CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“It is a fine match,” Lord Wentworth said happily. “I have never met a man as fine as Kilby.”
Charlotte sat silently in her chair, watching her father pacing in the drawing room. The day outside the window was bright sunshine, and she had sat for almost half an hour watching the sun move slowly over the floor. Interjecting every now and again with a word or two of agreement seemed to be all her father needed.
The tirade continued.
“What did you speak of at the picnic? Did he make any hint of his intentions? He asked you to visit his estate; that must have meant something.”
“We spoke of the weather, and he discussed his properties,” Charlotte replied absently. She felt as though she were on the precipice of a slow descent into madness. It was interesting to discover that no matter how much you railed against the world, another’s will could always override your intentions.
“He has five properties, and I have been asking about his capital. He has many investments, and his wealth is quite substantial.”
“Yes, Papa.”
Her father turned to her, her tone not matching his own jubilation.
“How can you object to such a man? He has been very generous with you, has he not?”
“He has—”
“And you can hardly have expected, after returning so abruptly, that you would find someone as eligible as Kilby.”
“I did not, but—”
“You are a foolish girl to wish to hold off for another. There is little to be said for dallying when you have a perfectly good match sitting before you.” He ran his fingers roughly through his hair. It was thinning badly on the back of his head and Charlotte had noticed since they returned to town that the problem had become worse.
“It would be wise for you to find a suitable match, Charlotte. We are not in a position to wait.”
She hesitated, watching him carefully as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes, his shoulders tense. “If you would but explain, Papa.”
“It is not something I should discuss with you,” he said dismissively. “We are not in as good a financial position as I would have liked. Kilby will resolve all of that. You will have everything you could possibly wish for from a life with him. He shall assist me.”
Her father moved to the drink’s cabinet in the corner, pouring himself a large glass of whiskey and knocking it back in one movement. Charlotte fidgeted, watching the telltale signs of her father’s distress. It was clear to her that things were not as they should be. He spent an interminable amount of time in his study and regularly spoke of the headaches he suffered from.
Whenever she ventured into his room, there were ledgers and papers everywhere, as though he were trying to get to grips with his affairs. He had always alluded to the fact that Kilby would be the ‘answer’ to their problems.
If I delay, will I put our lives in more jeopardy? Will I be forced to marry simply to keep a roof over our heads?
“You must take his proposal seriously when it comes, and of course, it will come. No man would pay you so much attention without that as his goal.”
Once more, the room around her seemed to shrink. She felt as though she were standing in a dark corridor, walking towarda comforting glow ahead of her. But as she came toward it, the light turned into flames. She could not turn back and had to blindly stumble into the fire, praying she would not be burned.
“Yes, Papa.”
He walked back toward her, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder, the only affection he ever showed her.
“You have done well, my dear. Your mother would be proud.”
Charlotte swallowed around the lump in her throat as he went to sit on the settee, pulling out the paper and putting an end to their conversation.
She sat staring out of the window at the bright day filled with sunshine, unable to reconcile the happy weather with the turmoil in her mind.
What would Mama have really thought?She wondered.What might she say if she were here now? Would she counsel me to have faith in my father or tell me to follow my heart?
For itwasher heart that she wished to follow. She knew without any doubt that the duke could make her happy. She had seen enough of his character and spent enough time with the people he called friends to know that he was a gentle soul, just like her.
Their brief exchange in the park had only bolstered that opinion. He had been so kind, so understanding above anything else, speaking of his own troubles as though there were far more between them than mere acquaintance.
