Sulles considered. “Hmm. Well, I could do that, I suppose, but if my wife and I know your secret, Bartholomew, then I think we need a little something to keep us quiet, don’t we?”
Caroline furrowed her brow. “You can’t just pass me about like this!” However, she was thinking that Sulles was the son of a duke, and that he had better connections than Mr. Houseman, though less money and means, of course. However, she hadalways wanted to be married into a respectable family, and this would perhaps be a better choice. On the other hand, Bishop Sulles had been reported to be violent, and seemed to, in fact, be violent, since he was casually discussing wringing her neck, and that seemed a terrifying sort of man for a husband. But, in the end, it wasn’t as if Mr. Houseman would have a good opinion of her. Sulles had said the words that she had never thought would come out of a man’s mouth about her.I might like her.
“Certainly, we can,” said Sulles. “Bingley, Bingley…” He tapped his lower lip. “Is your family in trade?”
Caroline sighed, rolling her eyes, neither confirming nor denying this.
“Well,” said Sulles, “you’d be better off marrying me, don’t you think? You and Houseman are doomed to be wealthy outcasts for the rest of your lives, never truly accepted into the society of proper men like me.”
“You’re a proper man, are you?” muttered Houseman. “What do you want to keep quiet, and to keep your wife quiet?”
“I have not agreed to marry him,” said Caroline, faintly.
“Well, money would do nicely, I suppose,” said Sulles, shrugging at Houseman. “And I think we need to do something about the line of succession, so… I shall need to father the heir, I think.”
“What?” said Neithern, eyeing him in something like horror.
“Oh, don’t make that face. It needn’t be anything untoward. It’s done with animals all the time. Insemination. You can even do the honors if you’re marrying this one, just with my seed—”
“No,” said Neithern.
“I shall speak to the duchess about it,” said Sulles with a shrug. “I think she’ll agree. She didn’t know, I suppose, that you weren’t related to us at all?”
Neithern bowed his head.
“I’m not necessarily agreeing to this,” said Caroline. She felt as if everything had spiralled out of her control, and this was not how she had wished this to go.
“Neither am I,” said Georgiana softly.
“Her.” Sulles pointed at her. “How do we keep her quiet?” He shrugged. “You’ll have to marry her, I suppose.”
Georgiana looked around the room. “I have not even really come out in society, exactly. I’m only supposed to be here for a very short time. In fact, it’s late, and my brother is probably looking for me!”
“Brother,” muttered Neithern. “He knows, too.”
“What?” said Sulles. “How?”
“Well, Miss Elizabeth Bennet or Mrs. Fitzwilliam or whoever she is has a very big mouth,” said Neithern, glowering.
“I found all this out on my own, thank you very much,” retorted Caroline. “I did not have Elizabeth whispering it in my ear.”
“Found it out how?” said Sulles.
Caroline shrugged. “I listened. Out of sight, but close enough to hear.”
“You mean you eavesdropped,” said Houseman, glaring at her.
“Does this one’s brother know, however?” said Sulles.
“Oh, yes,” said Neithern. “Elizabeth told me he was assisting her in discovering who her parents were. He knows.”
“Darcy,” said Sulles, thoughtful. “That name is known to me. He’s connected to the Matlocks and the de Bourghs, correct?”
Everyone looked to Georgiana, who nodded.
“So, what keeps him quiet?” said Sulles.
No one said anything.
