An Inadvisable Wager (The Curse of the Weatherby Ball Book 2) Eliza Lloyd (reading books for 7 year olds .TXT) 📖

Timothy is my family. I was prepared to throw my entire life on the altar of chance in order to lift him to his rightful place.”

“Scandal isn’t the way to do that. A successful marriage is.”

“It wasn’t a scandal. Not while I was disguised. If you had rejected me, no one would have been the wiser.”

“Or you would have tried to entice Ellis or Nash?”

Nora walked the few paces to a nearby wooden bench beneath a large oak tree. “Perhaps.”

“This is exactly the type of marriage Timothy needs. It lifts all boats—Timothy’s, yours, mine.

“I know that. If we were a normal family, that would work.”

“But we are a normal family now. We are married. You have achieved your goal with the return of Henbury Hall. You have another name to support you and that is my name. And Timothy gets some of that benefit too, even if it means I help him pursue Exeter’s approval. Do you honestly expect Lord Fortenay, at his age, is going to ride off to London and negotiate a suitable marriage contract for your brother? With a family as powerful as Exeter’s?”

“But Timothy doesn’t need that sort of marriage.”

“Why not? Because you thought without Henbury Hall and tin mines and horses that an earl didn’t deserve any better than a vicar’s daughter? Not that there’s anything wrong with vicars’ daughters.”

“Timothy needs to stay near Whitmarsh to care for Grandy and Gigi.”

Carlow sat next to her, removed his hat and took her hand. She was past resistance to him. His ideas, on the other hand… “What about their sons? What about the income from Whitmarsh? Surely they can hire additional help to support them in their old age, while you and Timothy start your lives as productive members of society.”

“It’s not proper to discuss finances with someone outside the family.”

“If you know, you should share that information with me. I don’t want to embarrass Lord Fortenay by suggesting they cannot care for themselves.”

“They very nearly can’t and that is why Timothy and I have been a burden to them. And why one of us must stay until the end. If Timothy is tied to the Exeter girl, who knows where he will end up?”

“The sons?”

“They are both in London. The heir waiting for them to die.”

“What happens then? Were you and Timothy going to be driven out of Whitmarsh with no means of support? Oh,” Carlow said, leaning back and looking up at the sky. “I am a complete idiot.”

Tears sprouted in Nora’s eyes again.

“It’s a convoluted plan. You wagered and somehow you’ve made many of the parts work together,” he said. “But then you had to. Trying to make everything right for four people, not just one.”

“No plan I made could get all that I needed. Without a dowry, I couldn’t be selective about a marriage. Yes, I am that proud. If I married locally, my dream of Henbury Hall would be gone. Our name has been tainted. Timothy has the same problem in marriage. And then what was I to do about Grandy and Gigi? I wasn’t really planning to marry you,” she said. “My wager was that you would despise the idea of being forced to marry Wargrove’s daughter, me thinking you knew every detail of your father’s deceit. I thought you would trade your freedom for a meaningless property to a meaningless family.”

“But your alternative plan was just as effective. Marriage to one of us,” he said. “But we still don’t know if there was actual deceit by our fathers. You’ll pardon me if I reserve my judgment on that aspect of the story until we know more.”

“What else is there to know? All of the Wicked Three are now dead. I am further away from the mines and the Henbury stallions than I was a month ago. Honestly, Carlow, I just want to go home and pretend Henbury Hall belongs to us again.”

“We will soon, I promise. However, we must come to an agreement about Lord and Lady Fortenay so that Timothy has some freedom in marriage. I can’t have both of you being martyrs to the cause.”

“Shouldn’t their sons have a say?”

“Since it’s my money we are talking about, no. We—you and I—will help them because of how they’ve helped you and Timothy. We don’t have to explain ourselves to anyone. Not even their sons.”

Nora faced him, a sense of anticipation growing. “Could we hire someone to stay with them? Maybe a couple with grown children? A sort of man-of-all-trades? Whitmarsh is small, but perhaps it can be made more profitable. And a woman who can organize the house better than a cook and one maid? Yes, I should talk to Reverend Wright. He knows everyone in the county and travels about often. Maybe we should delay our departure by another day.”

“A delay seems appropriate. One day. Seven days. I am in no hurry.”

“I still want to go to Henbury soon, though.” Nora moved quickly and sat in his lap. She took his ears in her hands and made him look at her. His brown-eyed gaze was enough to melt her heart. “Carlow, promise me you will do these things. Promise me you will not break my heart by pledging something you cannot give.”

“I have pledged the most important thing of all, my name to your cause.”

She stared a few moments, knowing he was amenable to the kiss she wanted to give. “Thank you, Carlow.” She pressed her lips to his, happy that Grandy and Gigi weren’t nearby to witness her complete surrender to her husband.

* * * * *

“I can’t accept your help,” Lord Fortenay said, “generous as it is.”

“Please, Grandy. This is a wonderful opportunity. Carlow has put a lot of thought into this proposal. And Reverend Wright has found the perfect couple,” Nora