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CHAPTER TWENTY

M ara set her teacup in its saucer with purposeful punch.

It made a most disturbing clatter to the silence of the room. Her ploy proved successful. Seconds later, Rolfe peered at her over the top of his newssheet, his attention definitely captured.

“Was there something you wished to say, Lady Kulhaven, or have your fingers grown too feeble to hold your teacup aloft of a sudden?”

Mara frowned at him. “You know what I want to know, Rolfe Brodrigan. Have you told Cassia yet?”

Rolfe set the newssheet aside with a sigh. He had a feeling this was going to turn into a lengthy conversation. “No, I have not as yet told her we are married.”

“Rolfe—”

“Before you begin to lecture me like one of your children, as I’m sure is your intention, please allow me to explain, dear lady. I simply need more time.”

“More time? How long do you think you can avoid telling Cassia that she is now your wife? You already told Cassia’s friend, Cordelia, to make the marriage known to certain members of the court, who will waste no time in relating the news to anyone with an ear to listen.

It is only a matter of time before most everyone at Whitehall will know. ”

Rolfe nodded. “I know, but I had to make my marriage to Cassia public. How else am I to inform the person who killed her father of it?”

Mara furrowed her brow. “I still do not understand all that business. How does your marrying Cassia keep her from further danger?”

“By Seagrave’s petition to the Crown, Cassia is, in essence, his heir, unless, of course, she were to perish. Then, her cousin, Geoffrey, becomes the heir, unless, of course, she were to wed. In that case, the title of the Marquess of Seagrave would pass to her husband, or as it now stands, me.”

“Yes, but wasn’t there a condition of children? If Cassia’s cousin, Geoffrey, is the true culprit as you suspect, I would think Cassia is still in danger, at least until she bears a son to you. Without a male child, the title would still revert to Geoffrey.”

Rolfe agreed. “Yes, the title would revert to Geoffrey, but not the inheritance. Not a single farthing. Seagrave was quite clear in saying that even should Cassia refuse to wed, the money would never go to Geoffrey. He is to be given his fifty pound allowance per annum, and no more. I have seen enough of Geoffrey to know that the title and its entail, which consists only of the marquessate seat in Cambridgeshire, and which can never be supported by a mere fifty pound allowance, mean nothing to him. It’s the eighty thousand pounds left to Cassia that Geoffrey wants, or rather it’s the eighty thousand pounds he needs in order to pay his hounding creditors and set himself up to live in the style he desires.

Rolfe went on. “I have consulted with Mr. Finchley, Seagrave’s, and now Cassia’s solicitor, and have learned that since Cassia’s father never stipulated that the money would go to Geoffrey in the event of Cassia’s demise, it would follow the normal course of inheritance.

The eighty thousand pounds would be left to her husband and any children first, before her cousin. ”

Mara contemplated this for a moment. “It’s all rather complicated, don’t you think? From what I’ve heard about Geoffrey in your conversations with Hadrian, I wouldn’t think him clever enough to figure that all out.”

“Which is precisely why Mr. Finchley has taken it upon himself to explain it all, every last detail, to Geoffrey, at a meeting he has scheduled with him for tomorrow afternoon. By tomorrow evening, there will be no doubt in Geoffrey’s mind as to who now holds the purse strings on the Seagrave fortune.

Instead of Cassia, he will need to direct his criminal attentions to me. ”

Mara nodded, but went on. “But you still have not told me what you plan to do about Cassia? Do you propose to keep her locked up here in my house, trusting that my servants can keep from revealing the truth when they were nearly all witness to your parading that cleric in here in the middle of the night so that he could perform your unconventional marriage ceremony? Even I was witness to it, although should Cassia ever learn the truth, and I find out it is not from your mouth, I will simply say you and Hadrian forced me to it.”

Rolfe frowned. “I know. You are right. I cannot delay telling Cassia for much longer. But, I just need a little more time, Mara. I need the time to show Cassia that I’m not the out-and-out cad she will no doubt think me once I do tell her the truth, like every other man in her life has been before now.

The idea of a marriage is not something she is fond of.

