Page 4 of The Heir's Fortune
“It is what it is, Cassandra,” he said, not wanting to speak on it any longer.
“You know, I had always wondered if maybe Madeline?—”
“No,” he said swiftly, holding up a hand.
“Why would you not even entertain the idea?” she asked defensively, which made sense, for Cassandra was as loyal of a friend as there ever was.
“Madeline’s family would want nothing to do with the scandals that come with ours.”
“How can you say that?” Cassandra said indignantly. “For one, her family is not exactly conventional nor concerned about scandal. Her father has provided her more freedom than any father should, and he would be thrilled to have her married off to any eligible young man. Secondly, you just finished saying that you will marry for a fortune if you have to.”
“Of which, if I am not mistaken, Madeline has none.”
“That is true. But if we find the treasure, that doesn’t matter. Why would you be willing to saddle another unsuspecting young woman with our family scandal and not Madeline?”
Gideon knew that his words were not going to be accepted by Cassandra, but he owed her the truth.
“Madeline is not the type of woman to sit back and allow scandal to ebb away.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means… that she has a propensity to say what she thinks without worrying about the consequences. I would like to lead our family back to respectability.”
“That is a most terrible thing to say,” Cassandra said, standing abruptly. “But perhaps I forgot the lengths you are willing to go to in order to make things so respectable.”
“Cassandra…"
Cassandra just glared at him, and Gideon was reminded of how angry she had been with him for so many years. He had made mistakes in his past – mistakes that had led to her being ostracized for sins that she didn’t even commit – and he thought they had moved past them.
But perhaps she had only forgiven him and not forgotten.
“Well,” Cassandra said, stepping backward toward Devon, who appeared rather ill-at-ease, caught between his wife and his closest friend, “whatever you do, do not let Mother or Father know of your plan. They would be devastated.”
“Why?” Gideon said, raking a hand through his hair. “It is their fault we are in this mess.”
“Gideon!”
He sighed, lowering his head. “I know. That was a beastly thing to say. It was not the fault of either of them.”
“No, it certainly was not,” Cassandra said.
“It was my fault,” Gideon muttered in a low voice, admitting out loud for the first time the thought that had haunted himfor years now. “All of it. That is why I care so much, you know. Why I have been so determined to fix this. After Father became sick and the stewards and men of business began squandering all of the family’s fortunes, I should have known. I should have been paying more attention, spending more time at home. Then I would have realized that all was not right. But no, I was away at school, then spending time in London, having fun with my friends, playing a few pranks to release my boredom.”
He waved his hand toward Devon, who looked as shocked as Cassandra.
“You cannot blame yourself for that,” Devon said in a low voice. “You were doing what every young man of thetondoes.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Gideon said. “If you don’t mind, I will finish the rest of the accounts for the day before joining you for dinner.”
“But—” Cassandra began, stepping forward, but Devon stopped her, gently placing his large hand over hers, lowering them down as he wrapped his other arm around her shoulders and began to steer her out the door.
“Let’s leave Gideon be for a time, love.”
“I’m not sure?—”
“Go,” Gideon said in a low voice as he sunk back into his chair. “Please.”
As they walked out the door, arms around one another, Gideon had never felt so alone.
