Chapter 26

"Discuss her dowry?" Grant asked.

He appeared contemplative and something else Eleanor couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was a look of surprise.

Lord Langston nodded. "Yes. You must admit that I am doing a great service to your family by keeping her from His Grace. Who knows what he is capable of?"

"Need I point out the glaring fact that His Grace is not courting me?" said Eleanor. "How did this rumor come to be? Where is the proof of all these things that I have supposedly done? I can give an accounting and evidence of where I have been since the night I met His Grace at the theater. A simple look into this would prove these rumors and resulting scandal are impossible and invalid."

"Surely you know that a woman's word holds very little weight, Lady Eleanor?" said Lord Langston. "Your reputation comes under fire the moment someone questions your honor. As far as everyone is concerned—evidence or no evidence—you have been compromised. This is why marrying me is your only option. Of course, our marriage should also be of benefit to me, especially since I'm marrying a woman whom many consider scandalous. Am I not right, Lady Brumley?"

He smiled at Aunt Helen with the look of a man who fully expected others to agree with him. That level of confidence was either foolish or commendable.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, Lord Langston," Grant began.

He crossed his arms over his chest, which surprised Eleanor. He only did that when he was annoyed or offended. Considering he had agreed to Lord Langston's proposal, she didn't understand what he could possibly have an issue with.

"You wish to marry my sister because of her generous dowry," Grant continued. "Is this correct?"

"I think all marriages are based on what the wife brings into the marriage, my lord," Lord Langston replied. "Is it not why women are provided dowries? Without a dowry, most women would be ineligible to marry. I think you agree that the odds are not in your sister's favor for finding a suitor, or she would have been married by now. That is why you accepted my proposal, is it not?"

Grant's eye twitched. "You didn't reveal any of these factors when you approached me for my sister's hand," he said. "You told me that you had come to like her very much and found her beautiful and intelligent. Do you mean to tell me you lied to get my approval?"

That eye twitch was usually a sign for whoever was on the receiving end to run away. Their father had had the same eye twitch. Perhaps Grant's eyes were finally opened and he now realized what he had done by trying to convince her to marry a man like Lord Langston. Grant was usually a good judge of character, so it had perplexed her when he had not picked up on Lord Langston's true nature. He didn't hide it very well.

"Your sister is beautiful and intelligent," Lord Langston said. "Perhaps too intelligent for most men, but I'm willing to overlook that. The point is that no one else is willing to overlook her fla—uh, traits. As a man, you understand what I mean."

Grant rubbed his chin as he slowly nodded. "I see. Her traits."

Lord Langston grinned. "I'm glad you understand," he said. "Now, about the dowry? I think the sooner we discuss it, the sooner we can proceed with preparations. I imagine you do not wish the betrothal period to drag on unnecessarily."

Eleanor looked between the two men. Grant still appeared angry, but he wasn't saying anything. Lord Langston evidently hadn't noticed the signs and assumed all was well. She turned to her aunt. Aunt Helen's lips were pressed together with two worry lines between her eyebrows. She had also noticed Grant's growing anger.

"Why don't we sit down?" Aunt Helen suggested. "I'll have a tea tray prepared, and we can all have a lovely time. Perhaps we can discuss the wedding in the meantime. What do you think about a winter wedding?"

"Just a moment, Aunt Helen," Grant said.

"But, dear—" their aunt began.

Grant glanced at her, which shut her up quickly. "Just a moment," he repeated and turned to Lord Langston. "Are you trying to insult me and my family?"

"Insult?" Lord Langston repeated. "Certainly not! Is my wish to marry your sister not proof enough that I respect your family?"

Eleanor almost laughed. Lord Langston had a fine opinion of himself that didn't stretch to his behavior. She was glad her brother finally saw him for who he was. All she had to do now was sit back and watch the thorough scolding unfold.

"I only agreed to this betrothal because you assured me that you liked my sister and would treat her well," said Grant. "However, it seems you do not like her at all. Not only are you after her dowry, but you also insulted her without a care for her feelings. She is standing right there!" he yelled, using both hands to gesture in Eleanor's direction. "She was standing right there when you implied she wasn't worthy of anyone's attention because she is apparently scandalous, has flaws, and no other prospects. Did I leave anything out?"

She snorted. "If only," she muttered.

"What was that?" said Grant.

Eleanor hadn't realized she had said it so loud that the others heard her. "Erm, nothing," she said.

"You said, ‘If only,'" her brother told her. "What did you mean by that? I want to know."

