Hadn’t Tobias done exactly that after his failed courtship two years ago? He’d considered eloping to Gretna Green with his prospective bride—after she’d already become betrothed to another man. Thankfully, he’d seen the error in his rash thinking. More importantly, he’d realized the young woman hadn’t ever loved him. She’d loved the idea of marriage to whomever she was with, and the idea of running away to Scotland had titillated her. That was the moment Tobias had come to his senses and changed his mind, telling her to go forward with her betrothed. Afterward, she’d told everyone he’d tried to kidnap her. While many did not believe that of him, the ton’s consensus was that he’d behaved poorly by trying to elope with her. They cast him as a rogue and a scoundrel, and he’d decided to become just that.
Perhaps he was actually a rogue and a scoundrel, and a rake and a reprobate. He had proposed elopement to someone who was already betrothed, and he had kissed a maid—his ward—without concern.
“He’s grown awfully quiet,” Lucien observed. “I think he’s considering it.”
“I am not.” Tobias took a drink of whisky. “Can we please talk about something else?”
Otherwise, Tobias was absolutely going to envision Fiona Wingate as his wife.
Chapter 15
“Thank you for serving as my chaperone today as well as Fiona’s,” Cassandra said to Prudence as they sat down at Gunter’s to await their ices.
Fiona situated her skirts around her chair. “She may as well, since she’ll be chaperoning both of us at the Phoenix Club assembly on Friday.”
“I am still a bit surprised we are able to go. My father was not pleased, and he said I can only attend this one.” Cassandra made a face. “It would serve him right if I met my future husband there.”
“Speaking of future husbands,” Fiona murmured. “Apparently, I have a dowry, and my guardian has been dangling it as bait to attract suitors. What a disgusting practice.”
“It’s commonplace, I’m afraid,” Cassandra said with sympathy. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know that.”
Fiona blinked at her. “Did you know I had a large dowry?”
“Not specifically, but Con mentioned you were potential competition for me—and please don’t take that personally because Con is a bit of an ass—so I presumed you had a dowry.”
A shard of hurt sliced through Fiona. “Why, because I couldn’t possibly compete without it?”
Cassandra blinked in surprise. “Not at all. Con, like my father, believes the most important things a woman can bring to a marriage are position, land, and money. Since you don’t have the former two, it seemed you must have the latter.”
“Because of what your brother said.” Fiona ducked her head sheepishly. “My apologies. I should have realized, and I should not have been so naïve about this. And everything else.”
Cassandra, seated to her left, reached over and briefly clasped Fiona’s hand. “No need to apologize. I just hope you aren’t angry with me.”
“Not at all. You’ve been nothing but a good friend.”
“Except for dragging you to the Phoenix Club.” She frowned with regret. “I can’t believe you aren’t angry with me. Especially since I was safely hidden in a closet.”
Fiona laughed. “Only because you were smarter than me.”
Cassandra grinned as the ices were delivered to their table. It was their second visit to the tea shop, and this time Fiona was keen to try the chocolate flavor while both Cassandra and Prudence had ordered the orange flower.
Picking up her spoon, Fiona returned to the matter of her dowry. “I just wish I could receive the dowry instead of my husband. Then I could ensure Mrs. Tucket could retire. She confided in me last night that she wants to return to the country.”
Prudence gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She’s horribly embarrassed about what happened at the Dungannon ball the other night. She’s afraid she’ll ruin things for me.” Fiona dipped her spoon into the ice cream. “If I had money, I could make sure she had a small cottage and could live in comfort and peace.”
“Your cousin in Shropshire won’t see to that?”
“I don’t see why he would. Mrs. Tucket has been my family’s maid-of-all-work since before I was born. He would feel no obligation toward her.” Fiona tried the chocolate and immediately appreciated the dark, rich flavor.
“Have you spoken to Lord Overton about this?” Prudence asked, surprising Fiona because she simply didn’t say much.
“Not directly, but he is aware of my…frustration in not being able to use my dowry,” Fiona said. “I plan to discuss it with my future husband, which at the moment seems to be Lord Gregory. However, I don’t want to be presumptuous, so I must wait until he proposes.”
Cassandra regarded her with a bit of shock. “Are you really considering marrying him?”
“I must consider it.”
“Is that what you really want though?”
For some reason, Fiona thought of Overton. Probably because he’d made her position untenable. If he’d never brought her to London, she and Mrs. Tucket would be living the life they’d long enjoyed.
Enjoyed? Fiona had been bored in Shropshire, horribly so in hindsight.
“What I really want is independence,” she said softly before digging her spoon into the ice cream and taking a large, decadent mouthful.
Cassandra swallowed a bite of her ice cream and gave Fiona a wistful look. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Perhaps Lord Gregory will be the sort of husband who will allow you the freedoms you desire. And he may very well support Mrs. Tucket, especially if he loves you and sees how important she is to you. I think a marriage with love or at least mutual respect and care is the greatest freedom we can hope for.”
Love? Fiona hadn’t contemplated that at all. She was fairly certain her parents hadn’t loved each other. She wasn’t sure what that even looked like. She did know that she hadn’t loved anyone, not beyond her parents, and that was different.
“Why do you think that?” Fiona asked.
“Because marriage is the societal ideal.
