calling in every favor from every one of her friends. “My father’s death need not alter our wedding plans too greatly.”
The Captain did not reply at once. He was staring out over the garden, his hands gripping the rail of the balcony so tightly that his knuckles gleamed white in the evening gloom.
The tense look on his face sent tendrils of fear snaking up her spine. “William?” she said softly, desperately, placing one of her hands on his, claiming him as was her right. She could not let him desert her now.
He turned his head away from her pleading. “I cannot marry you,” he said baldly.
His words were soft but lethal. Only her pride kept her from sinking to the ground in despair. With that one breath, he consigned her and her family to the living death of the workhouse.
“While there was still the hope of some money coming to you from your father’s estate, even though it was far less than the fifty thousand pounds your father and I had settled on as your dowry, I was willing to honor our agreement.” He ran one hand through his hair. “I love you, Caroline. I love you enough to take you for only twenty thousand pounds, or even ten thousand. I would have been content with only ten.”
The light of understanding began to dawn on her, and a dim, dreary light it was. “But there is nothing left for my dowry. Worse than nothing. Papa left debts I can never hope to pay.”
He turned to face her, his eyes haunted. “Caroline, I do love you.”
What use did she have for such a lukewarm love? She would rather have his hatred than such a conditional affection as he offered her. “Just not enough to marry me now that I am a pauper.”
“I cannot afford to take you as my wife. I am far from rich, as your father knew well. I need a woman who will add to my wealth, not be a drain on it.”
“You are breaking our engagement, then?” A brittle laugh escaped her. “How will you find another wife when your behavior toward me becomes known? A gentleman never breaks his word to a lady.”
“You are right—I cannot break it.”
He turned toward her, but the shaft of hope starting to rise in her was quickly dispelled by his next words.
“I need you to break it. I need you to offer to release me from our engagement, an offer that I will then regretfully accept.”
“You want me to cut my own lifeline? The only hope that my family has of regaining respectability?” Was he so cruel as to put a knife in her hand and tell her that she must die, and then ask her to stab herself because he had not the heart to kill her outright? “I cannot do it. You should not ask it of me.”
“I can make it worth your while.”
“You would pay to get rid of me?” Given that she could force him to honor his engagement or have him publicly labeled as an untrustworthy rogue, she should not be surprised that in his eyes he owed her some compensation. No budding businessman could survive the blackening of his reputation.
It was a sign of her desperation that she would even listen to such an outrageous proposal, let alone consider accepting money from him, but the prospect of her sisters and brother in the workhouse forced her hand. “How much?”
“If you release me, I have Mr. Earnshaw’s permission to seek the hand of his daughter, Kitty.” His face relaxed into a self-satisfied smile. “The girl does not seem averse to the match. All going well, I will wed her within the fortnight.”
“Mr. Earnshaw is a wealthy man. Wealthier than Papa was, even before…”
“She comes with sixty thousand pounds in the hand, and a half share in the business when Mr. Earnshaw passes away.”
And she came with nothing. With less than nothing, seeing she had four sisters and a brother to support as well. Such a sum as Kitty had for a dowry would be no small temptation even to a greater man than the Captain. No wonder he was so ready to throw her over for another girl.
“While you still had hopes
The Captain did not reply at once. He was staring out over the garden, his hands gripping the rail of the balcony so tightly that his knuckles gleamed white in the evening gloom.
The tense look on his face sent tendrils of fear snaking up her spine. “William?” she said softly, desperately, placing one of her hands on his, claiming him as was her right. She could not let him desert her now.
He turned his head away from her pleading. “I cannot marry you,” he said baldly.
His words were soft but lethal. Only her pride kept her from sinking to the ground in despair. With that one breath, he consigned her and her family to the living death of the workhouse.
“While there was still the hope of some money coming to you from your father’s estate, even though it was far less than the fifty thousand pounds your father and I had settled on as your dowry, I was willing to honor our agreement.” He ran one hand through his hair. “I love you, Caroline. I love you enough to take you for only twenty thousand pounds, or even ten thousand. I would have been content with only ten.”
The light of understanding began to dawn on her, and a dim, dreary light it was. “But there is nothing left for my dowry. Worse than nothing. Papa left debts I can never hope to pay.”
He turned to face her, his eyes haunted. “Caroline, I do love you.”
What use did she have for such a lukewarm love? She would rather have his hatred than such a conditional affection as he offered her. “Just not enough to marry me now that I am a pauper.”
“I cannot afford to take you as my wife. I am far from rich, as your father knew well. I need a woman who will add to my wealth, not be a drain on it.”
“You are breaking our engagement, then?” A brittle laugh escaped her. “How will you find another wife when your behavior toward me becomes known? A gentleman never breaks his word to a lady.”
“You are right—I cannot break it.”
He turned toward her, but the shaft of hope starting to rise in her was quickly dispelled by his next words.
“I need you to break it. I need you to offer to release me from our engagement, an offer that I will then regretfully accept.”
“You want me to cut my own lifeline? The only hope that my family has of regaining respectability?” Was he so cruel as to put a knife in her hand and tell her that she must die, and then ask her to stab herself because he had not the heart to kill her outright? “I cannot do it. You should not ask it of me.”
“I can make it worth your while.”
“You would pay to get rid of me?” Given that she could force him to honor his engagement or have him publicly labeled as an untrustworthy rogue, she should not be surprised that in his eyes he owed her some compensation. No budding businessman could survive the blackening of his reputation.
It was a sign of her desperation that she would even listen to such an outrageous proposal, let alone consider accepting money from him, but the prospect of her sisters and brother in the workhouse forced her hand. “How much?”
“If you release me, I have Mr. Earnshaw’s permission to seek the hand of his daughter, Kitty.” His face relaxed into a self-satisfied smile. “The girl does not seem averse to the match. All going well, I will wed her within the fortnight.”
“Mr. Earnshaw is a wealthy man. Wealthier than Papa was, even before…”
“She comes with sixty thousand pounds in the hand, and a half share in the business when Mr. Earnshaw passes away.”
And she came with nothing. With less than nothing, seeing she had four sisters and a brother to support as well. Such a sum as Kitty had for a dowry would be no small temptation even to a greater man than the Captain. No wonder he was so ready to throw her over for another girl.
“While you still had hopes
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