“We owe them?” the woman asked. “Don’t tell me you’re becoming one of those subversive frogs. Surely Lady Amelia Crofton, daughter of Lord Crofton, once-fiancée of the Duke of Wildeforde, isn’t suggesting that private property become public?”
“Of course not,” Amelia said through gritted teeth.
“And if the property belongs to us, should we not use it as we see fit?”
“No!” Benedict bellowed. “You have a duty.”
“Young man, my duty is to the king and the country.” She thumped her cane. The first sign of any real emotion.
“Are your tenants not the country?” Amelia asked quietly. “You are in a position of deep privilege, entrusted with the care of your estate—which is more than just the buildings and rose gardens and gold in the bank.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand, child. Nor do you need to. It’s an issue that only needs to be dealt with by those who actuallyownan estate, not just a couple of cottages and dilapidated house—no matter how hard you try to polish it.” She rose and brushed her hands against her faultless skirt. “It has been a pleasure.”
Lady Karstark left the room with decidedly more speed and less reliance on her cane than when she had walked in.
Benedict sank into the chair, head in his hands. “What are we going to do?” In those few words, she heard the weight of years of responsibility, of the people who couldn’t rely on their lords so relied on him instead.
She stretched an arm across his shoulders, leaning into him. “We’ll think of something, love.”
Chapter21
Breakfast the following day was a somber affair. Lady Karstark had left, and Amelia had started spurting out ideas—one of which was the suggestion that Benedict approach his grandfather for help.
It had been a mistake.
His reaction to the words “Marquess Harrington” rivaled his reaction to the news of the Karstark clearances.
After a series of colorful curse words, he’d stormed out of the room. For the first time that month, Benedict hadn’t come to her room at night. And when she’d knocked on the connecting door, he didn’t answer.
This morning when he walked into the dining room, there was a bluish tinge beneath his eyes, and his jaw sported blondish-red stubble. His hair was more disheveled than usual, as though he’d spent the entire night running his hands through it.
“Good morning,” Amelia said cautiously.
“Morning.” It was a grunt more than a greeting, and he barely looked at her as he moved to the sideboard.
Tentatively, she continued. “I was thinking that we should hold a meeting—a war council if you will—to come up with a response to Karstark’s plans.” He wasn’t the only person who had spent the night thinking about the disaster.
He didn’t respond, instead dumping food onto his plate, sauce splattering everywhere.
She tried again. “We need to find jobs and housing. That’s the priority. The rest can follow.”
Again, no response.
“I’ve heard that many Scots who have been asked to leave their farms have found new lives in America.”
He slammed his plate down on the far end of the table. Short of taking his breakfast out of the room, he couldn’t have put more distance between them if he’d tried. “Asked to leave? That’s how you’re describing the highland clearances? What a civilized term.”
She sighed, biting back a sharp retort. “Please don’t snap at me. I’m just trying to help.”
“By suggesting they leave their lives for a new country?” He pointed his fork at her, the sausage on the end wavering with his anger.
Ten, neuf, eight, sept, six, cinq, four, trois, two, un.
She smoothed her napkin on her lap before meeting his gaze. “It’s an option, and I just thought that you may have some business connections that could be useful.” He could likely open up a whole range of opportunities in the cities and on the frontier where new communities were being built. It wasn’t a dreadful idea.
“What would be useful, princess, is a law against this practice. Or systems in place that allow people to work their way into independence rather than remain in effective slavery.”
She took a deep breath. “Of course, but those systems and laws are not in place, and we need to deal with the problem in front of us.”