She has fought against this one thing all her life.

She feels it will take away her freedom, and freedom is the one thing she values above all else.

I just need time to show Cassia that being married isn’t the prison she’s convinced it to be.

I need time to show her that not all husbands are abusive and selfish cads like her father and Geoffrey.

That’s another reason why I continue to keep her here.

I wanted to show Cassia the partnership you and Hadrian have, the happiness you have found in being together.

If the two of you after—need I remind you—your equally unconventional matrimony—can manage to make a successful life and family together, then surely Cassia must realize we can do the same. ”

Mara slanted him a glance. “Need I remind you, Rolfe, that I did tell Hadrian the truth.”

“Eventually, but for how long did you parade about in disguise, playing at being Arabella Wentworth, wearing those silly spectacles, that ridiculous little cap, and dyeing your hair black?”

Mara frowned. She could not, in all honesty, refute the allegation.

“All I’m asking for is a little more time,” Rolfe pleaded. “I will tell Cassia the truth only after I feel I have done all I can to show her that marriage to me won’t be quite as awful as she will initially believe.”

Mara took a sip of her tea, then smiled. “What you are asking for is the time to make this girl fall in love with you.”

Rolfe stared at her. With her trademark Irish bluntness, she certainly had a way of weeding through the rhetoric. “If that is what it will take, then yes.”

“I only fear you may be setting yourself up for another disappointment like Daphne, Rolfe. No matter how hard you tried, you could never get her to love you, to see beyond the desire for a title and marry you. And I would hate to see you hurt like that again. The only satisfaction I can take, after watching what that woman did to you, is that you were elevated to an earldom literally days after she agreed to wed Westcott, and an awful marriage it is from what I hear at court. But the truth is Daphne never loved you, Rolfe. What if it is the same with Cassia? She has suffered most horribly at the hands of men, has spent her life a spectator to all that can be wrong about a marriage in that of her parents. What if, despite all your good intentions, Cassia is just incapable of falling in love with anyone?”

At that moment, the door to the breakfast parlor burst open and it was Cassia who came rushing inside.

“Rolfe, you didn’t come to my chamber last night after you’d returned from the palace,” she said, then stopped when she realized Rolfe wasn’t alone. “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”

“No need to apologize,” Mara said, standing.

“I was just leaving. I promised Robert I would take him and his sister to see the wild animals at the Tower today, and I’m sure he’s anxiously waiting to go.

I fully expected it to be him just now coming into the room when you did.

Ever since Hadrian told him about the lions they have there, he says nothing but ‘Bobert see lion, Bobert see lion’ all day long.

That is what he calls himself, you know, ‘Bobert.’ Well, if I ever expect him to utter any other words, I guess I had better take him there. Would you care to join us, Cassia?”

Cassia smiled, anxious for Mara to leave, so she could question Rolfe about what had happened when he went to the palace the night before. “No, thank you. I think I will remain here.”

Mara shrugged. “Very well, then, I’ll be off. You two have a pleasant day.” She slanted Rolfe a glance. “Whatever it is you decide to do.”

After she’d gone, Cassia noticed that Rolfe was dressed to go riding. He wore a navy riding coat and buff-colored breeches, with his black leather jackboots polished and spurred, stretched out at length beneath him. “You are going somewhere, my lord?”

“And good morning to you too, my lady.”

“Apologies,” Cassia said, taking the seat across from him. “Good morning, Lord Ravenscroft.”

The Kulhaven footman delivered Cassia a steaming cup of herb tea.

“So please tell me, did you speak with the king last night?” she asked as soon as they were alone. “Did you tell him our suspicions about the queen, that we believe her life is in danger? Did he tell you what he plans to do?”

Rolfe took a swallow of coffee. “Yes, and yes. I did speak with the king and I did relay our suspicions to him. He was, of course, gravely concerned, and he assured me he would take the matter in hand.”

“And that is all? Perhaps I should go to Whitehall myself and see if he needs my assistance.”

Her emotions were bringing a healthy color to her cheeks, Rolfe noticed. That was good.