“He might, but Whitby does not.”
Mama pulled at Caroline’s arm, and they moved on, neither of them glancing over their shoulders to see who had been so plainly speaking about them. Her mother’s face had reddened, which sent a bout of fury through her. “You shouldn’t listen to them. They do not know what they are saying.”
“Of course not. Throw their lot in—of all the ridiculous things to say about your father. He has no lot to throw anywhere.”
Caroline cringed, and unfortunately, her mother noticed.
“What do you make that face for?” Her words were slow, measured. They paused near the pond, away from all their friends. “What is it you know?”
“Nothing firsthand. It was merely something I’d heard. But do you not wonder if Father would use my dowry were he given the opportunity?”
“Your dowry? Of all the silly things.” Mama relaxed a fraction. “It is tied up, Caro. He’s unable to touch it.”
“Of course.” Caroline had believed the same thing. Could James have been wrong? His information faulty? For their sakes, she hoped that was the case.
“If he has invested in this scheme they spoke of, he found the funds somewhere else, I promise you.”
Caroline nodded, but her mind could not be entirely at ease. Mama knew of the intricacies of her dowry, but James had more recently been with their father. Surely he was in a position to know more of their financial situation, and he had come home concerned and in search of a wealthy wife. It was not promising. Indeed, it caused her no small amount of alarm.
Something which she ought not to pass on to her mother. James was correct, and Mama didn’t have the constitution to withstand the anxiety of such news. There was no need to provide her with a reason to worry when they could not receive answers immediately.
“You look worried, Caro,” Mama said. “Do not allow this to vex you. Tell me now, what were you saying about Mr. Dennison?”
Caroline pushed the unwelcome thoughts to the back of her mind to think on later. “He has decided to give me a chance, but things are in no way settled. I must begin again, I suppose, and do my best to prove to him I would make a worthy, reliable wife, despite my fatal flaw.”
“What flaw is that?”
“How strongly I dislike the thing he likes most.”
“Horses,” Mama said. “I see. Well, we can only do our best, but given how quickly he has returned to your side, I do not fear. We will have a wedding announcement in our family shortly.”
Caroline noticed Tristan across the small pond, laughing with the two friends he had introduced to her earlier during their game of pall mall. His head tilted back in that manner made his jaw look sharply angled, and his eyes were creased attractively with joy. Caroline’s heart thudded in response, quite out of her control.
“You do wish to marry Mr. Dennison, Caro, do you not?” Mama said, drawing her attention back.
“Yes.”
Mama nodded. “As I thought. He shall be begging for an audience with you shortly, mark me.”
“I suppose time will tell.”
Chapter Ten
Bundled against the cool spring morning, Caroline returned from a brisk walk through the park with her maid in tow. She stood in the entryway of her house and peeled off her gloves, then removed her bonnet as a tapping sounded on the knocker.
Pomfrey turned his hound-like expression on the door and opened it. He stepped back in time to avoid being trampled when Kitty noticed Caroline standing just inside the house.
“I have just the thing!” Kitty said excitedly, her maid hovering outside, looking in.
“Good morning, Kitty,” Caroline said. “Shall we invite your maid in before retiring upstairs? Or do you not intend to remain long enough for tea?”
“I am positively famished, Caro. Ineedtea.” She leaned back. “Come inside, Louisa. You cannot remain on the step, you silly creature.”
Pomfrey closed the door behind the maid, showing her tothe stairs which led down to the kitchen. She could find a cup of tea there while she waited.
Kitty continued to strip her bonnet and pelisse, leaving them behind as she began up the stairs. “Is your mother out?”
“She’s abed with a headache.”
