“Pfft, romance,” her mother scoffed. “It’s hardly enough to build a marriage upon when there are other important considerations. No, we must work on finding you a good match.” Priscilla was not subtle enough in her eye roll, and her mother caught her at it.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady. Yes, you have position and money now, but don’t you want a family of your own? The new Marquess of Hampton is just out of mourning, he could be a good prospect. It’s still a new title and we all know it was gained through ill-gotten means, but still. Young and available marquesses don’t come along often, and his father did everything he could to make the family respectable. Do try and make a good impression on him, my dear.”
Priscilla had no idea who she was speaking of or how the family had gained the title, but she immediately dismissed the marquess as a future prospect should she become ready to marry again. The fact that her mother was pushing him on her raisedher hackles, but she suspected if she did not at least meet the man, she would never hear the end of it.
Yes, it was more than past time for her to look for her own home. There was no way she could survive the season if this was to be all she heard for months on end from her mother. Besides, she fully intended to stretch the boundaries of her newfound freedom as a widow. She needed to spend time learning what it was she truly wanted from her life and what she desired in a partner to share it with. And it would be terribly difficult to carry out her plan to have an affair while under her parents’ roof.
CHAPTER 3
Disembarking from the carriage, West took in the stone building before him. Somehow, even though he’d been twelve when the split in the family transpired, he’d never visited Uncle John’s law offices before. He supposed such outings hadn’t occurred because his father had disapproved of his brother continuing to work, even in a respectable profession such as law. Though it was not uncommon for second and third sons to take up some kind of profession rather than just living as gentlemen, the more respected occupations for aristocrats were in the army and the church. Though above those in trade, the law was still seen as a step below what his father had approved of, causing tension between the brothers even before Uncle John’s remarriage became the last straw, causing the permanent rift.
But seeing as law was the profession of his own father, and it was that occupation which had allowed the first marquess enough funds to invest and then later purchase the title, West’s father had overlooked his brother’s choice in profession for the most part. But it was another mark against him that may have accelerated them towards the break that happened once he’d also chosen a wife who was deemed unfit.
West mounted the stairs, then drew in a deep breath before entering the main office, where a clerk greeted him and quickly led him to his uncle’s office, where he was warmly greeted.
“Thank you for coming in, West. I appreciate you taking the time.” He took his uncles proffered hand and shook it vigorously.
“It’s the least I can do after dragging you all out to Easthampton right before the season is to begin.”
“Not at all, I enjoyed seeing the place again after all this time. I’m only sorry I couldn’t convince Cumberland to come with us, but he’s always had a mind of his own.”
West frowned remembering Cumberland had not been in attendance at the family meeting, though his absence wasn’t entirely surprising. Technically not a Beaumont, Elias, the Earl of Cumberland joined the family when his mother, Margaret, married Uncle John twenty years before. Since the marriage had ultimately caused the split between the two branches of the family, and thus he’d never spent time with West or his siblings, he supposed Cumberland may not feel like a part of the larger family. And with his own title, too, he technically had no responsibility toward supporting the Hampton line. Still, West was sincere in his desire to mend the family and wanted Cumberland to be included in the effort.
“I understand. I hope I may connect with him at the club now that I’m back in town.”
“I suspect you might, he’s there often enough. Please, have a seat.” Uncle John sat himself behind his impressive mahogany desk and pulled a stack of papers forward. “I’ve taken the last few days to get up to speed on the current state of your holdings since receiving the paperwork from your father’s solicitor. I’m afraid things are a bit more dire than I had realized, and they will become even more constrained once you let go of the investment in the trade company.”
“I hope you won’t try and talk me out of it,” West said firmly. “I know it will make things difficult for a while, but I’ve made up my mind on this.”
“And I fully support you, I just want you to be aware of your situation once the ties to overseas trade are cut. Since you’ve given your nest egg over to your brother for investment, you’ll have very little fluid capital. But I do agree it’s the right thing to do.” John leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, studying West critically. “You do know that your father wished to do the same, don’t you? He was also appalled by the way our father had made his money and wanted to separate the family from the stain of engaging in such abhorrent practices as selling humans. But when it’s the only sure stream of income, shutting that flow down is much harder to execute once reality sets in.”
