Charles gestured towards a short, balding man standing next to a chair. “You remember Mr. Strother, do you not?”
Elsbeth tipped her head. “Of course, he was my father’s solicitor,” she said. “Good morning, Mr. Strother.”
“Good morning, Lady Elsbeth,” Mr. Strother replied with a stiff bow. He cleared his throat before adding, “I wish to speak with you about your dowry.”
Her brow furrowed. “My dowry? Has something happened?”
“Not at all,” Mr. Strother said quickly. “It remains untouched at fifteen thousand pounds. However, Lord Bedford has a proposal that he believes will be mutually beneficial.”
Charles motioned for her to sit. “Allow me to explain.”
She claimed the seat next to her mother, who looked far too calm for her liking. “I am listening.”
Charles returned to his seat. “As you know, the estate your father left behind is struggling. I have retained the entailed properties, but I require funds to bring the estate back to profitability.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Elsbeth asked, suspicion prickling at her.
Charles paused. “I need a wife. And you need a husband. It seems practical for us to marry.”
Elsbeth stared at him, certain she had misheard. “Marry?You? But we are cousins.”
“Second cousins, once removed,” Charles corrected, as though that small detail absolved the madness of the suggestion. “It is perfectly legal, I assure you.”
“But we call each other ‘Cousin,’” Elsbeth stated.
Charles nodded. “We would have to change that if we were to wed.”
Elsbeth turned to her mother, stunned. “And what do you say about this?”
Her mother reached for a teapot, avoiding her daughter’s gaze. “Perhaps we should all have a cup of tea and discuss this rationally.”
“Forget the tea, Mother,” Elsbeth said. “Charles just asked me to marry him.”
Her mother leaned back in her seat, finally looking at her. “It might not be such a terrible idea, Elsbeth. Given the… circumstances.”
Elsbeth rose abruptly, and Charles stood with her. “This is madness,” she declared. “I cannot marry my cousin. No matter how far removed.”
Charles regarded her with a solemn expression. “It is not ideal, but the estate needs you. I need you. And you need someone who can offer you stability.”
Turning to Mr. Strother, Elsbeth asked, “What happens if I refuse this outrageous suggestion?”
Mr. Strother adjusted his spectacles as he glanced between Charles and Elsbeth. “Your dowry is to remain untouched until such time as you marry. There is no provision for you to inherit it at a certain age, should you remain unwed.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “Without marriage, I am afraid those funds will remain inaccessible indefinitely.”
Elsbeth stiffened. Her father, for all his faults, had still managed to leave her trapped by this one condition.
Charles, however, seized the moment to step closer. “Elsbeth,” he began softly, “I would be a good husband to you. You would be treated fairly and with respect as my countess.”
The words made her stomach churn. Charles was her cousin. Her childhood companion. They had climbed trees and raced horses together. Now, as he stood before her speaking of marriage, the very idea felt so unnatural that she had to fight the urge to shudder.
“And what of the scandal? You cannot possibly believe there wouldn’t be whispers about such a union,” Elsbeth countered.
Charles’s lips pressed into a thin line, though his gaze remained steady. “I do not think our name could be dragged any further into the mud than where it already resides,” he replied. “Do you?”
The words hit her harder than she cared to admit. Despite their weight, she couldn’t argue with the truth of them. The scandal following her father’s death—the debts, the mistresses, the illegitimate children—had already cast a permanent shadow over their family. Society had all but turned its back on them. She sank back down to the settee.
Even so… marry Charles? The very notion seemed ludicrous. She couldn’t imagine calling him herhusband, much less sharing the intimacies of marriage. The thought alone sent a shiver of revulsion through her.
Before she could reply, her mother stood, smoothing her skirts with forced calm. “This is a great deal for Elsbeth to consider,” she said. “Perhaps we should allow her some time to process everything.”
