Page 18 of The Incident at Ingleton (Beau Monde Secrets #3)

W alter waited for Lady Hester to sit down before taking his own seat. He chose a chair near enough that they could easily converse, but far enough that she would not feel threatened by his proximity. He nervously rubbed his hands along the sides of his trousers, wondering how to begin.

Some part of him was already convinced that speaking now was a colossal mistake. Lady Hester seemed to be in pain or shock. This could not be the right time to broach such an important subject.

On the other hand, she was right that Butler had taken away most of her options. If the former curate continued to spread false rumors about her behavior, he might very well permanently damage her reputation. If Walter could offer her an alternative to that—well, he had a duty to speak, didn’t he?

Lady Hester cleared her throat and rested her clasped hands on her knees. “Mr. Haworth, if you are about to offer marriage to me in an attempt to salvage my reputation, let me assure you that although I appreciate the gesture, such a sacrifice is not necessary.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Sacrifice?” She thought marrying her would be a sacrifice ? “If anyone were to make a sacrifice,” he pointed out, “it would be you. You would have to give up your life in the fashionable world. I can offer you nothing more than a gentleman’s manor house and a quiet life in the country.”

Her mouth fell ajar. She snapped it closed and drew her brows down, looking confused. “What manor house? I thought... aren’t you a solicitor?” She did not add the word “only” before “solicitor,” but it nevertheless echoed in Walter’s mind.

He looked down at the floor, wishing he had not already given his spectacles an unnecessary cleaning a few minutes ago. His hands could have benefited from something to fidget with.

“I did train as a solicitor, yes. But I don’t practice law. I only use my knowledge to help out the family, and to assist some of my grandfather’s charities.” He sighed, thinking of his last visit home, of his father’s wish that Walter would return to Northcote Manor permanently. “Before my grandfather died, he purchased an estate in Somerset, not far from Bristol. He bequeathed it to my father. I am my father’s only son, so...”

“Ah, I see. You are the heir to a landed estate. You are a gentleman.” She blinked and shook her head. “My apologies, Mr. Haworth. I already knew that you were a gentleman in education, manners, and morals. I simply did not realize that you were a gentleman in the, ah, economic sense, too.”

“I understand,” he said quickly, not wanting to embarrass her. God knew this conversation was embarrassing enough already! “My father worked for many years as a merchant in the company my grandfather founded. But the company has since been sold to a couple of my distant cousins.” Though Haworth & Haworth was still run by the family, Walter’s branch had had nothing to do with it since his grandfather’s death.

She nodded but kept staring at him with wide eyes and nervous posture. He wished he had any inkling of what she was thinking. For all he knew, she might be hoping he would conclude the conversation and leave her in peace.

He twisted his mouth into something that hopefully resembled a smile. “It was my grandfather’s wish that his descendants live as members of the gentry.” For reasons Walter did not fully understand, merely being wealthy had not satisfied Frederic Haworth. He wanted a high status to match his fortune. “Unfortunately, I am not particularly interested in agriculture. Even so, my father would like me to come home and help him run the estate, and of course the house is large enough for me to live there with a wife and—”

Oh, dear God, he was babbling inanely. The line between Lady Hester’s brows had deepened, and her mouth hung ajar. He was probably only confusing her further. “I only mean to say, my lady, that if you married me, you would live the life of a country gentlewoman.” That would mean setting aside his half-formed plan to apply for the position of manager of Sir Henry’s children’s hospital, but that had only been another of his castles-in-the-air, anyway.

If anything, the thoughtful lines in her face grew stronger. “I see. Thank you for more clearly representing your station in life. But I still think it would be best not to allow Mr. Butler to force either of us into an unwanted marriage. I had better return to Bracknell Hall.”

Unwanted marriage . Walter’s shoulders slumped. So that was it, then. There was no point in making an official proposal. He stared down at the floor, taking a moment to collect himself. He had not really expected any other answer, had he? Lady Hester would probably marry another aristocrat. If not a nobleman, then a nobleman’s son. Still, perhaps he could help her yet.

“As to that, I have an alternative suggestion,” he said diffidently. “If you will allow me, I will travel to Bracknell Hall on your behalf. It is in Shropshire, I think Frank said? Only two days away?” When she nodded, he continued speaking. “I think I can better explain the real situation in person rather than in writing. I hope to persuade your father to relent.”

“It is very kind of you to offer, Mr. Haworth,” Lady Hester said. “But there is no need for you to go to such trouble on my account.”

“It is no trouble at all,” he insisted. “Especially since I have a few other matters I wish to discuss with Lord Reading.”

He did not look forward to meeting Lord Reading face-to-face, but at least that way, he would be able to answer the marquis’s questions. And it would be easier for Walter to tell what the marquis really thought of him as a potential suitor.