“Why are you continuing to defend him?” West couldn’t believe his uncle was speaking up for his father after the way he had treated him.
Uncle John looked at him critically for a moment before answering. “Because he was my brother and I loved him. He was doing what he thought was best, and I can’t fault him for that—as misguided as some of his decisions may have been.” John paused for a moment to let that sink in. “What you will learn, West, is that managing the responsibilities that come along with the title is more difficult than most understand.”
“Yes, I am learning that,” West said grudgingly. His understanding of his father had deepened over the last year as he dove into his position as the marquess. While he still did not agree with his father’s notion that status and propriety were the most important virtues that would uphold the family, he was beginning to comprehend his reasoning.
It all had to do with the way his grandfather had first become the Marquess of Hampton. A lawyer, the first Robert Westley Beaumont aspired to make himself and his family importantwithin society. He took the first earnings from his law practice and invested them in a new trade company, quickly amassing a small fortune once the company began trading in human flesh as well as material goods. Not long after, the conflict with the American colonies began and the crown became desperate for money.
As a social climber, Robert kept himself apprised of all the doings within the aristocracy, and when the Hampton line died out and reverted to the crown, he saw his opportunity and didn’t hesitate. Appealing to King George, Robert turned over almost the entirety of the fortune he had accumulated to the crown in exchange for the newly available title. And so it was that just over forty years ago, the line began again and Robert became the first Marquess of Hampton.
Having finally achieved the title and status he’d long sought, West’s grandfather was unbothered that the title had been purchased rather than earned, thus making his new contemporaries look down on him. It didn’t help that society knew the way in which he had earned the means to purchase the title. While many did not look as unfavorably upon the slave trade then as it was now viewed in contemporary times, some within thetonstill turned their noses up at him. Without generations of lineage, and with the stench of new money thick—though most money in the gentry was earned off the backs of others, so their derision was hypocritical at best—Hampton was all but shunned.
Raised in this atmosphere, it was hardly a surprise that West’s father became obsessed with restoring the families good name once he became the marquess himself. His only goal was to gain the respect from others that his father never received. He did so by ruling the family with an iron fist, making sure everyone always toed the line, never stepping out of place. Thus, the stifling environment in which West had been raised.
“I understand the challenges father inherited, I really do,” West said to his uncle. “But he could have found other ways to make the estate profitable if he hadn’t been so concerned with doing anything others would perceive as ‘work’. Heaven forbid a gentleman should be understood to lift a finger to benefit those around him.”
Uncle John chuckled. “Yes, it would have been helpful if Robert had learned more about the estate rather than just leaving it to his steward. But we can’t change what was, we can only make the best of what is.”
“You’ve certainly figured it out, your operation is thriving.” West was envious of how well his uncle’s stables were doing. A love of horses ran deep with most of the Beaumonts. When the title was first bestowed on his grandfather, the estate he had purchased himself was given to his second son, John, as it was not part of the Marquessate and existed outside of the entail. Upon the first marquess’s death, John started a horse breeding and training program on the land. After years of building, it was now quite a success. And West knew his cousin Ethan, having an interest in agricultural techniques, had played a significant role in the endeavor.
“Yes, we’ve been lucky, and Ethan has helped us modernize to great effect. I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about that,” Uncle John said. “I would love to take some of the profit from the stables and invest it in the estate so you can begin making improvements to your own land.” He held up a hand, anticipating West’s objection. “No, I know your pride is telling you not to accept, but I want to see our family succeed as much as you do. I may not hold the title, but I still feel a responsibility for the tenants who rely on the Hampton holdings.”
West was humbled by the offer, but they were not yet so desperate as to need a loan from his uncle. “You’re a good man, Uncle John, and I thank you sincerely for the offer. Butthings are not quite so desperate yet. You have the books before you. While things are tight, we should be fine if my brother’s investments make returns within a few months. If that does not pan out, we can revisit this conversation.”
“Very well,” John said with a curt nod. He studied West for a moment before speaking again. “You know, your mother was not wrong. Marriage to a woman with a sizable dowry could solve all of your problems.”
West groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “I know, but like you, I wish to marry for love. The very idea of marrying someone for the sake of status or money alone makes my skin crawl.”
