Page 44 of The Trials of Alaric
“She is,” Luke agreed. “Exquisitely lovely, graceful, kind, sensible. She says her father will agree, since I am a Versey. If she is right… But if she is not, I shall do anything…”
Alaric was certain that, if he could spare the attention to look, Luke would be staring into mid-air with a besotted expression on his face. But he was negotiating a tricky corner, and he gave all his thought to that, even as Tarquin joined in with his congratulations to the lucky prospective groom, and his reassurances that a son of the Duke of Dellborough, even a third son, must be acceptable to the somewhat ramshackle earl who had fathered Martin and Eleanor Fairweather.
They covered the distance to Dara in a little over sixty-five minutes, Luke taking the reins for the second half, to find that the groom sent to ride cross-country had arrived before them. The inn was ready to receive the carriage and horses and the captain of the yacht had sent for his crew.
“He will be ready to cast off in ten minutes, sir, he says,” the groom told Alaric. And he was.
After that, there was nothing to do but stay out of the way of the crew. “The wind is right to give us a good run to the Mersey,my lords,” said the captain. “I shall have you in Birkenhead in good time, never you mind.”
“Claddach seems like a pleasant island,” Tarquin said to Alaric, as they sat out of the way in the owner’s cabin. “Out of the way, and I daresay it is isolated by storms fairly frequently, but the farms appear well cared for, from what I saw, and the town looks prosperous.”
“I have been impressed,” Alaric agreed. “I have talked to a lot of Claddach’s people, between the steeplechase, the fête, and the tenant visits. The earl is a fair but firm lord. They love their island, and they love Bea. ‘Lady Beatrice,’ I should say. It would be a good place to live, I think.”
“And what of Lady Beatrice?” Tarquin asked. “In Town, they say that Claddach keeps her at home because she is unmanageable—and unmarriageable, even with her dowry. The suitor trials have caused quite a lot of gossip, as you can imagine.”
Luke burst out laughing. “I see the heavy hand of Beverley and his mother behind that gossip,” he said. “Lady Beatrice, unmarriageable? The suitors the earl gathered would argue otherwise. Three relatives of dukes, one earl’s son? Even Dashwood is a baron. Landless, it is true, but that was one of Claddach’s criteria.”
“It was? The gossip notes that the trials have attracted only those without an estate, and mostly without a title,” commented Tarquin.
“You spoke of Lady Beatrice’s dowry,” Alaric said. “The thing is, she doesn’t have a dowry—or not what most people understand by the word. She will be countess in her own right. She is already Lady of Claddach in all but name because her mother takes little interest. She needs a husband who will make her, her lands, and her people the center of his world. That’s why her father invited younger sons. And that’s what Beverleyand his mother do not understand.Willfullychoose not to understand, for Claddach has made it clear enough.”
“Ah. I see why you are so interested,” Tarquin said. “You love the land. Could you love the lady, too, do you think? Marriages are better, I believe, if husband and wife are at least friends.”
That prompted another burst of laughter from Luke. “I rather suspect that you have it the wrong way around, Lord Stavely.”
“I am in love with Bea,” Alaric admitted, “if that is what you are driving at, Luke.”
“Have you told her that?” Luke demanded.
“Of course not. She is not looking for a love match, but for a practical arrangement with someone who can be her consort. I have been trying to prove to her and her father that I can be the man she needs.”
Tarquin and Luke exchanged a look, and Tarquin said, “Admittedly, I have not met Lady Beatrice. Still, I think she would like to hear the words. I know Eloise needed to hear them.”
“Ellie, too,” Luke agreed. “Especially if Bea is beginning to love you. She certainly favors you ahead of anyone else.”
Might they be right?But Bea had not said anything. Besides, would it be fair? If he were not one of Lord Claddach’s selections, wouldn’t it be worse for Bea if she knew he loved her? That is, if she loved him, too. Alaric shook his head. “It isn’t the right time,” he told the pair of them. “She has agreed to choose one of the suitors who successfully completes the trials, with her father’s approval whether she loves him or not. Who is to say I shall be one of them?”
“Lady Beatrice, possibly,” Luke answered. “You seem to think the earl will make the selection without her, but he certainly involves her in all the other decisions regarding theearldom and its holdings. Why not this one, which so nearly concerns her?”
“I had not thought of that.” Alaric was much struck. What Luke said made sense. And it was true that Bea liked him. She would not have let him kiss her if she disliked him.
“If she means that much to you, why did you insist on coming with me?” Tarquin demanded. “You should have said. I would have understood.”
“And let you face Bebbington on your own? I thought I had lost you, Tark. To find out it was all a mistake…” He turned away from the others so they would not see the tears in his eyes and coughed to clear his throat before he spoke again. “I don’t have so many brothers I can afford to stand by and let one be killed, Tarquin.”
“Idohave four brothers,” said Luke, “and I wouldn’t let any of them go on their own to face Bebbington, either. Not even if it meant disappointing Ellie.”
Tarquin grasped Alaric’s shoulder in a tight grip and gave it a gentle shake. His own voice was husky when he said, “We have to get you back by the end of day, then.” He shook Alaric one more time and forced his voice to light humor. “I can’t have my brother missing out on becoming Lord of Claddach.”
“Consort to the Lady of Claddach,” Alaric corrected. “It matters, Tarquin. Bea inherits as countess. Her husband’s role is to support her.”
“That is…” Tarquin trailed off, shaking his head. “It wouldn’t bother you? Taking second place to your wife?”
“I don’t see it that way,” Alaric insisted. “It won’t work that way. Not with Bea.” He thought of a parallel. “Does Eloise take second place to you?”
“Eloise has her own place,” Tarquin said, immediately, “and when I need her support or she needs mine, we talk about it.”
Alaric raised his eyebrows at his brother.See?
