‘No. You didn’t. But you do now. Three months, Elizabeth, and you will be the daughter of an earl who is forced out onto the street. We’ll be forced to beg your cousin for charity.’ Her mother shuddered. Beth knew their cousin, Peter, would come to their aid in whatever small way he could, but he’d also been marred by their father’s debts, struggling over the last five years to maintain the properties he had inherited without the funds to keep them running properly.
‘Three months is no time at all,’ Beth whispered.
‘It is plenty of time to remind Mr Ashburton of his promise to your father and get engaged. Once our creditors know you are engaged to one of the wealthiest men in England they will give us a little more time. And when you are married...’ She gave a little satisfied nod to finish the sentence.
Then Mr Ashburton would solve their money problems once and for all.
‘Then Annabelle will be able to stay at Birling View.’
‘She will.’
Elizabeth nodded. It was important her sister got to keep her home. Annabelle had never left Sussex, never ventured further than a few miles away from the house on the cliffs, and Beth wanted more than anything else to allow her sister the security of staying somewhere she knew.
‘You owe that to her, Elizabeth,’ her mother said sharply.
‘I know.’
Lady Hummingford sat down, her demeanour softening a little now she had obtained Beth’s acquiescence.
‘You need to give this your whole attention, Elizabeth. You are a pretty enough girl, and heaven knows I strived to make you have all the accomplishments the daughter of an earl should.’
‘I know, Mama.’
‘Mr Ashburton isn’t opposed to the marriage, he just needs to see you will make him a good wife. Which means behaving as he would expect someone of your rank and the wife of a viscount to behave.’
‘Yes, Mama.’
Lady Hummingford fell silent and tapped her long, elegant fingers on the tablecloth for a moment.
‘We need to get him out of London, away from distractions. He’s a country man, and he needs to see you will make an excellent country wife. A wife who is capable of running a large household and a country estate.’
‘It’s the middle of the season, surely he won’t want to leave London.’
‘You have to make him want to leave. We’ll have a small house party, say we are taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and invite a select few to the coast for three or four days.’ Lady Hummingford took Beth’s hand but the gesture wasn’t particularly warm. She squeezed it so hard Beth winced. ‘He will propose in that time. You will make sure of it.’
‘Yes, Mama.’ Something inside her felt as though it were shrivelling but Beth decided not to examine the feeling too closely. Everyone had duties, responsibilities for other people. She hadn’t been called to war or asked to sacrifice her freedom or her life. All she had to do was marry a man who everyone told her was good and kind.
‘We shall call on him today and issue the invitation.’
That was evidently the end of the discussion as her mother stood and swept out of the room, probably already making a mental list of everything that would have to be done to make the party a success.
Slumping back in her chair, Beth closed her eyes. Even though she wished it weren’t the case, her mother was right. She needed to step up and take responsibility or her family would face ruin. It might not be fair that all their hopes rested on her, but it was the way things were.
For a moment she allowed herself to picture Joshua Ashburton’s smiling face and examined the spark of warmth she felt whenever she thought of him. She was attracted to him, she enjoyed his company more than that of any man she had ever known and she would miss the excitement and anticipation she felt whenever she knew she would see him.
Resolutely she made herself push thoughts of him aside. He was not her future. He was not her duty, and her mother was right. It was time to start focussing on the man who could save their whole family from destitution.
‘Mr Ashburton,’ Lady Hummingford said as she stepped towards him, all smiles and warmth.
‘The wrong Mr Ashburton,’ Josh said quickly. ‘My brother is out unfortunately.’
Lay Hummingford didn’t lose her smile but it stiffened somewhat and he could sense the frustration held coiled inside her.
‘He’s gone for a ride.’
‘Do you know when he will be back?’
‘No.’ Josh didn’t trust himself to look at Lady Elizabeth with her mother’s eyes boring into him so instead he gave a half-smile and gestured for the two women to have a seat. ‘I’m happy to pass on a message.’ He mirrored Lady Hummingford’s slightly brusque tone.
‘It is a matter of some importance. I think it best we speak to Mr Ashburton ourselves.’
Josh shrugged. He felt irritable this afternoon and less forgiving of Lady Hummingford’s snobbery towards him. It was probably due to the lack of sleep. Even after collapsing into bed as the sky was beginning to lighten, he had tossed and turned, his body and mind on edge from all the drama of the night before.
‘Perhaps you know where your brother has ridden to?’ Lady Elizabeth’s voice was quiet and lacked her normal vitality and finally Josh allowed himself to look in her direction. She seemed smaller than usual, as if she had withdrawn into herself, and she wouldn’t meet his eye.
Curious, he thought. Something had happened to sap the spark from her and he wasn’t sure it was just exhaustion from their endeavours at the opera house.
He felt a sudden compulsion to know what had caused such a change in her demeanour.
‘I’m sure we can find him,’ he said, forcing a smile. ‘I know the two or three usual routes my brother takes.’
‘I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience.’ Lady Hummingford seemed torn between wanting to track down Leonard
