said as she crossed the pale ivory and blue rug to greet him. “How lovely to meet you.”
He blinked as he stood up to greet her. She looked just like his father. “I am happy to meet you as well, Aunt,” he replied, and bestowed a chaste kiss on the cheek she presented to him.
Lady Barbara looked up. “Goodness,” she said. “You wear your lineage on your face, Nephew. You are all Marshall.”
Evan thought of the portrait hanging in the drawing room at Stoverton and of his shock when he had first beheld it. “So it seems,” he said mildly.
Lady Barbara bade him be seated and once again Evan took one of the uncomfortable silk-covered chairs.
She sat beside him. “I’m sorry my husband isn’t here to greet you, but he has gone to visit his brother. If he had known you were coming, he most certainly would have remained at home. The family has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.” She looked at him piercingly. “I imagine you have learned by now of the disaster Philip left behind when he shot himself.”
She didn’t even wince when she mentioned her brother’s suicide.
“Yes,” Evan said, looking into the familiar yet strange face next to him. He decided to be honest and added wryly, “I must confess I’m finding it a bit disconcerting to meet relatives I didn’t know I possessed. My parents brought me up to be one hundred percent American, you see. My father maintained no connection to his English family - it was as if they didn’t exist. So you can imagine how stunned I was to receive a letter informing me that I was the new Earl of Althorpe – with all the attendant obligations.”
He couldn’t quite keep the bitterness out of his voice as he pronounced the last words.
Lady Barbara sighed. “I’m afraid that my father and yours quarreled badly, my dear. Do you know the reason why your father emigrated to America in the first place?”
“I recently learned the history of my parents from Cousin Flora,” he replied steadily.
“Then you will know that my father was outraged when Tommy eloped with Emma. I was only a schoolgirl, but I can still remember his anger. He said that Tommy was no longer his son and that he had made his bed and he could lie in it.”
“Nice of him,” Evan commented dryly.
“Tommy was Papa’s favorite,” Lady Barbara said. “He felt that Tommy had betrayed him and his family by marrying so far beneath his station.”
I’m glad I never knew the old bastard. Evan thought. Maybe it’s poetic justice that my mother’s son is the one to inherit his precious earldom.
Lady Barbara was going on, “Apparently Tommy did quite well for himself in America.”
“Let us just say that my father was wiser with his money than my uncle was with his,” Evan said.
At this point, the butler came in with a tea tray. A table was set up in front of the chairs and Lady Barbara asked Evan polite questions about his journey from America while she poured. When the butler closed the door again, she got down to business. “I know my brother was deeply in debt. How bad is it?”
Evan told her. Then he told her about the condition of the cottages and the unpaid retirees. She was not surprised. Then he brought up the subject of Julia and Maria. “I am very concerned about their futures,” he said.
“They still have their dowries, of course.”
“No, they don’t. My uncle went through the funds that were supposed to be set aside for their dowries. They have been left with nothing.”
“Damn Philip!” Lady Barbara exclaimed. She glared at Evan as if he were the one at fault. “How could he be so irresponsible?”
“I have no idea,” Evan replied. “But he was, and now I’m stuck with the consequences. I’ll deal with the debt somehow, but the most pressing need is to make some arrangement for my cousins. They cannot continue on as they are.”
There was a brief, charged silence. Then Lady Barbara said, “You have met Julia, of course.”
“Yes.”
“After Philip died I offered to bring her and Maria here to Mereton, and she refused to come. She is as stubborn as a mule, that girl.”
“I’ve noticed,” Evan said with a flicker of humor. “Nevertheless, I am responsible for her and plans must be made for her future. I’ve been advised that my best course of action is to give her what Flora calls a ‘season’ so she can meet some eligible men and find a husband. I’ve also been told that you are giving a season to your own daughter, Aunt, and I have come to ask you to chaperone Julia as well.”
Lady Barbara stared at him as if he was mad. “A London Season costs a fortune. I can’t possibly undertake to sponsor her as well as Lizzie.”
“I’ll pay all of Julia’s expenses. And I’ll engage to give her a dowry as well. I’m going to have to mortgage Stoverton to raise cash and few thousand more pounds won’t make much difference.”
The expression on Lady Barbara’s face hadn’t changed. “Will Julia agree to go to London for the season?”
“I don’t plan to give her a choice in the matter.”
“You don’t understand,” Lady Barbara said, her hands fluttering in agitation. “If we drag Julia to London against her will, she will ruin everything for Lizzie. Do you know what she told me when I went to collect her and Maria to bring them here after Helen died?”
“No.” Evan waited with real curiosity for her reply.
“She told me that if I forced her to come to my home she would make my life miserable. ‘You don’t want me in your house, Aunt Barbara, if I don’t want to be there.’ That’s what she said, Evan! And the look on her face – she meant it. She’s ruthless, Evan. I can’t take a chance with my daughter’s future.”
Evan felt an unwilling surge of admiration for Julia. He said, “What if I can convince her to cooperate willingly with this Season business? Would you take her then?”
