Miss Lawrence spread her hands.
“I could not say. I am sure it will be worth the long wait, however.”
“Indeed.” Julia murmured quietly, looking after the gentleman who had just departed. It had not been a sennight since her brother had made that particular demand and she was nowhere closer to finding a husband than she had been before, leaving her to consider almost every gentleman she met, regardless of her own feelings on the matter. “And does he reside nearby?”
Miss Lawrence nodded.
“Yes, he is only a short distance away from this house.”
Julia tucked this little bit of information away and smiled at Miss Lawrence.
“He seems almost amiable gentleman. You are fond of him, I think.”
Miss Lawrence smiled softly.
“Yes, indeed, I find him a very sweet character and a kind spirit. I am grateful to Lord Foster for introducing me to his very dear friend for my life has certainly been enriched by his acquaintance.”
“I think it a very rare thing to find such a gentleman,” Julia found herself saying, even though she was not particularly well acquainted with Miss Lawrence. “My brother insists I find someone to marry. But how can I do such a thing when they are all either ridiculous fops or grasping, selfish fellows who only care for my dowry? I think you have betrothed yourself to the only amiable gentleman in all of London - and Lord Wiltsham, for all that he appears to be very kind indeed, is much too taken up with matters regarding his house and its improvements to be even considering matrimony, I might presume?”
“I believe you are quite correct in that. Although I shall only agree with the latter rather than the former.” Smiling, she spread her hands to the rest of the room. “Lord Wiltsham is certainly very taken up with other matters at present, but he cannot be the only other amiable gentleman available to you, surely. Believe me, I am aware of the requirement to marry and the strain that can place upon one’s shoulders! If you wish, I could introduce you to many a gentleman this evening who I consider to be, at the very least, a decent sort. I should not like you to lose heart, or give up entirely, Miss Carshaw.”
Thinking Miss Lawrence was an incredibly kind young lady, Julia immediately accepted her offer. This was not the time to be rejecting any offers of help to form new acquaintances, even if she, as yet, was not fully determined to do as her brother asked and was continuing to search for another plan. If she found a suitable gentleman, then perhaps her other considerations would not have to be brought to fruition.
“I should be very glad indeed. Thank you, Miss Lawrence.”
“But of course, come this way and I shall introduce you to Lord Peters and Lord Gilkison.”
With a smile, Miss Lawrence led the way and Julia followed, although she could not help but glance over her shoulder towards the side of the room where she knew Lord Wiltsham stood. She had no particular interest in the gentleman himself, but rather in what he might be able to offer her - whether willingly or not. An idea had begun to form in her mind as regarded Lord Wiltsham’s absence from his townhouse at present. It could be an answer to her own troubles, and that in itself, she considered, was reason enough to pursue it.
* * *
“And haveyou any news for me, Julia?”
Julia looked up at her brother.
“If you are asking me whether or not I have had any gentleman callers, then the answer, brother dear, is yes, I have had one.” She smiled slightly as her brother’s eyes widened. Evidently, he had not been expecting her to answer in the affirmative. “Lord Gilkison came to call. We enjoyed tea together, with a maid in the room for propriety’s sake, and he has taken his leave. We shall see each other again this evening. Does this satisfy you?”
“It only satisfies me if he puts a ring on your finger and takes you away from this house so that you are no longer my burden to bear,” came the stark reply. “It is close to ten days since we made our agreement, is it not? And now you are telling me that you have only had one the gentleman caller within those days! Is he a worthy sort? Is he a suitable match for you?”
Fire lit itself in Julia’s belly.
“You said nothing about whether a gentleman would be a suitable match, brother. You have told me that I must only find myself a husband, and remove myself from this house so that you can live your life without the burden of your sister upon your shoulders. Why should you care whether or not he is worthy? Why should you give even a single thought as to whether or not he is a gentleman of quality?”
Her brother lifted an eyebrow, and for a moment Julia thought he was about to respond with either shock or an apology for having treated her so. But in the next moment, that illusion was broken as he began to laugh. It was a hard, cruel sound and Julia shivered but removed herself from her chair so that she was standing facing her brother.
I must remain strong.
“You have not always been this way, Kingston. You have not always been cruel or unfair, and demands such as this are not something I have ever thought to expect of your character. Why now do you treat me in such a way? Why do you make such demands on me and set such heaviness on my shoulders?”
Her questions echoed around the room, and for a moment, she thought that he would turn away from her – only for his eyes to narrow and his lips to curl.
“You cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to have such a responsibility as mine, Julia. I am a gentleman who is forced to bear a title and the heaviness which comes with it. I have an estate to manage and a fortune with it. You may not be aware, but father was not the wisest of gentlemen when it came to his expenditure, particularly in the latter years of his life. I did not put any particular pressure on you last Season to wed because I fully expected you to do so of your own accord, knowing that such a thing is both of importance and fully expected of you. In the months since then, I have seen you wandering about the estate, doing very little of note. You have purchased things that you have no need to buy, spending fruitlessly and aimlessly whenever you please. You required an extra bucket of coal every single day during the winter months and that sort of expenditure is not something that can continue, not if I am to make certain that the estate is profitable for whenever I am ready to pass the title along.”
Julia narrowed her eyes. There was something in her brother’s manner which told her that he was not speaking the entirety of the truth. Whether it was the fact that his voice had lifted a little, or that his eyes no longer held hers, but darted about the room, she found herself suspicious of him.
“We are not impoverished, brother.”
“You know nothing, Julia.”
