“So, feel free to share what you’ve learned here with them.” A smile. “My guess is that they will thank you for it.”
As Lady Kirkwall finished and stepped back, the crowd burst into applause and surged forward, the ladies jostling with each other to gain the widow’s attention and ask more about the project.
“That was quite a performance,” admitted Cordelia. “I have to admit that she has a certain presence.”
“Her message about ladies learning to manage their own affairs is one that certainly appeals to my way of thinking,” said Charlotte.
“Indeed,” agreed Alison. “In fact, I’m curious to hear more of what she’s proposing to the group. Would you two care to join me?”
“You go on. Cordelia and I have a matter to finish discussing.” Charlotte observed the scene a moment longer, and then drew her friend into an alcove by the bookshelves. “Now that I’ve heard Lady Kirkwall for myself, tell me the reasons for your bad feelings about her and her family.”
“I know you’ll think me mad.” Cordelia blew out her breath. “Ye heavens, after hearing that presentation,Ithink me mad!” Her friend gave a harried shrug before continuing. “Lady Kirkwall is articulate, her points are well-reasoned . . .”
“But?” urged Charlotte when her friend hesitated.
“But I just can’t help seeing dark shadows lurking beneath that polished shine.”
“What are the family skeletons?”
“To begin with, her younger brother died in a fall from his bedchamber window at the family’s castle in Scotland—supposedly an unfortunate slip while he was inebriated,” said Cordelia. “But rumor has it that he was a thoroughly despicable wastrel, whose legion of evil habits included preying on the servant girls who worked at the castle.”
She grimaced. “So there is a question of whether he was pushed.”
Alas, the aristocracy was rife with such stories. “You know as well as I do that this is a far more common tale than we would wish,” replied Charlotte. “I confess, I’m a little baffled as to why you are taking this particular one so much to heart. Are we to damn every family who has such a crooked branch sprouting from its tree?”
A flush crept up to color Cordelia’s cheeks. “There is more. Lady Kirkwall’s husband—she married a much older man—perished from a gunshot wound. The story put out by the family was that it was a tragic accident which occurred while he was cleaning his pistols. However, he was on the board of governors overseeing a network of important canals, and there were rumors that he was embezzling money from the other investors.”
“Ye heavens, you know how easily such nasty stories are started,” said Charlotte, growing a little frustrated over why Cordelia was so intent on disliking the widow. “You keep using the wordrumor. Have you heard any reputable reports as to whether the rumors about Lady Kirkwall’s late husband are true?”
Her friend shook her head and looked away.
But not quite swiftly enough to hide the glimmer of tears beneath her lashes.
“Cordelia!” Shifting her stance, Charlotte took her friend’s arm and moved them deeper into the alcove. “This isn’t really about Lady Kirkwall and her family, is it?”
Her friend choked back a sob and shook her head. “You’re right, I’ve seized on scurrilous rumors to—to convince myself that I’m right in disliking them.”
“Why don’t you tell me what’sreallywrong?”
A sniff. “I—” Cordelia’s voice wobbled. “I don’t want Kit to invest in their company! I know why he’s doing it, and—and . . .”
“And what?” asked Charlotte gently.
“And I want for us to earn the moneytogether, from our own company, to purchase his dream,” blurted out her friend.
Kit’s dream?Charlotte hesitated, not wishing to probe too deeply into personal matters. But Cordelia and Sheffield were her dearest friends....
“What is it that he wants to buy?”
“Land . . . a manor house . . . a place for us to put down roots,” answered Cordelia. “I happened to catch him studying a list of properties for sale, although he tried to hide it.” She blinked back more tears. “When I asked him about it, he insisted that he wished to invest in Taviot’s consortium and present me with the fact that a house and lands will soon be within our means as a wedding gift.” Another sniff. “But I think it is far too risky! I would much rather that we plan and save and ultimately earn it ourselves.”
“Have you discussed it with him?” she pressed. “You make a very compelling argument for doing it your way.”
“Yes.” A sniff. “He’s so bloody sensitive about money. We argued—quite fiercely.” A watery rumble of misery welled up in her throat. “And the only agreement we reached was to—to defer setting a date for our wedding.”
Charlotte drew Cordelia into a hug. “Marriage is complicated.” After a few moments, she leaned back. “Ye heavens, both Wrex and I wrestled with the consequences of taking such a leap of faith. It isn’t easy, but don’t lose heart.”
Her friend’s eyes remained pooled with doubt.