Just then the door opened and a young girl came in. “Grantly told me that my cousin is here, Mama, and I have come to be introduced.”
Evan stood and turned to face this new cousin. She was another Marshall, and a beautiful one. Her hair was more gold than silver and her eyes a lighter blue than his, but she could have been his sister, they looked so alike. “I’m your cousin Lizzie, my lord,” she said, crossing to him and holding out her hand.
Evan took her hand into his. “I am delighted to meet you,” he said. “And please, call me Evan.”
Her smile was dazzling.
“Sit down, Lizzie,” Lady Barbara said briskly. “What your cousin and I are discussing concerns you too. He wants me to bring out Julia along with you this Season.”
Evan watched closely but no expression of alarm crossed Lizzie’s classically beautiful face. “That seems sensible,” she said sunnily as she took one of the crimson velvet chairs.
“I am afraid that Julia might not wish to join us,” Lady Barbara said ominously.
Evan said, “Your mother is afraid that Julia might sabotage your own season if she is forced to do something she doesn’t want to do.”
Lizzie looked puzzled. “How could she do such a thing?”
“I can think of a whole list of things she could do if she chose to,” Lady Barbara said grimly.
“But why wouldn’t she want a season?” Lizzie asked. “How does she expect to find someone to wed if she doesn’t go to London?”
“Don’t ask me how Julia’s mind works,” Lady Barbara snapped. “It’s unfathomable to me.”
Evan brought up the offer Flora had recommended. “If you agree, Aunt, I should be pleased if you used the Piccadilly mansion as your base. I understand it’s large and well-located.”
Lady Barbara’s expression changed. “Indeed. It is the perfect house from which to launch a young girl’s come-out. The ballroom is fabulous.”
Encouraged by this comment, Evan said, “If I can get Julia to promise to behave herself and cooperate with you, will you include her in Lizzie’s season?”
Silence.
Lizzie said, “You have to, Mama. Julia has no mother or father. We have to help her.”
Lovely and kind, Evan thought approvingly as he looked at Lizzie.
“All right,” Lady Barbara said. “But I must speak to Julia herself to make certain she understands the standards I will expect her to uphold.”
“Certainly,” Evan said. “Don’t worry, Aunt Barbara, I‘ll make everything clear to her.”
During the two-hour drive home in the curricle, Evan thought about nothing except how he was going to present this idea to Julia and convince her to accept it.
Chapter Ten
After Evan left to pay a duty visit to Aunt Barbara, I saddled up Isabella and went to visit my dear friend, Sir Matthew Clarkson, our local squire. He was in one of the stalls with a pregnant mare, stroking her neck and murmuring to her soothingly.
“How’s she doing?” I asked.
He turned to me. “She was a wee bit restless, but I think I’ve settled her down.”
He gave the mare one last pat then joined me in the aisle. “I hear that the new earl has arrived from America.”
I laughed. “Gossip in the village always runs like wildfire.”
“What do you make of him?” Sir Matthew asked, raising his bushy white eyebrows.
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
“Come along to the office and we’ll have a chat.”
We moved down the aisle to the comfortable old office, a small room where Sir Matthew kept a wide assortment of remedies for his horses and hounds’ various ailments. There was a battered old desk in the corner with two chairs that were swathed in dark blue horse rugs. Once we were seated, Sir Matthew asked, “What does the new earl make of the financial disaster he inherited?”
“Mr. Shields recommended that he take a mortgage out on Stoverton.” I scowled. “I hate the thought of it. It’s like selling Stoverton to a bank.”
Sir Matthew leaned back in his chair. “It’s his only option, other than selling off the land, lass. And I know you’d hate that even more.”
“I would,” I said gloomily. “What I’d like best would be if he’d use his own money to bring Stoverton back to what it once was. He has millions of dollars, Sir Matthew! But that’s not going to happen. He tells me he only makes investments that are going to earn him money.” I glared. “The man looks exactly like the first earl, but he’s a cit at heart!”
Sir Matthew said, “It would be grand if he’d spend his millions on Stoverton, but it’s asking a lot of a stranger from another country. He feels none of the blood ties to Stoverton that you do. And a mortgage won’t be so bad. If he makes regular payments, Stoverton will be free and clear once the mortgage is repaid. If he’s as rich as you say he is, he should be able to do that easily enough.”
I thought about that for a minute. Perhaps Sir Matthew was right. Perhaps a mortgage wouldn’t be so bad after all. And if I was managing the property, I would make certain that every penny was put to good use. I could have Stoverton paying it’s own mortgage in a few years.
Sir Matthew cleared his throat. “Er … has the earl come up with any suggestions about your future, lass?”
I sat up straighter. “As a matter of fact, I have come up with a solution, Sir Matthew. I suggested to Evan that I could act as his agent here when he went back to America.”
I bounced a little on the chair in my enthusiasm. “It’s the perfect answer to both our problems. He doesn’t want to remain in England, and I don’t want to leave Stoverton. If he appoints me as his agent, then he can go home with the confidence that he has entrusted Stoverton to the best person possible.”
