Page 19 of A Brilliant Match
He drove Albert’s carriage onto a narrower street in the direction of the mews to return it before hailing a hackney to take him to his own rented lodgings. As he rode, his thoughts turned from the remarkable Lady Dorothea to his own situation. Could he bring his estate in order without the help of a dowry?Herdowry? Perhaps…but it would still be a step down for her. And he knew from watching his mother do the same thing that it was not an easy life he would be offering her—especially if they did not touch her portion.
When he’d inherited the estate, too many fields had been left fallow, and the first order of business had been to get them all to the point of bringing in income. The tenants needed to be lured back, and the only way to do that had been to oversee repairing the tenant houses and ensuring that they would receive a fair share for their work.
This was one thing his father had not rectified—the poor returns for the laborers when they were the ones who did all the work. When it had come time for the harvest, he had given them even less than promised, and many abandoned the tenant farms for the city with hopes of a better life working in a mill.
Besides the fields, Miles had set up the process of carding and spinning the wool on his own estate. An overly particular person might accuse him of sinking closer to merchant status with these innovations, but this did not concern him. With the right machines in place to process the wool, he had begun making a substantial amount selling it directly to the weavers.
However, the improvements did not cover the mortgages on the land, and they would not save the house itself, which needed a complete restoration. The house and land held great value to him, for it connected him to his father’s memory and to his ancestry. However, only the nostalgic could love the place. The decorations in each of the rooms were antiquated, there was the presence of mold, and not even the roof could be guaranteed to hold for another ten years, according to his steward. His mother contented herself with the use of only a few rooms and never bothered to open up the rest. He could hardly expect a wife to live in such shabby quarters.
But if he had a wife with a large portion, all could be renovated quickly. A lady as reasonable as Lady Dorothea must not think ofthatas hanging out for a rich wife. After all, she would be designing the house just as she pleased. And he would add much to her consequence simply by his easy nature and charm in mingling with the polite world. It would be a match of equal merit. At least, he could almost convince himself of that.
These thoughts preoccupied Miles until he arrived at Limmer’s Hotel where he had rented rooms for the season. Or rather, he rented a room. Some might say he was taking economy to extreme measures, but he preferred to put his blunt into his attire, which was actually visible to society. He thus banished those faceless critics to a distant corner of his mind.
As he entered the hotel, a modish gentleman stood in the cheerless coffee room, drawing his attention. Miles started in recognition and could not help the grin that spread over his face.
“Rock!” He wagged his head and strode over to his cousin. They shook hands and he patted him on the arm affectionately. “’Tis good to see you. I understood you would not be arriving until much later in the season.”
“And yet, here I am in the flesh.”
Robert Throckmorton—or more accurately, Lord Throckmorton, Viscount, and heir to their grandfather, the Earl of Pembroke—told anyone who became intimate enough that his surname was deuced cumbersome on the tongue and cheerfully went by the name of Rock. He had not been presented to Miles during their childhood, since Miles’s mother had been cast off completely after marrying a gentleman of low status.
But when Rock discovered his cousin was attending Harrow, he’d sought him out and let him know he’d be glad enough to recognize the connection considering all he had were sisters. Despite the fact that Rock inherited the title that would have been Miles’s own had his mother been born a man, Miles had never begrudged him for it, and they had been close ever since.
“Sit, man. Tell me what brings you to London so early.” Miles gestured to the table his cousin had just vacated.
Rock turned up his nose and leaned in. “Are you certain you wish to? This place is filled with the squirearchy. How can you bear to stay here?”
Miles gave him a good-natured shove. “Don’t be overly nice in your expectations if you are going to acknowledge the connection. If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for you.”
“Very well,” Rock grumbled. “To own the truth, I tasted the coffee while waiting for you. It ain’t half bad. I just don’t think the walls are ever touched by sunlight, no matter how bright outside.”
“Or the tables by a wet cloth. I know, I know,” Miles agreed. They sat, and he called a servant over, suddenly conscious that he had better watch his tongue when pouring out criticisms if he planned to stay here for an entire season.
“So…” he said as soon as the servant left.
“So, there is nothing really to tell. I grew bored with the house party and decided to leave it.” Rock shrugged.
“But it was at your estate,” Miles protested, laughing.
“I left word that they might stay as long as they wished, and that I’d have the housekeeper care for their every need. My mother was happy enough to sit with the ladies who came to stay with her and hardly looked at me askance when I announced I was going to leave.” His grin brought deep creases to his cheeks.
“I hardly believe that,” Miles snorted.
“Oh, very well. She was not above half pleased. But even she had to acknowledge that it was growing deuced uncomfortable for me with the determined pursuit of the young ladies in residence.”
“Did you not know of the guest list ahead of time?” Miles asked. “You usually run from these things, and in fact I had come to the conclusion that you were ready to be leg-shackled if you would miss the fun in London for a select party at your estate.”
Rock looked uncomfortable. “I had thought perhaps I had found a woman that suited me. But I realized I am not ready to settle down.”
“And you told her so in no uncertain terms so she could move on and not wear the willow for you, I suppose.” Miles smiled up at the servant who brought them both coffee, along with some rolls and slices of meat.
“Are you daft? I let my mother inform the guests that I had something pressing that required I remove to London.” Rock picked up a cup of coffee. “I shall be as jittery as a newborn foal, but I believe I will take another cup.”
Miles kept his thoughts to himself over Rock’s disclosure. His cousin had a good heart, and he loved him more than anyone, apart from his mother and sister. Where women were concerned, however, he was not the portrait of consideration.
“What took you so long to get here?” Rock asked, breaking off a piece of bread and popping it into his mouth.
“I was riding in Hyde Park with Lady Dorothea Rowlandson.” Miles sipped his coffee, remembering the sight of her slowly turning the carriage to come back to him.
