A Poor Relation by Carola Dunn

Author:Carola Dunn [Dunn, Carola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1990-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Anne Grove is a pleasant young woman.” Chris led the way out of the stable yard, El Cid moving smoothly beneath him. The misty morning sky was clearing to the pale blue of a fine September day.

“She is far more than that.” Bernard was indignant. “Her intellect is superb. I tell you, at times I am hard put to it to keep up with her, and I don’t mean that this sluggard is even slower than Rocinante. With formal schooling to supply discipline and experience of the world for understanding, she could develop into a formidable scholar. It is criminal that her brain should be wasted because she is a female.”

“You had best marry her and make it your business to see that it is not wasted.”

“I am not so selfish as to chain that enchanting child to a cripple.” For the first time, Bernard sounded bitter about his injuries. The gaiety in his voice was forced as he turned the subject. “But what of your plans? Do you mean to have the fair Millicent?”

“Ask rather whether she will have me. At our last meeting she gave me the cold shoulder in favour of Ruddle. He is something of a Croesus, I collect, and a better catch than an impoverished earl.”

“Gammon! It’s my belief she’ll hold out for a title. The Grange is impressive enough and I doubt she bothers her pretty little head about the state of your farms. Besides, rumour has it she will bring twenty thousand. Surely that is enough to set things to rights?”

“Yes, with that to spend I believe I could soon have the place producing a decent income.” He hesitated. “I fear her character leaves something to be desired.”

“You have noticed!”

“Her temper is not always under her control, but as she is young yet, she will learn to govern it. The chief difficulty is that I cannot like to be thought a fortune-hunter.”

“A title for a fortune is fair exchange, and not uncommon either. You will not even have to wed some Cit’s ugly daughter. Her beauty goes without saying and her father is a baronet and a respected magistrate. You had best put it to the touch.”

“I will not ask Sir Henry for his daughter’s hand until I can show him that I mean to use her fortune wisely, not fritter it away. I must first set in train what improvements I can.”

“Rationalization,” muttered Bernard.

Chris pretended not to hear. Of course he wanted to marry Millicent, he tried to persuade himself. If he sometimes suspected that she was not quite kind, she was beautiful, rich and eligible in every way, and he could not blame her for wanting to be a countess. He suspected that yesterday’s pointed flirtation with Adolphus Ruddle had been intended to make him jealous. Besides, it would be unfair to expect her not to encourage the wealthy fop when she had no certainty that he himself would come up to scratch.

He would, as soon as he had proof for her father of his sincere intent to restore his estate.

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