Not that there was any point in further pursuing Lady Hester, he reminded himself. She remained what he had once thought her: a brilliant but distant star, twinkling like a jewel placed far beyond his reach. A man might admire such a luminary, but he could not pluck it from the heavens and take it home with him, could he? And now he was getting fanciful! Walter shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

Lady Hester frowned. “Is something wrong, Mr. Haworth?”

“No, no.” He cleared his throat. “I also wanted to ask if I could borrow the letter about your brother.” She looked puzzled, so he quickly clarified. “I mean the one that mentions someone named L. blackmailing Lord Crowthorne.”

Walter hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that letter. It ought to have been none of his business, but having found the letter, he felt responsible for the discovery. Perhaps he’d been smitten with detective fever, but Walter wanted to ask the marquis some questions. Lord Reading might know more about the blackmail than Lady Hester did.

“Oh, I suppose that would be all right,” she said doubtfully. “My brother Frank has the letter at the moment, though. Would you like me to get it from him?”

“Ah, no, I will ask him myself.” He ought to discuss his plans with Frank, anyway. Lady Hester’s brother might have questions of his own for Walter to ask Lord Reading.

“Very well. Thank you for being willing to speak to my father.”

They both rose to their feet. Lady Hester moved as gracefully as ever, but Walter felt like an overgrown giraffe. Not for the first time, he wished he’d been built on more graceful lines, and of a more moderate height. He had no need to be this tall! Towering over other people was not always the advantage shorter men seemed to assume.

“I must wish you a good journey.” This time, Lady Hester did not offer him her hand in farewell. On the contrary, she kept her hands tightly clasped together.

“Thank you. And, er, thank you for hearing me out, despite the unfortunate circumstances that brought me here tonight.” Walter very nearly cringed at the sound of his own voice. Did he always sound this prosy?

Lord, but he would have made a sorry excuse for a suitor! Lady Hester ought to be wooed with all the poetry and romance her heart desired. In the long run, though, there could be no benefit to pretending to be something he was not. Walter was not, in fact, romantic, poetic, or sentimental. If Lady Hester required those traits in a suitor, she probably wouldn’t have liked having Walter as a husband. It was just as well that he realized that now, before he made a fool of himself.

“Of course, you are always most welcome here,” Lady Hester said. “Was there anything else you wanted, Mr. Haworth?”

“No, no. I shall be on my now.” He sketched a clumsy bow, then left the room with graceless haste. He wished he could simply go home without speaking to anyone else, but he really did need to speak to Frank.

Frank was in his study, writing something that Walter suspected was a sermon. He put down his pen and smiled. “How did it go, then? Any luck?”

Walter shook his head. “I did not propose to her after all. Not formally, anyway. She made it clear that she did not want to marry just to save her reputation.” His throat tightened up alarmingly, but he tried to ignore it. “And she is right. I do not want to marry an unwilling bride. In the long run, that could not be conducive to anyone’s happiness.”

“Are you sure, old chap? I rather thought her opinion of you had improved lately. I mean—” Frank came to a stumbling halt and flushed bright red as he realized what he’d implied.

“It doesn’t matter,” Walter quickly said. “It was a foolish pipe dream, anyway. But enough of that!” He forced his mouth into a stiff smile and changed the subject. “I was wondering if I could take that letter I found in Butler’s room with me? The one about blackmail? I suspect your father would be very interested in it.”

“You’re probably right about that.” Frank pulled open a drawer in his desk and rummaged about for a moment before he found the letter. “I do wish I knew who this L. person is,” he grumbled. “I’d like to have a word with him!”

“So would I!” Walter replied. Whatever Lord Crowthorne’s sins, he surely didn’t deserve to be blackmailed.

Frank handed the letter to Walter, then peered up at him, frowning. “You really don’t have to go dashing off to Shropshire on our behalf, you know. I could go in your stead.”

Walter raised his eyebrows. “You would leave Rose when she’s so near her confinement?” Technically, she had passed her estimated date of confinement, although the monthly nurse kept reminding everyone about the “estimated” part.

Frank sighed. “Well, no, I suppose not. She’d be extremely unhappy about that. As would I.” The corner of his mouth tugged up. “I do worry about her a good deal, you know.”

“I know,” Walter said gently. “She is in good hands with you.” Both of his cousins had married well, and not only in the sense of marrying into elevated families. Both Ivy and Rose had found husbands who loved them deeply.

Maybe someday Walter would find such matrimonial comfort, too. But not now. Lady Hester had made that very clear. He ought to put her out of his head entirely. At least, he ought to do so once he’d gotten over this interview with Lord Reading. For Lady Hester’s sake, he hoped he could persuade her father that it was not necessary for them to marry. There must be some better way to silence the rumor mill and defeat Neville Butler’s machinations.