The Reluctant Widow Read online

  ‘By no means.’

  ‘You should not allow yourself to regard it.’

  ‘No, perhaps I should not, if I had only myself to consider. But such whisperings can be extremely mischievous. My brother John, for instance, might find them embarrassing, and I have no desire to throw any rub, however unwitting, in his way. And Nicky – no, Nicky would never bear to hear me slandered!’ He broke off, as though recollecting that he was addressing a stranger, and said abruptly: ‘The simplest way to put a stop to all this nonsense is to provide my cousin with a wife, and that is what I am determined to do.’

  ‘But I do not properly understand, sir! If, as you say, your cousin dislikes you, why would he not himself look about him for a wife? He cannot wish you to inherit his possessions!’

  ‘Not at all. But not all the representations of his doctor have been enough to convince him that his life is not worth the purchase of a guinea. He considers that there is time and to spare before he need burden himself with a wife.’

  ‘If this is so, how have you been able to persuade him to be married to some unknown female whom, I collect, you have found for him through advertisement? It must be preposterous!’

  ‘I have said that I will meet his present debts if he does so.’

  She regarded him with some shrewdness. ‘But he would be left with the burden of a wife on his hands. Or have you also undertaken to provide for this unfortunate female, sir?’

  ‘Of course,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘There has been no suggestion on my part that the marriage should be more than a form. Indeed, I would ask no woman to live with my cousin.’

  She wrinkled her brow, and said with a faint flush: ‘Can your purpose be achieved so? Forgive me, I think you cannot have considered, sir! To exclude you from the succession must there not be an heir?’

  ‘No, it is immaterial. The property is most foolishly left. My cousin inherited it from his and my grandfather, through his mother, but her marriage to Lionel Cheviot had so much displeased my grandfather that he was at pains to prevent its falling into his hands, or on to those of his family. With this aim, he settled it upon his grandson, with the proviso that if Eustace died unmarried it must revert to his younger daughter, or her eldest son: myself, in fact.’

  ‘It is entailed, I collect?’

  ‘No, it is not an entail precisely. On the day Eustace marries he may dispose of the property as he wishes. It is an awkward arrangement, and I have often wondered what maggot can have entered my grandfather’s head. He had some odd fancies, one of them being a strong persuasion that early marriages are beneficial to young men. That may have been in his mind when he made these provisions. I cannot tell.’ He paused, and added calmly: ‘You must acknowledge, ma’am, that my present scheme is not as fantastic as it may at first appear.’

  She could not help smiling at this, but merely said: ‘Will you find any female ready to lend herself to such a marriage? I must hold that to be in grave doubt.’

  ‘On the contrary, I hope I may have done so,’ he retorted.

  She resolutely shook her head. ‘No, my lord, you have not, if you have me in your mind. I could not entertain such a notion.’

  ‘Why could you not?’ he asked.

  She blinked at him. ‘Why could I not?’ she repeated.

  ‘Yes, tell me!’

  She found herself quite unable to comply with this request, although she was sure that she knew her own reasons. After struggling to put these into words, she sought refuge in evasion, and replied crossly: ‘It must be perfectly plain why I could not!’

  ‘Not to me.’

  Apparently he was not to be so put off. Eyeing him with some resentment, Miss Rochdale said: ‘You do not appear to me to want for sense!’

  ‘No, nor am I so set up in my conceit that I cannot be convinced. I am waiting for you to do so.’

  This very reasonable speech caused Miss Rochdale to feel a quite justifiable annoyance. She said coldly: ‘I cannot undertake to do so. You may say, if you please, that I still have enough pride to recoil from such a contract.’

  ‘What I please to say cannot possibly signify,’ he replied patiently. ‘Is this all your reason?’

  ‘Yes – no! You must know that it is impossible to put into words what I feel! Every feeling must be offended!’

  ‘Are you betrothed?’ he asked.

  ‘No, I am not!’

  ‘You are perhaps in the expectation of becoming so?’

  ‘I have told you that I am six-and-twenty,’ snapped Miss Rochdale. ‘It is in the highest degree unlikely that I shall ever be betrothed!’

  ‘In that case,’ he returned prosaically, ‘you might do very much worse for yourself than to strike this bargain with me.’ He saw how her colour rose, and smiled with a good deal of understanding at her. ‘No, do not fly out upon me! Consider for a moment! You appear to be committed to a life of drudgery. I do not even know your name, but it is apparent to me – was apparent from the outset – that you were not born to the position you now occupy. If you are without the expectation of contracting an eligible alliance, what does the future hold for you? You must be too well aware of the evils of your situation to make it necessary for me to point these out to you. Marry my cousin: you must own that the advantages of such an alliance would outweigh the drawbacks which, I assure you, I perceive as clearly as you do yourself. His character is disgraceful, but he comes of a good family: as Mrs Cheviot, with an easy competence to call your own, you must command respect. You need do no more than take my cousin’s hand in church: I will engage for it that he shall not afterwards molest you. You may pass the rest of your life in comfort; you may even marry a second time, for I am in earnest when I say that my cousin cannot hope to continue long in his present way of life. Think soberly before you make me an answer!’

  She heard him out in silence, meeting his steady regard at first, but presently lowering her eyes to the contemplation of her own hands, tightly clasped in her lap. It was impossible for her to listen to him unmoved. It was rarely that she had encountered a fellow-creature who understood any part of the ills of her situation. Such casual acquaintances as she possessed seemed to think that the genteel nature of her chosen occupation must make it acceptable to her. But this strange, curt man, with his rather hard eyes and his almost blighting matter-of-factness, had called her life a drudgery. He had said it without a trace of sympathy in either face or voice, but he had said it, and only those who had endured such a life could know how true it was.

  She hoped that she had too much delicacy of principle to allow the temptation she felt to overcome her scruples. That it was a temptation it would be useless to deny. Her future was indeed uncertain, and she was being offered, merely for giving her hand in nominal marriage, security, perhaps even the means of commanding again some of the elegancies of life. To remain steady in refusing must be a struggle; it was a minute or two before she could trust herself to look up. She tried to smile; it was a woeful attempt. She shook her head. ‘I cannot. Do not press me further, I beg of you! My mind is made up.’

  He bowed slightly. ‘As you wish.’

  ‘I think you must perceive that I could not do it, sir.’

  ‘You have asked me not to press you further, and I shall not do so. You shall be conveyed to Five Mile Ash at whatever hour of the day you choose to-morrow.’

  ‘You are very good,’ she said gratefully. ‘I wish Mrs Macclesfield may not turn me from her door! I am persuaded she would do so if she knew the truth!’

  ‘You will have time to think of some acceptable explanation. Drink your tea! When you have done so, I will conduct you to the inn I spoke of, and arrange for your accommodation there.’

  She thanked him meekly, and picked up her cup. She was relieved to find that he did not appear to be vexed, or even disappointed at her refusal to fall in with his schemes. She felt herself impelled to say: