Davenport House 4: Heiress Interrupted

by Marie Silk

“Henry,” Nellie greeted with a twinkle in her eye. “Your mother was just telling me marvelous things about you.”

  Henry laughed nervously. “I am certain she was. Nellie, what do you say to a tour of the dungeons? I know you were disappointed to not be able to see them before.”

  “Oh,” Nellie giggled. “I would be glad to, now that the wonderful dinner has given me my strength back.”

  Henry brought a large candlestick to light the way on the tour. As they descended the dark stairwell, he paused to light the candles along the walls. The light from the flames danced in the otherwise dark dungeons. Nellie smiled. “I forgot how romantic it can be to light the way by candlelight. Modern lights do not have the same effect.”

  “My father hopes to install electric lights in the near future. We do have a telephone, at least,” he said.

  “But Henry, why do you not seem happy to see me?” Nellie asked abruptly.

  Henry chuckled at her bluntness while he set the candlestick on a table. “On the contrary, I am always happy to see you.”

  She raised her eyebrow at him. “Are you certain about that? You barely looked at me during dinner.”

  Henry sighed. “I know there is no fooling you when I am upset. Do you remember my story of being sent to America to marry that girl?”

  “Of course I remember,” Nellie replied. “You said that she was kind and beautiful, but you refused her.”

  Henry cringed. “Yes, well, you see—it has happened again. My father is pressuring me to marry a girl for her money. Except this time, I have already met the girl—and I understand now what people mean when they say they have fallen in love.”

  “I think I understand it too,” Nellie said, facing him. “And are you going to refuse this girl as you did the last one?”

  Henry looked into her eyes intently. “That is the last thing I want to do. But Nellie—my family is bankrupt. The dinner you attended tonight—it was all for show. My father can barely pay the servants their wages. He wants to use your fortune to sustain this castle, which grows more expensive to maintain by the day.”

  Nellie looked down at the floor. “I see. And this is why he and your mother have welcomed me so kindly.”

  “My mother can always be relied upon to be kind. It is my father whose actions toward you have been with motive,” Henry clarified.

  “You have told me the truth about your family’s circumstances, and now I must tell you mine. In a few short months, I will no longer be the heiress to my family’s fortune. My mother is expecting a child. The fortune will be divided if it is a girl, and if it is a boy, I will have nothing. It is why they sent me here to Britain, so that I could be married while I was still an heiress.” Nellie looked at the floor in shame.

  A look of realization crossed Henry’s face and he gently lifted Nellie’s chin so he could look into her eyes again. “This is perfect,” he whispered.

  “How is it perfect? I have nothing to offer your family. Your father will not be so keen on a marriage between us when he understands my circumstances.”

  “I don’t care about that, Nellie. I want to marry you, and I need you to know that it is because I love you and not your money.”

  “You love me?” Nellie asked, wishing to feel the pleasure of hearing the words again.

  “I love you more than anything,” he replied. They stood there for a moment, quietly looking at each other. Finally Henry said, “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Yes, I would like that very much,” she smiled. Then she laughed. “I cannot believe I have become engaged in a dungeon.”

  Henry laughed too. “Has anything been normal since the day I met you? I suppose it is a sign that our lives together will never be predictable.”

  “But Henry, you must tell you father the truth about me. We could not begin our lives together by misleading your family,” Nellie insisted.

  “You are right. I will tell him now and get it over with. But first,” Henry said, wrapping his arms around her. “I want to hold you for as long as I can, until they come looking for us.”

  Nellie sighed dreamily when she felt the warmth of his arms holding her tightly. “I agree, this is far better than telling them now.”

  At Lucy Whitmore’s home in London, Captain Perry had been invited for tea in the drawing room. “To what do I owe this honor?” Frederick asked mischievously when he entered the drawing room.

  “I never said thank you for helping with Nellie last night,” Lucy answered. “I may not always agree with you, but I still must thank you for all you have done.”

  “It was my pleasure, Lucy. And how is she today?”

  “She is not here. She is dining at Caswell Castle tonight,” Lucy said, wrinkling her nose.

  “What is wrong with that?”

