Uncle Hector stopped and tapped his cane on the stair. “You’re an earl now. You don’t need to be distracted by insignificant tasks when you have more important things to do, and there are plenty of people to handle such things for you.”
“And it’s good you’ve made it here as the Season is beginning as well,” Sylvester added, completely ignoring any reference to Zane’s comment. “You can use my tailor. He has excellent style and will have you dressed up with all you need for the parties and balls in no time.”
Zane had no desire to be trussed up like a preening dandy. “I’m quite set with all the clothing I need.”
“Good. We’ve been thinking on all this while we waited for you to return. The best thing you can do to settle everyone’s frayed nerves is to show that you’re ready to settle down and take your new responsibilities seriously. We hope you will avail yourself to every moment of the Season and choose a bride. There are three young belles making their debut who should be of special interest to you. One of us will make sure you’re introduced to them at the first ball you attend.”
Zane grunted. What did he need a bride for? He had no problems when it came to women willing to share his bed. For that reason, he stayed away from respectable young ladies of the ton. He learned early in adulthood that they were raised to assume a kiss meant a wedding would follow. It had always suited him to find his pleasure elsewhere. Doing that kept everyone safe.
He knew nothing about being a proper earl and even less about being a husband. It was best he deal with one before considering the other.
“Scouring the parties in search of a bride is not on the list of things I need to attend,” he stated flatly.
“You’ll learn to manage both,” Uncle Syl said and trotted on down to the bottom of the stairs. “Men always do. Choose wisely and she will be a blessing not a curse.”
That sounded odd coming from a man who’d never married.
“It’s your duty now,” Uncle Hector explained. “It will prove to everyone you intend to not only be a responsible earl, but a good caretaker of the family by producing a legitimate heir.”
“I’m quite sure I have no heirs of any kind.”
“All the better,” Hector agreed. “After the shock we’ve all had, you must protect and preserve the title. The best way to do that is to marry a proper young miss who can give you as many sons as your grandfather had.”
The buzzing in Zane’s head and roar in his ears returned with a vengeance. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, determined not to let his well-meaning uncles frustrate him. He couldn’t comprehend the responsibility of one son, much less five. What normal man could?
“Blast it, Uncle, I think I should get used to the idea of being an earl before I take on such an ominous role of being a husband or a father of five.”
“There is no time for you to dawdle about this,” Sylvester added in a decisive tone, obviously wanting to have his say in the matter as well. “The Season is upon us. Why not take advantage of it and go ahead and choose a bride?”
“I think my time will be best spent at Blacknight. I can skip the Season and go straight there and learn what I need to know about the earldom since I’m not familiar with it.”
Hector stopped again. His eyes narrowed, his shoulders rolled forward a little, and his chin bobbed before he started speaking. “You spent the first ten years of yourlife living at the estate. How can you say you aren’t familiar with it? Besides, you don’t have to be. That’s what you have solicitors, accountants, managers, and a host of other people for. You’re an earl now, and you have more than yourself to think about. You’ll best serve the family being right here in London for the greater portion of the year. This is where most of the business is conducted that concerns the title and its holdings.”
“What Hector is also trying to tell you is that the Blacknight property and holdings are considerable. You now control the purse. The magnitude of the estate isn’t something you can learn overnight. Your cousins are afraid to spend a penny—we all are, not knowing when the next allowance will come orifit will. Your aunt Beatrice is so distraught, she’s having fainting spells. Your aunt Lorraine has developed a rash of red welts all over her face, and you didn’t even bother to let your sister know you arrived back in Town yesterday.”
Zane grimaced. He wasn’t in the habit of letting family know his whereabouts. “How do you know that?”
“I went to see her this morning, looking for you. She was glad to hear you’d made it back safely, by the way, but Patricia now assumes you’re upset with her.”
“I’m not upset with anyone.” It was always the same in his family. No peace, no privacy, and no quarter ever given to him, no matter the situation.
“Everyone’s worried you’ll be making changes,” Sylvester said flatly.
“Changes?” Zane questioned, still trying to make sense of the fact he wasn’t going to his peaceful home for a few hours of much-needed sleep.
“You have all the family in a dither about what kind of earl you’ll be. How generous you will be to everyone. Naturally, the whole family—nieces, nephews, cousins—are anxiously waiting to see what you’re goingto do about their allowances, their houses, carriages, and what all. And there’s your mother’s family to consider as well. They’ll be wanting to hear from you as to what you plan for their futures. Our older brother was generous to your mother’s family too.”
Somewhere in his past Zane had heard this. And the previous earl, his father’s oldest brother, had always been more than generous to him. Which was surprising since Zane had tarnished the family name on more than one occasion with his wild ways.
“I see no reason to make changes to any of that,” he said, finally deciding to sail past Hector and join Sylvester at the bottom.
“That should please everyone greatly for now, but it’s up to you to tell them. You can’t neglect your duty. But more importantly, you need to show them you’ve changed now that you have the title.”
“Damnation, Uncle Hector,” Zane said irritably, his head pounding as if a hammer were slamming against both sides of it. “You are acting as if I have to do everything in one day.”
“It would be a good start to the recovery of your reputation if you did. Spending the whole of your first night back in London at a gaming hell will not reassure the family you have their best interests at heart, or the peerage you will work with them when you need to.”
Zane had little doubt about that, but still argued, “That’s what bachelors do.”
