recovered herself. She knew very little
about the man in front of her, after all, and although she had agreed to enter
into a sham of a marriage with him she knew she must not let down her defences.
He, too, had sobered. ‘We will marry as soon as you are
twenty-one,’ he said, becoming business-like. ‘I don’t think your uncle is
likely to make any further difficulties, but as your birthday is only a week
away I suggest we wait until you are of age. It will make it far more difficult
for him to cause trouble if he changes his mind.’
Madeline nodded in agreement. What the Earl said made
sense.
But there were other things she needed to know. ‘What
will happen afterwards? When the marriage is annulled?’
‘Why, I will claim my fortune and go on to marry
Letitia. And then —’
‘Is the fortune really so important to you?’ she asked.
Despite the fact that she had agreed to the six-month marriage she thought it
strange that Philip, in love with Letitia – for why else should he marry her? -
would arrange a sham marriage, even to claim his fortune. And stranger still
that Letitia, being in love with Philip, did not object.
‘Yes. It is. My estate is badly run down. My father
loved it, but as he got older he neglected it, particularly after my mother
died. And as I was away fighting Napoleon I could not take a hand. Without the
fortune I can’t maintain the estate, let alone improve it. I can’t repair the
tenants’ housing, and I can’t introduce new measures on the home farm to make
it more successful. In fact, I can’t do any of the things I need and want to
do. And once I have claimed the fortune,’ he said, ‘I will provide you with a
handsome annuity, and a choice of houses to live in. I own many properties in
and around York , and you can choose
which one you please. Or, if you prefer, I will buy you a respectable house in
the country.’
‘And you are sure that you will be granted an annulment?’
she asked.
‘I am. As long as the marriage is not consummated, there
will be no difficulty in having it annulled. The only problem you may not have
thought of is that if you want to marry again your bridegroom may wonder why
your first marriage was annulled.’
‘That won’t be a problem,’ said Madeline definitely. ‘I
have no intention of marrying again.’
‘You are very young to be so sure,’ he said, looking at
her curiously.
‘Nevertheless I am sure.’
‘Is it because of your uncle’s behaviour?’ he asked.
‘That and . . . other things.’
He looked at her searchingly for a minute but then, to
her relief, he allowed the subject to drop.
‘As soon as we are married we will set out for Yorkshire ,’ he said. ‘The journey is a long
one, but we will take our time. You have been out of London before, of course?’
‘When I was a child I lived in Hampshire,’ she said. ‘But
I have never been to the north.’
‘Then you should prepare yourself for a surprise. The
landscape is harder, but grander too. I think you will like it. But now to more
important matters. By the time we arrive in Yorkshire you will need some suitable clothes.’
He scrutinised her closely, and Madeline realised how
little she must look like a countess.
‘My sister’s clothes are all very well for here,’ he
said, ‘and will have to do for the journey, but as soon as you arrive at
Stonecrop you will need something more suitable to wear. My sister uses a very
skilled modiste here in London ,
a Madame Rouen, who can take your measurements and help you choose some fabrics.
Madame Rouen will then send the details to her cousin, Miss Silverstone, who is
a York modiste,’ he explained. ‘That
way, by the time we reach Yorkshire , Miss Silverstone will have made up a number of dresses for you.’
‘You seem to have thought of everything,’ said Madeline.
There was a tension in her voice, and she felt a sudden
spurt of fear as she wondered whether the Earl meant to control her life.
She felt a
about the man in front of her, after all, and although she had agreed to enter
into a sham of a marriage with him she knew she must not let down her defences.
He, too, had sobered. ‘We will marry as soon as you are
twenty-one,’ he said, becoming business-like. ‘I don’t think your uncle is
likely to make any further difficulties, but as your birthday is only a week
away I suggest we wait until you are of age. It will make it far more difficult
for him to cause trouble if he changes his mind.’
Madeline nodded in agreement. What the Earl said made
sense.
But there were other things she needed to know. ‘What
will happen afterwards? When the marriage is annulled?’
‘Why, I will claim my fortune and go on to marry
Letitia. And then —’
‘Is the fortune really so important to you?’ she asked.
Despite the fact that she had agreed to the six-month marriage she thought it
strange that Philip, in love with Letitia – for why else should he marry her? -
would arrange a sham marriage, even to claim his fortune. And stranger still
that Letitia, being in love with Philip, did not object.
‘Yes. It is. My estate is badly run down. My father
loved it, but as he got older he neglected it, particularly after my mother
died. And as I was away fighting Napoleon I could not take a hand. Without the
fortune I can’t maintain the estate, let alone improve it. I can’t repair the
tenants’ housing, and I can’t introduce new measures on the home farm to make
it more successful. In fact, I can’t do any of the things I need and want to
do. And once I have claimed the fortune,’ he said, ‘I will provide you with a
handsome annuity, and a choice of houses to live in. I own many properties in
and around York , and you can choose
which one you please. Or, if you prefer, I will buy you a respectable house in
the country.’
‘And you are sure that you will be granted an annulment?’
she asked.
‘I am. As long as the marriage is not consummated, there
will be no difficulty in having it annulled. The only problem you may not have
thought of is that if you want to marry again your bridegroom may wonder why
your first marriage was annulled.’
‘That won’t be a problem,’ said Madeline definitely. ‘I
have no intention of marrying again.’
‘You are very young to be so sure,’ he said, looking at
her curiously.
‘Nevertheless I am sure.’
‘Is it because of your uncle’s behaviour?’ he asked.
‘That and . . . other things.’
He looked at her searchingly for a minute but then, to
her relief, he allowed the subject to drop.
‘As soon as we are married we will set out for Yorkshire ,’ he said. ‘The journey is a long
one, but we will take our time. You have been out of London before, of course?’
‘When I was a child I lived in Hampshire,’ she said. ‘But
I have never been to the north.’
‘Then you should prepare yourself for a surprise. The
landscape is harder, but grander too. I think you will like it. But now to more
important matters. By the time we arrive in Yorkshire you will need some suitable clothes.’
He scrutinised her closely, and Madeline realised how
little she must look like a countess.
‘My sister’s clothes are all very well for here,’ he
said, ‘and will have to do for the journey, but as soon as you arrive at
Stonecrop you will need something more suitable to wear. My sister uses a very
skilled modiste here in London ,
a Madame Rouen, who can take your measurements and help you choose some fabrics.
Madame Rouen will then send the details to her cousin, Miss Silverstone, who is
a York modiste,’ he explained. ‘That
way, by the time we reach Yorkshire , Miss Silverstone will have made up a number of dresses for you.’
‘You seem to have thought of everything,’ said Madeline.
There was a tension in her voice, and she felt a sudden
spurt of fear as she wondered whether the Earl meant to control her life.
She felt a
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