  “The Duke of Staffordshire paid Nellie a visit this morning. He proposed to her, and she refused. I hope that she reconsiders. He has taken the news of her dwindling fortune with perfect grace.”

  “But what about Henry? I have known him for years, and I can tell you he is a splendid lad. Nellie would gain a title by the marriage…which as I recall is rather important to you,” Frederick answered with a hint of resentment.

  Lucy looked down at her teacup in her hand. “Indeed, he is the son of a Marquess. But Nellie’s father does not care so much for titles.”

  “Then why be in favor of the Duke over Henry?”

  Lucy was sure that her answer would not go over well with Frederick. She stayed quiet until the silence became unbearable. “Everyone knows that the Caswells have been bankrupt for years,” she finally blurted.

  Frederick sighed exasperated and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t you wish the girl to be happy? You know that they have already formed an attachment. Marriage to the Duke would only be for practicality. Can you truly say that you were happy in the practical sort of marriage you are now pushing onto her?”

  Lucy glared at him, knowing that it is what Frederick had wanted to say all along. “This is not about me. I promised Nellie’s father, and I must keep my word.”

  Frederick breathed angrily through his nostrils. “When did this conviction start?” he questioned, making no attempt to disguise his bitterness. “Lucy, do you realize that everyone heard about your dear Sir George being jilted by a rich American girl, and that he only wished to make a fast marriage with you? But you never meant a thing to him, you were only there for the sake of convenience. Is that what you want for your niece? To be a thing of convenience or amusement, instead of a lady who will be loved properly? Or do you wish for her to be as miserable as you, living with a man who—”

  “Enough! Stop!” Lucy demanded. “It is not proper to speak of the dead—especially when the dead you speak of is my own husband! Leave now, Frederick. I will not hear another word from you.” Lucy stood hastily and left the room.

  Frederick was well aware that he had gone too far. He hated himself for letting the cruel words escape his lips, causing Lucy pain that she did not deserve. With his head bowed in shame, he left the house as Lucy had asked. He was sure that he would not be invited back.

  At Caswell Castle, Henry spoke to his father in the study while Nellie waited patiently in the hallway. When Henry emerged through the doors and closed them behind him, Nellie could tell that something was wrong. “What did your father say?” she asked.

  “Let us go into the library where we can speak privately,” Henry answered solemnly. They settled into the library and closed the doors. “As can be expected, my father did not take the news well. He said the dowry is not adequate. He will only allow the marriage to take place if you are able to keep half your fortune.”

  “But I will not know until after the baby is born,” Nellie objected. “But Henry, what if the baby is a boy? Would that mean that you will not marry me at all?”

  “I would marry you today if I could. But as long as I am under twenty-one, my father has the right to forbid our marriage.”

  “How can he
do so?” asked Nellie.

  “He said that unless you keep half your inheritance, he will forbid the reading of our marriage banns at every church. If the marriage banns are not read, we cannot be legally married.”

  “What if we wait until you are twenty-one?” she questioned.

  “We could,” Henry said mournfully. “If you are willing to wait another year. There are rumors that the Duke of Staffordshire is eager to make you an offer.”

  “He did just this morning,” Nellie admitted. “Even after I told him that I will lose my fortune, he said he wished to marry me.”

  “I see.” Henry swallowed the lump in his throat. “I have nothing to give you, Nellie. You might consider his offer.”

  Nellie looked painfully into Henry’s eyes. “I want to be with you. I will wait until your birthday if there is no other way.”

  Henry could feel his heart leap in his chest and he repressed the urge to convince Nellie that she deserved better than him. “There is another way,” he said slowly. “We can go to Scotland. It does not have the same marriage restrictions as we do here, and many go there to marry in a town just past the English border. It is called Gretna Green.”

  Nellie’s eyes widened. “I have heard of Gretna Green. But isn’t it rather scandalous to be married there?”

  “Yes,” Henry confessed. “I never understood before why anyone would wish to…but I understand now.”

  “My Aunt Lucy is the only family that I have here,” Nellie said thoughtfully. “If I fall out of her good graces, I will have no one. And you will surely be out of the good graces of your own family.”

  “It is true,” Henry said, his eyes sorrowful once more.

  “I should be returning to my aunt’s house now,” Nellie told him.

  Henry took her hands in his and became serious. “I know that I have put you in an impossible engagement. Any man would be fortunate to have you for a wife, and I won’t expect you to marry me when you have a better offer. No one could blame you for marrying the Duke—not even me.”

  Nellie was not considering his words. Before she knew what she was doing, she had leaned into him and was pressing her lips against his. Henry forgot about any objections he had and passionately kissed her back, holding her tightly in the way he had wanted to since the first day on the ship. After a few minutes of kissing her, Henry pulled away reluctantly. “This is making it very difficult to say goodbye to you, Nellie. Your aunt will be worried.”

  Nellie was smiling. “Don’t worry. When I get back, I will persuade her that I should marry you. I can be very persuasive, you know.”

  “I don’t doubt it for an instant,” he said smiling. The library doors opened just then and the butler came through.

  “The car is still waiting for Miss Whitmore,” he announced impatiently.

  Henry walked with Nellie out of the castle under the watchful eyes of the servants. After he helped Nellie into the car, she looked at him intently. “Henry? There is one more thing I must tell you.”

  “Yes?” he responded.

  “Thank you for the letter,” she said. Henry squeezed her hand and watched emotionally as she drove away in the car.

  Nellie arrived at her aunt’s house and went straight to her bedroom. Lucy knocked on the door shortly after she heard Nellie come into the house. “Good evening, Dear. Look what the Duke has sent over for you! They are chocolates from Switzerland. Was not that generous of him?”

  “His Grace is very kind,” Nellie answered.

  “I don’t suppose you have reconsidered…” Lucy trailed off.

  “It is no use, Aunt. I am in love with Henry Caswell.”

  Lucy put her hand over her heart. “How do you know you are in love with him?”

  “I kissed him tonight and it was the most magnificent feeling on earth,” Nellie sighed.

  Lucy gasped. “Did you not have a chaperon at dinner?”

  Nellie skipped past the question. “I have accepted his offer of marriage. I only hope that you can be happy for me.”

  Lucy appeared pale. “I promised your father that I would make a suitable match for you. What will he think?”

  Nellie’s face fell and she felt her teeth clenching. “My father sent me into a sea of u-boats when the whole world is at war. I don’t care a smidge what he thinks right now.”

  “Nellie, that is not fair. Your father loves you very much and certainly would not have sent you if he knew,” Lucy countered.

  Nellie responded emotionally. “How can you be on his side? He does not care if he ruins me! He is happy to leave me with nothing so long as he gets the son he has always wanted. I have been a disappointment to him since the day I was born. It is because of him that I have been put in this position!” Lucy did not have an argument and stared blankly. “I am sorry, Aunt. I know that none of this is your fault and that you only want what is best for me. It is difficult for me to care what my father thinks right now. It is your opinion that I value—and I do not want to disappoint you.”

  “Does the Marquess know that you may lose your fortune?”

  Nellie nodded.

  “And what does he say about it?” Lucy questioned.

  “He is opposed to the marriage unless I keep half my inheritance. He will forbid the reading of our marriage banns otherwise.”

  “Then it won’t be possible for you to marry anyway,” Lucy remarked.

  “It will be possible if we go to Scotland,” Nellie said quietly.

  Lucy gasped again. “Good Heavens! You were raised better than this, Nellie! Please, give yourself time to think about what you are saying. You have been through so much this week, and it is causing you to make drastic decisions!”

  Nellie felt tears forming. “Aunt Lucy, don’t you remember what it is like to be in love?”

  Lucy felt her heart ache while she held back her own tears. “It was a very long time ago,” she whispered, standing up to leave the room. “You should rest now. It has been a long day.”

  As she slept that night, Nellie dreamed that she was aboard the Lusitania again, scrambling into the lifeboat when the ship started to sink. But this time, Henry was not in the lifeboat with her. It was too late to get back onto the ship to look for him. Nellie cried his name, but he was nowhere to be seen by the time the men lowered the boat into the water. Nellie looked at the other people in the lifeboat with her. They all had vacant stares, their lifeless bodies lying in the boat while Nellie stood up screaming for help. The boat rocked as if it would tip over. Then she saw Henry, still on the ship, sinking with it through the water.