Eleanor still hadn't decided whether to tell her family about what happened at the ball between her and Lord Langston. Her biggest worry had been that they would blame her for the interaction. However, the situation seemed to be in her favor. Perhaps revealing how inappropriate Lord Langston had been would tip the scales and finally remove him from her life.

"Eleanor," Grant insisted. "I need to know. Did Lord Langston do something that I do not know about?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," she said, briefly glancing at the man in question. "It was at the ball where you kept throwing men at me like I was someone desperate and to be pitied."

Grant winced. It was a little too late to feel shame about his and Aunt Helen's actions that night, but at least he felt some guilt about it.

"I needed a little fresh air, and he followed me outside," she continued. "I informed him that conversing with me while unchaperoned was inappropriate, but he refused to listen. He was rather tipsy, so perhaps that added to his stubbornness. Finally, I decided to leave because he wouldn't budge." She glanced at Lord Langston and found him looking anywhere else but at her. "He grabbed me when I tried to get away."

Aunt Helen gasped while Grant's expression turned livid. "He did what? Why didn't you say something then?"

"I was worried you would blame me for the interaction," she said truthfully. "I snuck away for fresh air, only for a gentleman to approach me and misbehave. You could have said I was wrong to leave your side, thereby making me the one at fault."

A pained expression crossed her brother's face. He rubbed it roughly with both hands and looked skyward.

"Perhaps it is Lord Langston who is in desperate need of a wife," Eleanor commented. He looked at her sharply. "He might need to settle for me because he is a cad."

The red hue in Lord Langston's cheeks deepened. "Now, just wait a minute," he said. He was so flustered that his words ran together. "We are all losing sight of what matters. I am willing to marry Lady Eleanor despite her strange ways and sharp tongue. What other choice does she have? Do you wish her to become an old spinster? Or are you thinking about His Grace? Frankly, I cannot believe Lady Eleanor is serious about marrying him."

Grant took a step toward Lord Langston and stopped. He clenched his hands at his sides and stared at the man with the iciest glare Eleanor had ever seen. Lord Langston shifted, evidently uncomfortable, but perhaps his pride wouldn't allow him to show fear.

"I'll tell you what I am serious about," said Grant. "I am serious about you leaving this house immediately and never bothering us again. I will not tolerate anyone speaking about my sister in the way you did or talking about her as though she was something to be pitied. I will never force her to marry a man like that."

"You're making a mistake," said Lord Langston.

"You're making a mistake by assuming I will not take this matter further if you do not leave this house within the next minute," Grant threatened.

Lord Langston's eyes widened. "I see," he replied stiffly. "Well, I cannot say I am not disappointed. I hope you do not regret this, Lord Egerton."

"You'll regret not leaving my home," Grant said.

"Well," said Lord Langston. He turned to Aunt Helen and bowed. "It is always a pleasure, Lady Brumley. It is unfortunate that this matter did not end favorably for us. Please, excuse me."

He briefly glanced at Eleanor with disappointment and barely looked at Grant before he left the room. Aunt Helen had remained strangely quiet and didn't bother to comment on the situation. She had also approved of Lord Langston and tried to force Eleanor into marriage, so the least she could have done was reveal a change of heart now that his true nature was revealed. Unless she still believed Lord Langston was her only prospect.

"Aunt," said Grant.

"Dear?"

"Do you have nothing to say about the matter?" he asked. "Lord Langston revealed his true motives. I think we both agree that he is unsuitable for Eleanor. We cannot force her to marry a man who is solely after her dowry. What will happen once he runs through it? Will he mistreat her? I'm worried she will be miserable."

"No marriage is perfect, dear," Aunt Helen replied. "While I disagree with Lord Langston's actions toward your sister, I believe he still has redeemable qualities. You cannot judge him on just a few bad traits when he has many good ones. No one is perfect."

Eleanor's heart sank as her brother released a heavy sigh. It appeared Aunt Helen still believed Lord Langston was suitable. She was evidently the type of woman willing to overlook a man's many flaws while judging a woman for a rumor that held no truth.

"I'm disappointed to hear that, Aunt," said Grant.

"I'm just being practical, dear," their aunt explained. "I care about your sister's future. It's not just about what makes her happy now but what will make her happy in years to come. Being part of society, attending social events, and being respected will be most important to her, especially when she has children."

"So, it doesn't matter how terribly he treats her as long as society accepts her?" Grant asked.

"We do not know he'll mistreat her," Aunt Helen argued. "You are being unreasonable."

Grant shook his head. "You are blind if you do not see how his actions reflect on the person he is," he said. "I cannot allow Eleanor to be unhappy."

"You're making a mistake, Grant," their aunt insisted.

"I am rectifying a mistake," he corrected. "Perhaps it will be best for you to take a holiday at one of our other estates. Preferably not within a day's travel of this estate."

Eleanor's jaw dropped. She didn't expect her brother to take this path with their aunt. Usually, he was the one to fulfill her wishes and do her bidding.

"I beg your pardon?" Aunt Helen spluttered. "You wish for me to leave?"

Grant nodded. "I believe that will be best for everyone. We undoubtedly think differently about the matter, and I do not wish to argue about it any further. Eleanor will not marry Lord Langston, and that is final."

"How can you be so naive?" their aunt asked. "Who will your sister marry now? That old duke? Or do you agree with her becoming a spinster? I assure you she will not be happy in either situation. She may believe otherwise, but I know better. Come ten years, and she'll regret going down one of those paths."

"Neither I nor Eleanor are naive," said Grant. "We just have differing opinions. You might accept a man's bad behavior because you were taught to turn a blind eye while bending over backward to make your husband happy, but I do not want that for my sister. I want her to be as happy as our parents were, and I know they would have wanted the same."

Eleanor's eyes bulged. Grant had never spoken like this before. Perhaps Julia had spoken to him and made him understand the situation from a woman's viewpoint.

"How dare you say this to me?" Aunt Helen exclaimed.

"You know that I adore you, Aunt, but wrong is wrong," Grant said regretfully. He likely didn't like having to be firm, but Eleanor was glad he was finally on her side. "What Eleanor does with her life is her decision. I will support whatever she wishes."

Grant approached Eleanor, took her hand, and squeezed it briefly. Her throat closed up with tears, but she didn't want to cry just yet. Instead, she also squeezed his hand.

"Thank you," she told him.

"I cannot believe this!" Aunt Helen cried, throwing her hands in the air. "You always support my decisions. How can you come against me for something as important as your sister's future? Do you not understand I am only thinking about her well-being?"

"I supported you because I agreed with you," said Grant. "I do not agree with you this time. We have caused Eleanor enough problems. We took away her freedom and essentially made her a prisoner in her own home, all in the name of doing what was best for her. Now, I know we were wrong and I wish to correct my mistakes. I suggest you use your holiday to reflect on the matter."

Aunt Helen shook her head. "So I suppose you're using your role as head of the family to get your way? You chose a fine time to do it."

"I have always been the head of this family," he pointed out. "I merely respected you and gave you a say in how this home is run."

"I see," said Aunt Helen. "Well, I can see when I am unwanted. All I can say is that you'll be sorry when our family name is in ruin and people turn their backs on us. Not even your title will be enough to get a shoe into the upper echelons of society. I promise you that."

Eleanor inwardly sighed. She didn't like that the matter had come to this, but they had no other choice. Despite Aunt Helen's anger, one could see the hurt behind it. She likely felt they were ganging up on her, which was precisely what they did to Eleanor. Perhaps she needed to experience how that felt.

"I will take my chances, Aunt Helen," Grant replied.

Their aunt sniffed, turned around, and walked off. Eleanor's shoulders sagged as she watched her aunt. The worst was over. She was free from their control. Letting go of her brother's hand, she sank onto a nearby armchair and hung her head.

"What now?" she said.

She was free, but her mind was still a little jumbled from the confrontation with Lord Langston and Aunt Helen.

Grant walked over to the drinks trolley and poured himself a brandy, knocking it back in one gulp before pouring another and taking the armchair beside her.

"So, what do you plan to do now?" he asked. "I know I said I would support you, but I hope you know I still have misgivings about His Grace and your wish to become a spinster."

"Are you revoking your support?" Eleanor asked in surprise.

"No, but I will be truthful with you," he said. "I need to know that you will be happy no matter the path you take. Convince me of your decision. Let me see what you see."

Eleanor nodded. That was only fair. She couldn't expect her brother to blindly accept her decision. Their butler appeared at the doorway and bowed before handing Grant a card.

"His Grace, the Duke of Devonshire, was here earlier," the butler revealed. "He chose to leave and insisted I not disturb you."

Eleanor's heart lifted the moment Nathaniel was mentioned. He had come here! He must have wanted to see her but left without revealing the reason for his visit. It was the first time Nathaniel had come to the house, which perhaps indicated that he wished to express his interest. If that was the case then... then she might just have her answer for what she wanted to do next.