When the door closed behind them, Ford’s sister returned her tentative smile. “I’m Kendra, in case you don’t remember. And this is Amy and Cait.”
Violet nodded, feeling rather outnumbered as she mentally noted who was who, hopefully once and for all.
She didn’t want to make any mistakes.
Dark-haired Amy was Jewel’s mother and Colin’s wife. And she was a jeweler, Ford had said. Colin had rescued her after her father’s London shop burned in the Great Fire.
Cait, Jason’s wife, had lively hazel eyes. Her straight wheaten hair, while less than fashionable, seemed to suit her perfectly. She stood with a hand on her middle, and although her stomach looked flat, Violet wondered if she might be with child.
She wondered if she would ever have a child. With Ford.
“My brother has a good heart,” Kendra announced without further ado.
“A very good heart,” Amy added.
“A very, very good heart,” Cait echoed in a distinct Scots accent.
Ford had told Violet that Cait was Scottish, so she was sure she had the right names with the right faces now. But she was stunned. She backed up and sat on a bench. “I know he does,” she said slowly.
This wasn’t the grilling she’d been expecting. Were they trying to talk her into marrying him?
“He loves you,” Kendra said.
“Very much.”
“Very, very much.”
They were trying to talk her into marrying him.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or just hug them for caring so deeply for Ford’s happiness. What they were doing was so very sweet. “He’s told me he loves me,” she assured them.
Kendra crossed her arms. “But you don’t believe him.” It was a statement, not a question.
Violet opened her mouth to disagree, but Kendra cut her off.
“Look,” she said, dropping to sit beside her. “Let me tell you something. If Ford were looking for money, he could have married Lady Tabitha ages ago. She had pots full of it.”
Lady Tabitha?
Her mouth still hanging open, Violet blinked. “Who is Lady Tabitha?”
FIFTY-THREE
AT LADY TRENTINGHAM’S invitation, Ford walked with her in companionable silence along a path that took a meandering route to the river. All afternoon, her speculative looks had been convincing him Violet had told her something.
He just wondered exactly what.
“She told you, didn’t she?” he finally asked, unable to bear the suspense.
In the dappled light that came through the trees, she stopped on the path and nodded. “Yes, she told me you proposed. We’re a close family. Some think us a bit odd.”
Ah. Well, Violet’s rejection had been devastating—not to mention humiliating—but if she’d had to share the experience, he supposed Lady Trentingham was one of the kinder souls Violet could have confided in.
He shuddered to think how Rose might have broached the subject.
“Your family seems close, too,” Lady Trentingham added.
“We are,” he said, knowing it was true, no matter how irritating they could be sometimes. “We lost our parents long ago at Worcester, so we’ve always leaned on one another.” By tacit agreement, they resumed walking, the gravel crunching beneath their shoes. “I’m hoping to have a close family of my own soon,” he said carefully.
Still strolling, she met his gaze. “Violet fears you’re only pursuing her in order to get your hands on her inheritance.”
Lady Trentingham was direct—in that way, she reminded him of his twin sister. But the news hurt, even though he’d suspected as much from the start.
“How can she think that?” he wondered aloud. “I’ve told her I love her.” Despite everything, hearing those words from his mouth prompted an embarrassed half-smile. “I never thought I’d admit as much to her mother.”
“And I’d suggest you not tell her you did. If Violet knew I was doing anything to encourage this marriage, she’d run the other way. I’ve something of a reputation as a matchmaker, and my daughters are all dead set against becoming one of my statistics.”
“I won’t breathe a word.” Encourage this marriage still rang in his ears, making his spirits rise with premature glee. He’d hoped Violet’s parents weren’t an obstacle, but now he knew for sure. That left only the lady herself. “What can I do to persuade her?”
“It won’t be easy,” Lady Trentingham warned. “My daughter decided she was unmarriageable long before she met you. Old convictions are difficult to overcome.” She discreetly cleared her throat. “And I’m afraid the condition of your estate is doing little to convince her you’re not in need of her funds.”
He’d known that, too. “What if I told you I am short of funds, but that’s not the reason I want to marry her?”
They reached the river and turned, her brown eyes reminding him of Violet’s as she met his gaze for a long, silent moment. “I’ll give you points for honesty,” she said at last with a nod of approval. “But I fear it will make your task even harder. Lakefield’s sad state isn’t only due to neglect, then?”
“Mostly. I am not in dire straits.” Heading back toward the house, he sighed. “The place was unoccupied long before it was deeded to me, but…well…”
He supposed since she was giving him points for honesty, he might as well follow through. If his situation would make him unacceptable as a son-in-law, he’d as soon learn that now rather than later.
Though that didn’t mean he was obliged to make things sound worse than they were.
He raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s true I’ve never made Lakefield a priority. I understand the estate was prime horse-breeding property before the Civil War, but nothing remains of that now save a few decrepit stables. And I imagine you’re aware there have been several disastrous agricultural years since I took ownership in ’61. However,” he rushed to add, “I assure you I’ve always made certain no one dependent on the property has suffered as a result.” Indeed, in order to see that none of the