  “Nellie!” cried Lucy, attempting to shake her niece awake in the bed.

  Nellie sat up straight in bed, staring in fright at nothing. “Henry!” she cried, reaching out and grasping the air in front of her.

  “It is only a nightmare,” Lucy told her. “You are safe in London now.”

  “But Henry is dead! And it is my fault!” Nellie cried, not fully awake.

  “It is a bad dream. Henry is well and you have seen him just today, Dear.”

  “Did I?” Nellie said in confusion. Then she lay back down and fell asleep. Lucy went out the door and saw Julia waiting in the hallway.

  “Is Miss Nellie alright, Madam?”

  “She had another nightmare,” Lucy explained. “The poor girl. I wish there was something I could do for her.”

  “Perhaps Captain Perry can speak with her,” Julia suggested.

  “What do you mean? Why him, of all people?” Lucy snapped.

  “Forgive me, Madam. I only mentioned it because he is a sea captain and has experience with such matters,” Julia answered.

  “Oh. Yes, I suppose he is. But I do not want to ask Captain Perry to return to the house. I am going back to bed now.”

  Julia’s eyes were wide when she replied, “Yes, Madam.”

  Nellie arrived at the breakfast table the next morning looking subdued. Her shoulders slumped and she could not manage a smile, even for Julia. Lucy looked at her in conc
ern. “Is there anything I can do for you, Nellie?” Nellie shook her head and looked down at her plate. The breakfast did not appeal to her, even though it was the same as it was yesterday when Nellie had enjoyed it.

  “The Duke of Staffordshire has come to call,” Julia announced.

  “Thank you, Julia,” Lucy said. She whispered across the table to Nellie, “You do not need to seem him if you do not wish to.”

  Nellie looked sorrowfully at her aunt. “Thank you, Aunt Lucy.” She rose from her seat and returned upstairs to her bedroom, leaving the untouched plate of food on the table.

  Lucy met the Duke in the parlor and thanked him for his gifts, but explained that Nellie was not ready for visitors. He understood and left the house with a courteous smile. Julia met Lucy in the parlor after his departure.

  “Your Ladyship, there is something I must tell you,” she began nervously.

  “Go on,” Lucy replied.

  “You might be cross with me for telling you this now, but Captain Perry has written you a letter that I have kept from you.”

  Lucy opened her mouth indignantly. “Julia! I cannot believe you could do such a thing! Why would you keep the post from me? When was this letter received?”

  “It was twenty-three years ago, Madam,” Julia answered sadly. “It was when—when you were in your room.” Lucy clutched her chest and immediately sat down on a chair. She could not speak and was not sure if she could breathe. Julia continued, “Your parents insisted that I put the letter into the fire when they saw that it was from…him. I told your parents that I destroyed it, but…” Julia removed an envelope from her apron pocket and held it out to Lucy.

  “I can’t,” Lucy said breathlessly. “I will faint if I read it now.”

  Julia nodded and placed it gently on the end table. “Forgive me, Madam.”

  Lucy took the letter upstairs to her room and locked the door. She sat on the bed and shook her head in anguish when she began to read. Tears fell down her cheeks with each word, and as painful as it was, she read the letter over and over again, until she fell asleep.

  Lucy,

  My Dearest Love, what have I done to deserve this punishment? I waited in Gretna Green as we agreed. It rained so terribly that I was frozen to the bone. But far worse than that, I suffered when I thought of what must have happened to you on the way. Your carriage must have overturned, or some terrible illness must have taken you. I waited the hours in anguish thinking you must be dead, and that it was my fault for insisting we travel separately. I watched every bend in the road on my return hoping to find you. I mourned with each village I passed where there was no sign of your travel. It was only when I returned home that I heard you were still at your parents’ home…but that you had become engaged to a baronet! I feel like the rain never stopped. Every day I am chilled to the bone to think of what I have lost. I must have done something dreadful, only I do not know what it is. How is it that you told me you loved me one day, and promised yourself to another man the next? Whatever it is, let me beg your forgiveness before you marry him, so that our love may have another chance. I await your reply in the deepest agony that is possible for a man to endure.