But titles could be given, just look at West and Ethan’s family—exemplifying that inherently the designations meant nothing, and there wasn’t anything special about those who held them. Being among the peerage, though meaningless, somehow distinguished the haves and the have-nots, who should be found to be worthy within society. And Alice had believed it all without question until Priscilla and Ethan took the time to show her there was another way.
These realizations made it harder for Alice to swallow the expectations placed upon her. She didn’t regard Ethan to be any less worthy of her simply because he chose to work; in fact, she admired him more for it. She’d asked him one day how he could justify working for an estate when it seemed to uphold the system he felt so disenchanted with. His answer had surprised her but reinforced the kind of man he was.
Ethan explained that he was striving to make the current system work for those who relied on the estate while pushing forsystemic changes that would allow them to own land and make a living for themselves without relying on others beneficence. But that kind of change took time. Not only laws needed to change, but also the opinions of those within society. In the meantime, he was hoping to make the current system work as well as possible.
People in the community relied on the jobs they could get with the estate to allow it to function as a healthy whole. Ethan could ensure their efforts were for the betterment and comfort of not only the Hamptons, but for themselves and their families as well as everyone who profited from the land when it was well run and cared for. As estate manager, he was doing everything in his power to make sure those connected to Hampton estate could thrive, which was all he individually had the power to control.
Alice was almost certain that the day Ethan had explained that to her was the day she had fallen in love with him. How could she look upon him with anything less than pure respect?
But she couldn’t change how her father saw the world, nor could she change her responsibility and duty to him. Thus, she had to let the idea of Ethan go—there was simply no other way. But Alice was glad she would always have the memory of their kisses—that she’d have just one moment in her life when she knew what it was like to share mutual affection for another.
Alice was shaken from her reverie when the man of her reflections walked into the room, heaping steaming eggs and sausages onto his plate. Ethan gave a heartfelt smile as he sat down across from her, and Alice was forced to tamp down the flurry of butterflies taking flight in her stomach at the very sight of him. She tried valiantly not to look at his mouth as he ate, reminding herself firmly that they now existed as friends and nothing more.
Alice picked up the teacup, trying to distract herself, her thoughts promptly interrupted by the butler who leaned down to present her with a tray.
“Some letters for you, Miss Pembroke,” was murmured with a bow.
Surprised to receive more than one missive, she gathered the letters and thanked the attendant. Opening the first from an unfamiliar hand, Alice was astonished by what she read. She must have let out a gasp, for soon all heads turned in her direction.
“Is something the matter, darling?” Priscilla inquired.
“No. Well, yes. I suppose so . . . not with me, but—” She shook her head and took a breath. “This letter is from my cousin Ewan’s solicitor in Edinburgh. It seems an illness has swept through the highlands leaving many dead, including Ewan’s wife and child. As my uncle passed away last year, I’m now next in line for the Spencer Earldom after Ewan.”
Ethan audibly choked on his coffee, then swiftly mopped up the liquid on his lips. “Forgive me, I didn’t realize you had family in Scotland.”
“Yes,” Alice replied vaguely, still distracted by the news. “My mother was Scottish. Her father was the Earl Spencer, but I’ve never been very well connected to that side of my family since mother passed.”
“And you are now next in line?” West asked.
“Oh, no,” she replied quickly. “Well, yes . . . I guess I appear to be at the moment. But I’m sure that Ewan will marry again at some point, he’s still very young. As soon as he has another child, they’ll become the heir in place of me.”
“I don’t understand,” Ethan said. “How is it possible for you to be the heir?”
“Because the Spencer line is one of the few titles that passes to the eldest child regardless of their sex,” Priscilla supplied,Alice now reading the second letter, penned by their London housekeeper. “This is true for a few of the Scottish titles. It does not matter that Alice is a woman. As her mother’s daughter, she is next in the hereditary line unless Ewan does go onto have another child.”
“Which I’m sure he will,” Alice added, lifting her eyes from her letter. “Since it will not matter if the child is a boy or girl, the chance of me remaining the heir is slight. I am not counting on inheriting.”
She glanced across the table and saw a peculiar look on Ethan’s face as he regarded her. She didn’t have time to ponder it, however, as she soon became absorbed in the other news from London.
Abruptly, Alice slammed the letter down on the table and stood from her chair. “I need to return home at once.” Her heart was racing in anxiety. “Will it be possible to arrange for travel to London tomorrow?”
“Of course,” West replied, concern etching creases across his brow.
“Is it Uncle?” Priscilla asked quietly.
Alice could only nod due to the lump which had appeared in her throat. Eyes beginning to well with tears, she shoved the letter toward Priscilla.
Her cousin’s eyes skimmed over the page before landing at the pertinent section. “It’s from the housekeeper, Richards. There’s a postscript that has been added with a hasty hand. It seems her father has come down with a severe illness of the head, leaving him confined to his bed. The doctor is troubled by her father’s state and wonders if Alice might return home in hopes of aiding his recovery.” Priscilla looked back up at Alice with heavy eyes.
Tears were now running down Alice’s hot cheeks. Why had she thought she could leave father for so long? Sheknew he became despondent at her absence, leaving him more susceptible to illness when she was away for any period of time. He relied upon her, which is why it was so imperative for her to make a good match and put his mind at ease.
Ethan watched her with a new level of compassion in his gaze, perhaps truly comprehending for the first time just how dire her situation truly was. Looking at him, she wiped at her cheek and stiffened her resolve. “May I leave you to the arrangements while I go and pack?”
“I’ll take you to London myself,” West offered. “There is work in Lords that requires my attention now that the session has reopened. I hadn’t planned to go so soon, not wanting to leave Priscilla in her condition”—he grabbed his wife’s hand, beaming at her in adoration—“but I have a stack of letters on my desk from Lord Weston demanding action. If you can pack now, we can set off this afternoon.”
“Yes, go,” Priscilla affirmed, squeezing West’s hand. Alice gave a curt nod before leaving the room. She didn’t look back.
“I don’t think I understood the severity of Alice’s circumstances. She mentioned that her father’s health had suffered ever since the accident that took her mother, but I didn’t realize it was so dire.” He settled into a seat across from West in his study while his cousin drafted instructions for his absence.
