After tethering his horse in front of the modest house, Sidney stepped up to the door and knocked firmly, requesting to see Mr. Noah Bright when the maid answered. She led him into a comfortable drawing room to wait. Looking around, he could tell that, while not rich, Noah had a good home and must be doing fine for himself.
Turning at the creak of the door, a man Sidney estimated to be in his fifties entered and assessed him. “You asked to speak with me, my lord?”
“Yes, thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Bright,” Sidney said, extending his hand in greeting. The man shook his hand but looked apprehensive at having an unexpected guest in his home. “Do you mind if we sit?” Sidney asked. “I have a bit of a tale I need to tell you.”
“Please do,” Mr. Bright responded. “I’ve asked for some refreshments and tea, it should be in shortly.” They both sat, and Sidney wasn’t quite sure how to begin. Sensing his unease, Mr. Bright asked, “Is there something I can help you with? It’s not often we see anyone from the aristocracy here.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry to arrive unannounced. I should have written before I visited and asked for a meeting, but I was too anxious to see you,” Sidney explained. Mr. Bright nodded as if to let Sidney know it was alright, and he took a deep breath before diving in.
“Mr. Bright, did you know you are related to the Hasting line?”
He looked surprised by Sidney’s question but bobbed his head. “I’m aware that my family is distantly connected to a lord, however, I did not know it was the Hasting’s viscountcy. Are you suggesting that we are related?”
“I am, Mr. Bright. I’ve just recently acquired the title myself after my brother’s sudden death a few months ago.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, my lord,” Mr. Bright said, looking genuinely sad.
“Thank you, it was quite difficult.” Sidney paused to swallow around a lump in his throat. “I’ve struggled with the responsibilities of the title, as I was not prepared to take over. Perhaps I should have been as their heir, but I never thought the title would fall into my hands.” They were interrupted when the maid briefly entered the room with a tea tray. She deftly poured for the gentlemen before bowing and leaving them alone once again.
“I’m sorry you’ve had a tough transition, but how might I help you?” Mr. Bright asked.
Sidney appreciated his straightforwardness and looking him over, he was pleased to see that the man seemed like a kind and intelligent person.
“You see, I am unmarried and do not have my own heir, so I asked my lawyer, Mr. Hugh Stanton, to do some digging and see if he could find my nearest male relation. As it turns out, that man is you, Mr. Bright.”
He stared at Sidney for a moment. “You’re telling me that I’m the current heir to the title?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Mr. Bright.” Sidney watched closely as the man blinked a few times before bursting into laughter.
“Well,” he said with a deep chuckle, “I suppose you should call me Noah, seeing as we are related.”
Smiling brightly, Sidney responded, “Then please call me Sidney when we are in private. I honestly hate the pretense of it all.”
“I understand wanting to identify your heir, Sidney, but you are still a young man. Surely you may still have your own heir yet?” Noah said.
“Well, this is where I need to ask you a favor. If it were up to me, and if things work out as I hope, I will never have an heir.” Noah looked puzzled, so Sidney was quick to continue. “I am very much in love with and wish to marry Lady Eastland. She is a widow whom I have known since childhood, and I’ve loved her from afar for years. I missed my chance with her a decade ago, and she wed another. Sadly, her husband, the late Viscount Eastland, died a little over two years ago.”
“So much loss,” Noah mused sadly, captivated by the story.
“Yes, we’ve both experienced great loss. Fortunately, Angeline and I reconnected last autumn, and we fell deeply in love. However, she does not think we can marry now that I have inherited, as she is unable to have children. She knows that I will need an heir for the estate and has broken off our relationship as it is something she cannot provide.”
“So you decided to find me,” Noah said, catching on quickly. “You needed to find the heir so you can marry your lady.”
“Yes, but I fear that won’t be enough. Angeline thinks I need to marry and produce my own heir so that he can be raised on the land and grow to love Ravenswood, our family estate, and its tenants. But if I could convince my heir to move to Kent and learn about the estate—ensuring that the land and the people will continue to be cared for—I believe she will agree to marry me.”
“She sounds like a woman with a kind heart. So you’re here to see if I am amenable to your plans?”
Sidney couldn’t read Noah’s face to see if he was open to the idea. Taking in a deep breath and bracing himself, he answered, “I am. Is that something you and your family would ever consider?”
“I must admit to being rather shocked by all of this, my lord—I mean, Sidney. It’s a shock to learn that I’m the heir to a viscountcy.” Seeing the disappointed look on Sidney’s face, he hastened to add, “I’m not opposed to the idea, I just need to sit with it and talk to my boy.”
“You have a son? This affects him as well then.”
Noah nodded. “My son, Mark, is twenty-three. In a way, this affects him more than it does me. I am older than you, so you will likely outlive me, meaning Mark would become your heir.”
“Do you have other children? And your wife?” Sidney inquired.
“My darling Greta passed on five years ago,” Noah said with a sad smile. “And we had no other children, having experienced our own fertility struggles, so I’m sympathetic to your plight. I can tell how much you love Angeline, and I’m moved by it.” Noah grew quiet and swallowed back his tears, lost in thought. Sidney assumed he was thinking of his own late wife. “There is nothing personally tying me to London, and I’ve always wished to live in the country. I make my living by running a bookshop, which I do enjoy, but I would be alright to leave it behind if Mark is amenable. It is to be his someday after all.”
