‘Lady Elizabeth, Lady Hummingford,’ Leo greeted them from his horse. Josh thought he might dismount but his brother stayed firmly in position in the saddle.
‘Are you having a pleasant ride, Mr Ashburton?’ Lady Elizabeth had to shield her eyes from the sun to look up at him.
‘Quite pleasant, thank you.’
Lady Hummingford moved towards her daughter and jabbed her firmly in the ribs.
‘We are arranging a house party, Mr Ashburton,’ Lady Elizabeth said dutifully. ‘A little getaway from the heat of London to the cool of the Sussex coast. I am eager for you to come.’
‘That is kind of you, although I’m not sure I can leave London right now. My brother—’
‘Is invited too, of course,’ Lady Hummingford said quickly. ‘Elizabeth has told me of the limited time you have together. We hope Birling View would be a lovely experience of country life for you too, Mr Ashburton.’
‘What do you think, Josh?’
Josh shrugged. Being cooped up in a country house with Lady Elizabeth whilst she tried to prove she would make the perfect wife for a future viscount wasn’t his idea of an emotionally satisfying week, but he wasn’t going to voice that opinion to the present company.
‘Wonderful,’ Lady Hummingford exclaimed, drawing a quickly suppressed smile from Leo. Josh had to smother his own. Neither of them had ever had an interfering female relative and it was fascinating to watch one at work. ‘We won’t keep you from your ride, Mr Ashburton. I will send over the invitations in a few days when the details are finalised.’
‘I have an invitation of my own, Lady Elizabeth,’ Leo said, his expression serious. ‘Miss Culpepper is eager to get to know you better and I promised I would facilitate. She has invited us to take tea with her tomorrow afternoon.’
‘I would be delighted to accompany you,’ Lady Elizabeth said dutifully.
‘Good.’
With a short farewell Lady Hummingford swept Lady Elizabeth away as if worried the two men might change their minds about the house party if they dallied any longer.
Once they were out of sight Leo dismounted and took his horse by the reins.
‘What a peculiar woman,’ he said, looking after her. ‘The daughter seems normal enough, but Lady Hummingford is rather insistent.’
‘Do you know what you’re getting into?’ Josh studied his brother. He couldn’t imagine Leo would walk into this marriage without knowing the deepest secrets of the Countess and her daughter—he was so thorough in everything he did. But then again Josh wasn’t sure what the debt that Leo owed the late Earl was, and how much he was happy to overlook.
‘What do you mean?’
Josh hesitated. He knew how much this marriage meant to Lady Elizabeth and he had to be sure he was voicing his doubts for the right reason. Desire for his brother’s future wife was not a good enough reason to potentially make his brother think again, but as he contemplated he knew he had a duty to his brother. Marriage was for life, not a decision to be rushed, and Leo deserved Josh’s honesty about his misgivings.
‘They’re almost destitute.’
‘I know.’
‘Right on the brink. I have the impression they could lose everything in the next few months if the marriage isn’t settled soon.’
Leo’s eyebrows rose a fraction, but he didn’t look overly surprised.
‘That bad? I knew they were struggling with the upkeep of that country house of theirs and had sold their London home.’
‘I get the impression that if the marriage to you falls through they will be ruined.’
Josh watched as his brother nodded thoughtfully.
‘It would explain Lady Hummingford’s desperation.’ Leo began to lead his horse down the path and Josh realised he didn’t mean to continue on with the ride.
‘Their predicament doesn’t have to impact on your decision whether to marry her,’ Josh said, knowing he sounded completely heartless.
‘I know. Still, I need to marry someone. I suppose if an ancient family is saved from destitution in the process at least something good is coming out of it.’
‘What was the debt you owed the old Earl?’
For a long moment Josh didn’t think his brother was going to answer. There was a faraway look in his eyes and a sadness that emanated from him.
‘He helped someone I cared about, when I couldn’t. He stepped up and did the right thing even though it put him at risk.’ It was an answer, but still a cryptic one. ‘When I found out what he’d done I wanted to repay his kindness, so I agreed to consider marrying his daughter when she came of age.’
‘There would be other ways to repay the debt,’ Josh said quietly, wondering even as he said the words why he was protesting so much.
‘Money? I’ve tried that. When the old Earl first passed away I offered to settle a sum of money upon the family, in lieu of the marriage. Lady Hummingford declined. A few months ago, when she wrote to inform me they would be coming to London for the season and she hoped to settle on an arrangement, she hinted again that only marriage would do. I suppose their debts are too great for me to pay up outright, they want the weight of my name and the family fortune I will inherit to hold off their creditors.’ Leo looked at him for a long moment. ‘Is there a reason you’re opposed to the match?’
‘I don’t remember Mother and Father well, but I did have the privilege of growing up with two people who cared very deeply for one another.’
‘Your guardian?’
‘Yes. He and his wife loved one another. They’ve been married for almost forty years and have stayed strong and loyal throughout all that time. I think it is important to
