“Arthur takes
great care and consideration with financial matters. The duke seems old-fashioned
with his money.”
“And I stole Henny from him,” Arthur added sullenly.
Joseph glanced between Henny and Arthur, appearing a little
stunned. “Really?”
Henny got up. “Arthur, you know it wasn’t like that at all.”
She paced nervously.
“Well that’s how Royston sees it.”
Joseph looked at Sophia in supplication.
“The Duke of Royston is a cousin of Henny’s mother—” Sophia
began.
“Distant cousin,” Henny corrected.
“So Henny had been…well…sort of promised to him—”
“Since I was an adolescent,” Henny added with disgust.
“But she and Arthur met at her coming out and I suppose…” Sophia
glanced at her brother. “They fell in love.”
Arthur took Henny’s hand. “That was three years ago.”
Henny smiled up at him.
“But then the duke lost a great deal of money on an
absolutely foolish investment—” Sophia continued.
“Wig powder,” Arthur joked.
Henny laughed sharply.
“And Henny’s father had second thoughts.”
“Thank God,” Henny breathed.
“At the same time Arthur had made a fortune in his
transatlantic telegraph cable investment and he asked Henny’s father for her
hand in marriage.”
“Dad jumped at the chance to marry his daughter to someone
with intelligence and fabulously good looks.” Henny glowed with love.
“Ah,” Joseph said. He raised a brow at Sophia. “And how does
Lady, uh, Sophia fit into all of this? With Royston I mean.”
Arthur shuffled his feet. “My father is not as radical as
Henny’s father is. He sees an alliance with the duke as benefiting the legacy
of the Marquessate of Richmond.”
Sophia’s heart fell. She knew all too well marriage to the
duke was her fate but to hear the words spoken aloud in front of a man who
inhabited her dreams was absolutely depressing.
“And how do you feel about this, Sophia?” Joseph’s voice
conveyed concern.
“It does not matter how I feel. It is my duty.”
“Well I for one think it does matter how you feel,” he
responded. “What about this Peel fellow?”
“You mean marry Geoffrey?” she exclaimed. “I can’t. He’s
only an heir to a viscountcy. Papa says he wants more for me.”
Joseph turned to her brother. “Arthur?”
“There’s really nothing I can do. I’ve told Father I don’t
think the match is a good idea. He says young people today have foolish romantic
notions. I’m not even entirely certain he approves of Henny.”
A bleak silence descended upon the group until Henny puffed
a sigh.
“Sophie, we promised your mother we would be back for tea.
We’ll have to change first.”
“Yes, Henny.”
Henny gave Arthur a peck on the cheek. “Right. We’ll see you
boys later.” She grabbed Sophia’s hand.
As she left, Sophia caught Joseph’s sympathetic look, spurring
her heart to beat a little faster.
* * * * *
Henny waited until almost midnight before she wended her way
through darkened corridors to Arthur’s apartments in the sprawling Harwell
Hall. Servants clung to shadows, keeping silent as she traversed the lengths of
hallways, crossed courtyards, climbed stairs. They would know the Earl of
Petersham and his fiancée were desperately in love and deserved their privacy.
Light streamed into the hall from under Arthur’s library
door, flickering and wavering but bright. The faint scent of pipe tobacco hung
in the air. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should knock, knowing he
wouldn’t expect her to. She turned the knob, opened the door and stepped
through.
Arthur started then stared at her with a guilty expression,
the same expression he got when he had been thinking of her in a rather naughty
way. He stood with his back to the fire, his hands behind him flexing in the
warmth.
Before him sat Joseph, a book opened in his hand, one leg
crossed over the other, dressed, as was Arthur, in a smoking jacket. Joseph,
too, stared at her
great care and consideration with financial matters. The duke seems old-fashioned
with his money.”
“And I stole Henny from him,” Arthur added sullenly.
Joseph glanced between Henny and Arthur, appearing a little
stunned. “Really?”
Henny got up. “Arthur, you know it wasn’t like that at all.”
She paced nervously.
“Well that’s how Royston sees it.”
Joseph looked at Sophia in supplication.
“The Duke of Royston is a cousin of Henny’s mother—” Sophia
began.
“Distant cousin,” Henny corrected.
“So Henny had been…well…sort of promised to him—”
“Since I was an adolescent,” Henny added with disgust.
“But she and Arthur met at her coming out and I suppose…” Sophia
glanced at her brother. “They fell in love.”
Arthur took Henny’s hand. “That was three years ago.”
Henny smiled up at him.
“But then the duke lost a great deal of money on an
absolutely foolish investment—” Sophia continued.
“Wig powder,” Arthur joked.
Henny laughed sharply.
“And Henny’s father had second thoughts.”
“Thank God,” Henny breathed.
“At the same time Arthur had made a fortune in his
transatlantic telegraph cable investment and he asked Henny’s father for her
hand in marriage.”
“Dad jumped at the chance to marry his daughter to someone
with intelligence and fabulously good looks.” Henny glowed with love.
“Ah,” Joseph said. He raised a brow at Sophia. “And how does
Lady, uh, Sophia fit into all of this? With Royston I mean.”
Arthur shuffled his feet. “My father is not as radical as
Henny’s father is. He sees an alliance with the duke as benefiting the legacy
of the Marquessate of Richmond.”
Sophia’s heart fell. She knew all too well marriage to the
duke was her fate but to hear the words spoken aloud in front of a man who
inhabited her dreams was absolutely depressing.
“And how do you feel about this, Sophia?” Joseph’s voice
conveyed concern.
“It does not matter how I feel. It is my duty.”
“Well I for one think it does matter how you feel,” he
responded. “What about this Peel fellow?”
“You mean marry Geoffrey?” she exclaimed. “I can’t. He’s
only an heir to a viscountcy. Papa says he wants more for me.”
Joseph turned to her brother. “Arthur?”
“There’s really nothing I can do. I’ve told Father I don’t
think the match is a good idea. He says young people today have foolish romantic
notions. I’m not even entirely certain he approves of Henny.”
A bleak silence descended upon the group until Henny puffed
a sigh.
“Sophie, we promised your mother we would be back for tea.
We’ll have to change first.”
“Yes, Henny.”
Henny gave Arthur a peck on the cheek. “Right. We’ll see you
boys later.” She grabbed Sophia’s hand.
As she left, Sophia caught Joseph’s sympathetic look, spurring
her heart to beat a little faster.
* * * * *
Henny waited until almost midnight before she wended her way
through darkened corridors to Arthur’s apartments in the sprawling Harwell
Hall. Servants clung to shadows, keeping silent as she traversed the lengths of
hallways, crossed courtyards, climbed stairs. They would know the Earl of
Petersham and his fiancée were desperately in love and deserved their privacy.
Light streamed into the hall from under Arthur’s library
door, flickering and wavering but bright. The faint scent of pipe tobacco hung
in the air. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should knock, knowing he
wouldn’t expect her to. She turned the knob, opened the door and stepped
through.
Arthur started then stared at her with a guilty expression,
the same expression he got when he had been thinking of her in a rather naughty
way. He stood with his back to the fire, his hands behind him flexing in the
warmth.
Before him sat Joseph, a book opened in his hand, one leg
crossed over the other, dressed, as was Arthur, in a smoking jacket. Joseph,
too, stared at her
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