There was a strange look on Sir Matthew’s face. “Did you mention this idea to his lordship?”
“I did.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said he’d think about it.”
Sir Matthew closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. He opened his eyes and looked at me. “It’s impossible, lass. If his lordship doesn’t know it now, he soon will. You cannot be the agent for Stoverton.”
I stared at him in astonishment. “Why not? No one knows more about the house and property than I do. I’m the perfect person for the job.”
“You cannot do it, lass, because you’re eighteen years old and the daughter of an earl. You’re not a child any more, you’re a young lady. The life you’ve been living cannot continue. You must marry a man of your own class and have your own home and family.”
I stared at him in horror. “But I don’t want to get married. If I got married I would have to move away from Stoverton.”
Sir Matthew leaned toward me. “Julia.” He never called me Julia. “You know I care for you. You’re the daughter I never had. But you cannot give all your love to a building!”
To my horror I felt tears sting my eyes. “You really want me to go away? You wouldn’t miss me?”
“I would miss you terribly. I meant it when I said I love you like a daughter. But all fathers have to let their daughters go eventually. It wouldn’t be a sign of love if I tried to hang onto you. It would be selfishness. I have to recommend what I think is best for you, and I think the best thing would be to find a man you like and marry him.”
I swallowed. “I see.”
“Think about what I’ve said, lass. I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s advice that comes from my heart.”
I managed a shadowy smile, stood up and said, “I think I had better be getting along home now.”
He nodded slowly and watched as I tried not to run out of the office.
* * * *
What Sir Matthew said upset me profoundly. It wasn’t that I didn’t know that girls were expected to marry. It was just that I had never thought that expectation would apply to me. My mother had rarely taken me with her when she made calls on our neighbors, or attended the few local gatherings she deigned worthy of her presence. I had always thought it was because she was ashamed of me but I didn’t know what I could do to make her like me.
In the past, when I thought about my future, I assumed that my brother Philip would marry and I would stay on at Stoverton while he and his wife lived mostly in London. I knew Philip would be perfectly happy to have me take care of his house and property. I wouldn’t even have minded being a substitute parent to his children, as long as I could remain here, on this land that had belonged to my family for all these centuries.
You can’t live all alone in this huge house, Evan had said.
I took Isabella to the stable and wouldn’t let Toby unsaddle or groom her. I dawdled for as long as I could, putting some oil on her hooves so they wouldn’t dry out and brushing her tail until Toby told me it would start to fall out if I didn’t stop.
As I made my way to the house I realized what the unfamiliar feeling in my chest was. Fear. My life wasn’t in my own hands anymore, it was in the hands of this American, who had inherited land and a title he neither understood nor respected.
Stoverton was my land. I was the one who would love it and cherish it and keep alive the tradition of one of the greatest families in the history of England.
It was almost time for dinner when I reached the house and I went upstairs to my bedroom to put on one of the five dresses that hung in my wardrobe. There was a tall mirror in the corner of the room and, as always, I automatically went to check that my appearance was neat.
This time I stood and really looked at myself. For dinner I usually wore my long black hair knotted at the back of my head, an easy style for me to do by myself. My light gray eyes looked out from beneath my black brows and lashes, and the shabby blue dress, which had belonged to Maria when she was my size, was rather sad looking.
I knew I didn’t live the life expected of an earl’s daughter, but I lived the life I loved. And I was prepared to fig
ht to keep it.
* * * *
Cousin Flora dominated the dinner conversation, asking Evan about Lady Barbara and her plans. I didn’t pay much attention; I was too busy trying to figure out how I could maneuver Evan into doing what I wanted him to do. Unfortunately, he did not appear to be a man easily manipulated.
I would come up with something, I thought. I had to.
After the pudding had been served, Evan asked if Flora would mind if I remained in the dining room with him so we could speak in private.
“Of course not,” Flora said, much too effusively. “Come along, Maria. You can play the piano for me while your sister speaks to Evan.”
Maria threw me an alarmed look. I kept my face blank and gestured for her to leave.
After the door had closed behind them, Evan picked up his glass of wine and came to sit across from me.
“You and I have to talk, Julia,” he said. He proceeded to tell me about his visit to Aunt Barbara and her agreement to take me to London and present me along with Lizzie. I grew colder with every word he spoke.
“I don’t want to go to London for a Season,” I said. “I want to stay here.”
He regarded me thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking about your idea to take charge for me here at Stoverton, and I believe it has some merit,” he said.
I lit up inside. “You do? That’s wonderful, Evan! That’s just…wonderful! I’ll do a good job for you. I’ll do the best job anyone could do.”
“I know you would,” he said. “But after meeting Aunt Barbara, and speaking to Flora, my original feeling has been confirmed. You can’t be left here by yourself. Your family, the society you live in, won’t allow it. And Maria needs you. You’re all she has, and living alone here at Stoverton is not good for her.”
He was speaking quietly and reasonably. And what he said about Maria was true. I bit my lip. “What do you think I should do?”