“Nothing yet,” Father said soothingly.
James scoffed.
The feeling of foreboding Mama had planted in Caroline’s chest last night grew. “What is it?” she pressed.
James set down his cup. “You may tell her, Father, or I will.”
Father grunted but said no more. The ticking of the longcase clock was the only sound in the room as they waited, James leaving room for Father to say what he needed to.
James inhaled heavily through his nose. “Your dowry is gone, Caro. Sitting at the bottom of the Indian Sea on a sunken ship. I did tell Father it wasn’t wise to invest in merchant ships while the war is still on.”
“The war ended last year,” Father argued.
“Napoleon escaped once; he could do so again. You ought to have given the seas time to settle.”
“It is done now,” Father said harshly.
“Indeed.” James glowered. “Caroline’s dowry is done, my inheritance is done. We’ve nothing.”
The word hung between them, suspended like a cocked pistol. Caroline set her cup down before her trembling fingers betrayed her. A cold prickle of fear swept over her skin.Everythingwas gone? When Father did not correct James, she knew it had to be true. Her voice came out hoarsely when she spoke. “What shall we do?”
Father sighed. “This house is paid for until April, then we need to return to Surrey.”
“And see what can be done to avoid losing our estate to the bank,” James explained.
Father’s brow furrowed. “If you found a wife?—”
“I am doing my best,” James snapped. “It is notde rigueurto be a fortune-seeker, and I am having more trouble than I expected.”
“You should nothaveto find a rich wife, James.” Caroline leaned forward, willing him to look at her. “Surely there is something else we can do.”
“I would have chosen not to gamble with our inheritances, but that is in the past,” he said tightly.
“Then we ought to leave it there.” Caroline looked from James to her father. Already they had been economizing, so there was little more they could do to retrench household spending. “There is nothing else to be done? Nothing we can sell?”
“The estate in Surrey,” Father said.
James made another frustrated sound. “I have been meeting with our solicitor to determine whether any further measures might be taken to buy us time. There’s not much, it seems. Father sold the plantation in Antigua shortly after I left, but it merely covered its own debts.” James scrubbed a hand down his face. “If I marry a wealthy woman, her funds could help rebuild the sheep and crops in Surrey. Slowly, over time, we could come about, so long as Father ceases spending the money we do not have on schemes that are destined to fail.”
“I am not a villain,” Father said. “Perhaps there have been some poor choices made, but I did not place wagers or lose our money in cards. I only did what I thought was best to recoup our losses. I could not control the weather.”
A flash of lightning through the window punctuated his point. Rain pinged lightly against the window, darkening the room.
“It was a gamble, all the same,” James said. “It wasreckless management, heedless of the opinions or wellbeing of others.”
Father’s brow creased in anger. He set his tea on the table, but Caroline was only partially paying attention. James needed an influx of funds to save the estate. If he could not find a bride…
“Dennison has money enough,” Caroline said.
James’s attention jerked to her. “You are not going to marry Dennison.”
“Whyever not?” Father asked.
James kept his eyes on her, scrutinizing her face. His golden hair fell over his forehead, and he brushed it back. “Because your heart is not set upon him.”
Caroline drew in a quiet gasp. James was fully aware of where her heart was set, if that meant anything. But she was not so selfish to choose her feelings over the wellbeing of their entire family. How could she live with herself, knowing she could have done something to save James’s inheritance and her family legacy, but chose her desires instead?
“We’ll need to think of another option,” James said with finality.
