Page 18 of The Heiress Gets a Duke
“I’d say he was every bit a gentleman as he was handsome.” The carriage swayed as the driver took his seat. Light from the gas lamp outside shifted over Mother’s face, revealing her shrewd grin and the calculation in her eyes as she watched Violet for her reaction. “I haven’t seen a man so handsome since your father in his day.”
August clenched her jaw harder. As if Rothschild’s looks were the most important thing when they were talking about Violet’s future.
“He is handsome,” came her sister’s unrevealing reply, but August felt her stiffen in the seat beside her.
Not satisfied that Violet was sufficiently enthusiastic, Mother glanced at August. “Even August will admit he’s very handsome, won’t you, dear?”
To be able to unclench her jaw, August was forced to tighten her hands into fists in her lap. “Of course he’s handsome.” The words tasted bitter, because she knew that Mother was really attempting to court her agreement in this travesty.
The admission earned her a bark of laughter from Papa. “EvenIcan admit he’s handsome. Not much of an ogre, huh, August?”
The jab was meant to be lighthearted, but it stung with betrayal in a way she didn’t understand. Rubbing the heel of her hand as if to soothe the invisible pain, she said, “People can be ogres in ways that do not include their looks.”
“But he’s the perfect gentleman,” Mother said, her voice taking on a lilting tone.
“We still don’t know anything about him.” It seemed irresponsible that her parents did not care about that detail.
Mother scoffed. “What more is there to know?”
Papa, who sat across from August, reached over the short distance to fondly pat her knee. “August is right, Millie. She has a good head for business. I’ve taught her that no business deal should ever be entered into without reviewing it from all angles.” To August, he said, “I have people investigating his assets and liabilities, of which there are many of the latter. The reports are as you’d expect. Debts from some bad investments his father made. Properties that need a good deal of refurbishment. The young man needs a significant influx of cash to address his debts, and he needs it fairly soon.”
August took a breath as the tension started to drain from her, allowing her to sink into the plush upholstery. This was language she understood. At least one of her parents was thinking rationally. “And you are not at all concerned that giving him this influx will only lead to more debt eventually? More loss?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, August, really,” said Mother.“How couldmoremoney lead to more debt? It doesn’t work that way.”
“Millie, now, she is right. When you have a business that’s been floundering, and you suddenly pour in money, well, sometimes it goes right through whatever drain they’ve created.” To August he said, “We’re still looking, darling, but so far it doesn’t seem that His Grace has been the problem. He inherited extraordinary debts. Once they are all paid off, the financial drain should close substantially.”
That wasn’t enough of a reassurance, and she leaned forward to say so. There would likely still be a hole, and whether it took a year or ten years for the money to drain away, Violet could be left penniless. “But there’s the upkeep of all those estates. That could be an enormous sum alone for each of them. Will those estates draw in enough income to be profitable? Have you looked into his tenants? How many of them are able to pay their rents? How much of a deficit is he running annually? How can we be assured that Violet will control her own money?”
To her surprise, her father patted her knee and sat back against his seat. “I appreciate you being so concerned for your sister. We are still looking into his estates. I expect to have completed reports next week.”
If he’d had a newspaper, she was quite certain he would have flicked it up between them and stuffed his nose inside it, effectively shutting her out. Her mother nodded as if all had been settled and smiled fondly at Violet across from her. She was probably imagining her in a wedding gown and thinking of her as the Duchess of Rothschild. Didn’t either of them care about Violet’s future beyond her wedding?
Violet met August’s gaze in silent rage.
August knew that she had to tell them about the prizefight and damn the consequences to herself. They were both too enamored of him to think clearly. No, it wasn’t even him they liked so much. They were seduced by his title and his position in this society. They knew nothingabout who he was as a person. He had been charming enough, but he hadn’t spared either Mother or Papa any more attention than he had given anyone else. Her parents had spent all of a few of hours in his company and were ready to hand over their daughter to him. She had to break their illusion of him, because this was about saving Violet.
“Has your investigation uncovered his prizefighting activities?” she asked.
The carriage was completely silent for all of five seconds while that sank in. Finally, Mother asked, “What are you talking about?”
Not quite as brave as she had thought, August hedged a bit. “I’ve heard that he fights for money. Bare-knuckle brawling, I believe it’s called.” Shifting in her seat, she ran her palms over the velvet upholstered bench. Violet touched her hand in silent support.
“Brawling?” Mother mimicked the word as if it were foreign and she didn’t know what it meant. “But he’s a duke, a gentleman, not a street person. Why would anyone invent such a terrible rumor?”
Papa seemed less affected. “It’s a rumor,” he said with a shrug.
“You’ve heard it!” August gasped, appalled that he would not have mentioned it to them before now.
“Yes, I’ve heard it. He belongs to a club... Montague, and they have fights there. Pugilism, they call it. Earlier this year I heard that Van Alen has taken up boxing.” He sighed, and the newspaper would have come up again had he had it. Instead, he glanced out the window at the passing sites of Mayfair. “I have even been thinking of taking it up.”
“You? Boxing?” Mother’s laugh filled the night air.
“It’s a perfectly acceptable activity. With all the hours I spend at my desk, I could do with some physical activity,” said Papa, taking offense.
“Wait a moment. Do you mean James Van Alen?” Mother asked when she had stopped laughing. August wasn’t surprised that she had caught on the name. “He’s going to marry Emily Astor.” The tone of her voiceindicated that she might view the once-distasteful sport in an entirely new light if Van Alen had taken it up.
To Mother, Papa said, “Yes, that Van Alen.” To August, he said, “Mind you, it’s only a rumor I’ve heard about the duke, which is why I haven’t repeated it.” Turning back to face his wife, he asked, “And why, may I ask, is it laughable that I would want to take up a new sport? Iama sportsman. I enjoy a good hunt and the occasional fishing excursion.”
