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Will frowned. He’d been through the books and her inheritance was a pittance. He had even considered raising her allowance to compensate for her lack of funds.
“As I became older, I realized that I wanted more than just a man who wanted me for the duke’s money,” she added.
The duke’s money. Not her father’s money.
That was not the first time she’d referred to her father as the duke. He must have been a very difficult man if that was how she considered him. Will’s father had told him a few things about the family and none of it was good.
Perhaps it was time to get them back to the subject. He forced out a laugh. “Well, I believe the original question was whether or not I’d be able to handle Society yet. And the answer is yes. So we both should accept Lady Cantwell’s invitation.”
“Very well, we shall put this in a pile of acceptances,” Elizabeth said, handing the note to him.
They quickly sorted through the rest. Some invitations were accepted and some rejected. Before long, they had completed his correspondence.
“Shall we start on the family history?” he asked.
“I shall do my best. The family bible has most of the genealogy of the family, and that is at the estate in Kendal.”
Will listened as she told him about the first Duke of Kendal being granted his lands and titles for service to King Edward III. While Will listened, he watched her face intently. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds as she talked about their shared ancestry. She was a fascinating woman and seemed to love her family history.
Still, he had to focus his attentions on his life. Returning to America was the only thing that made sense to him. Perhaps when he arrived, he would discover Abigail hadn’t married and wanted him again. Maybe he could convince her to move away from her father’s overbearing influence. But the more he thought about her lately, the less he wanted her.
“Should we stop for the night?” Elizabeth’s gentle voice asked.
He glanced over at the clock and noticed it was only ten. “Did you wish to retire?”
She smiled at him. “I thought since you had your eyes closed, I was putting you to sleep with my stories.”
“Sorry, I was thinking of something else for a moment. I was not bored by your stories, but fascinated. Tell me exactly how we are related.”
“As I told you, this family has not been blessed with very many male heirs. Most of the men were lucky if they had two sons who survived. The fifth duke seems to be the exception, and he had three sons who survived to adulthood. Robert, and the twins, William and Henry, were all born within five years of the duke’s marriage, with Robert being the eldest. William and Henry were given a small fortune, and each went different paths.”
“How does our dear cousin Richard fit into all this?” Will asked.
“He is a descendant of Henry, the third born, while you are descended from William, whom I believe is your namesake. That is why you were the rightful heir to the dukedom.”
He wouldn’t disillusion her by telling her that his mother named him after his maternal grandfather.
“So I am the 10th Duke of Kendal, is that correct?” he asked.
“Yes. It is an important history.”
“I suppose it is,” he said, unconvinced that being a duke was particularly important.
“You don’t think so?” she asked with a frown.
“I’m sure a few hundred years ago, having a man who gave his fealty to the king and managed large areas of land for him was important. It kept the land civilized. But today? I can see no reason for it.”
Elizabeth stared at him, unable to say anything. After all she’d told him about the service to the king, the marriages brokered over lands, and how the tenants depended on the duke’s favor, how could he believe this was not important? Anger at his apathy rose high within her.
“I cannot believe you don’t care,” she shouted as she stood. “People, your relatives, died for this country and your lands. Tenants starved under other lords, but not under the duke. The Duke of Kendal always cared for the people working for him.”
“Elizabeth, sit down,” Will said sternly.
“No, I will not. The English system of government has stood strong for centuries. The Duke of Kendal has always played an important part of that structure, and you sit there ridiculing your own history!”
Elizabeth leaned over the desk and stared into his brown eyes. There was only one thing she was concerned about now. “Are you staying here now that Abigail is marrying another or not?”
His eyes narrowed on her. “I do not believe that is any of your business.”
