Chapter 2

Chapter 2

What an intriguing lady, Lothar thought as he got into his carriage. He had a few more places he would have liked to have seen that day. Unfortunately, his mother had other plans.

“A matchmaker?” He asked his valet.

“Yes, Your Grace. I was asked to bring you home immediately,” the valet replied.

“Well, then it would be better for the both of us if we were to leave as quickly as possible,” Lothar said with a grin as he wrestled his frame into the carriage. “Why can they not make these things bigger?” He mumbled when he bumped his head against the roof of the carriage.

Lothar looked at the roof as if it had come down and struck him while he put his hand to his throbbing head. The carriage jolted about while the horses settled down from the excitement. They loved to run. The moment the valet took hold of the reins, they knew they would be free to run soon.

Once they took off, they were on their way at a swift pace. The trees just outside town went past the carriage window in a blur. Dust from the country road entered the carriage and made Lothar cough.

They were soon home, and Lothar felt a mix of relief and trepidation as he walked into the estate, hoping to first find a whiskey before his mother found him.

“Your Grace?” A footman asked.

“Yes?” Lothar replied though he did consider pretending not to have heard him.

“Your Grace, your presence is requested in the library the moment you are available,” the footman said, with a nod.

“Thank you,” he replied, and the footman left.

Probably to go tell mother that I have been found. I best go see her, Lothar thought as he sighed and went in the direction of the library. When Lothar arrived in the library to speak to his mother, she was having tea with another lady.

“There you are, son,” Violet said as she embraced him, and then stood back to introduce him. “Lothar, this is Mrs. Gardner. She is the finest matchmaker England has to offer. Mrs. Gardner, this is my son Lothar.”

“Your Grace, truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Mrs. Gardner said with a curtsy.

“Likewise, Mrs. Gardner,” Lothar replied, even if he was not yet sure it was.

“Do sit down.” Violet ordered rather than offered. Lothar obeyed and took a seat next to his mother. “Now Lothar, you know I have been very patient with this entire Henny situation. We need to find you a proper wife whose intentions are more apparent,” Violet added.

“We have a lovely selection of ladies that would suit a man of Lothar’s pedigree, very well, I might add,” Mrs. Gardner said with an encouraging smile. “There is Miss Miller, who comes from industry. However, her father is a Baron who does have a strong fortune. There is also Miss Clarence, who has many suitors, as she is as beautiful as she is well-off.”

“Those ladies both sound like good prospects. What do you think?” Violet asked, turning to her son. Lothar had no idea how to respond. He had always felt uncomfortable referring to getting married as more of a business arrangement than one made by choice or love.

“They sound lovely,” he replied, as he tried to at the very least not seem rude or as uninterested as he was. There was only one woman he loved and would always love. She, on the other hand, had shown less enthusiasm for his affections.

“There is one more lady that I feel obligated to inform you of. She is more of an honorable mention,” Mrs. Gardner said.

“How so?” Violet asked.

“Her father is the last born of a Baron, so he does not have the title. He has, though, done something of himself in his own right. I understand he would like his family to have more of a title as they do, as I have said, have a good fortune.

Their daughter has somewhat of an unconventional beauty. Word has it that she does not feel the need to get married. Allow me to put it this way. The Castwells are still aristocracies, and they have enough of a fortune to more than make it a good union,” Mrs. Gardner replied.

“That would lift this old place a bit. Would you not agree?” Violet asked Lothar, who seemed not to have heard her.

“Did you say Castwell?” Lothar asked.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Miss Gardner.

“Do you know the Castwells?” Violet asked Lothar.

“I met Miss Castwell this morning. Just before we left to come home,” Lothar replied and found that he was smiling.

“Would you like to approach her father? Ask if you may enter into a courtship with her?” Violet asked.

“I think that I might, yes,” Lothar replied. One of the kitchen staff knocked on the door. Lothar stood up as he knew there must be a letter for him. The kitchen staff would receive a letter from a servant of the Whitcomb household. They would deliver it to the staff at the Howard estate and then be delivered to Lothar. He would respond to Henny the same way, in reverse.

“A letter has arrived, Your Grace,” the servant said and waited for Lothar to take the letter from the silver tray he held before going back to his daily tasks.

“If it is from Henny, may I implore you to not respond to her?” Violet asked.

“Mother, you know her husband has passed. She calls if she needs help.” Lothar defended her as usual.

“I agree she needs help. However, it is not the kind you think it is,” Violet said. Her anger started to show in her voice.

“Mother! That is most unkind,” Lothar said with surprise.

“Oh Lothar, it is unkind for a woman to play with your emotions. She married someone else, someone with money, does that not tell you what type of person she is?” Violet said. The pain in her eyes upsetting him.

“I will write back or go there if it cannot wait,” Lothar said. “Good day, Mother, Mrs. Gardner.” Lothar left before there was more of an argument.

He knew he should not have been impatient with his mother. She was right, of course, and he knew she meant well. I cannot help with what my heart wants , Lothar thought as he marched to his study. The small room housed a wooden desk, a small bookshelf, and a drink cart. Lothar went to the cart to pour a double drink and swallowed it in one gulp. He broke the seal on the letter he still held and opened the letter.

Dear Lothar

I hope this letter finds you well. It has been so long since I have seen you and request your presence at lunch next week, the 5 th .

Henny

Lothar read the note again and again, it would be the day after a garden party he was to attend. He read it multiple times, hoping he could find more meaning to the few choice words Henny had written to him.

Once, just once, could she not have said yours at the end of her letter? Could she not at least speak of any feelings at all that she might have for me? Lothar thought as his chest started to hurt. Though she did marry another man, it was her duty to do so, and I had not dared to ask her hand. I only have myself to blame.

A knock at the door dismissed his thoughts. “Come in,” Lothar yelled towards the door. “Mother,” Lothar said and stood up when his mother came into his study. “Allow me,” he added, pulling out a chair for her.

“Lothar, I expect you to give the matchmaker a fair chance. I understand how you feel about Henny, my dear boy, but you know you are worth a woman who will have at least as much loyalty as you do. I expect to see Miss Castwell here for tea in the next two weeks. Do we have an understanding?” Violet said in a loving yet firm manner that let him know what was expected of him.

“I should give other ladies a chance. If they also reject me, it will be clear that I am unsuited for marriage,” Lothar answered.

“Nonsense. You may be my son, yet I can see both your faults, which are few, and your plenty of merits. You are a fine young man, and it baffles me why any woman would not see that.” Violet said more gently.

“You are my mother. You must say things like that,” Lothar replied with a smile.

“Granted, I am biased. Though you truly are a good man, Lothar. You took this broken place and made something of it. You have made sure we had a roof over our heads and that all the workers got their wages to feed their families.” Violet said as she reached over the desk to take his hands in hers.

“It was simply what needed to be done,” Lothar said, shaking his head.

“Yes, it needed doing. Your uncle, my brother, was less inclined to that way of thinking. It would have been easy for you to do the same. You took the more difficult path, and that makes you a better man. That is one of the many reasons I want you to try to find someone who is as good as you are,” Violet said with a smile, though her eyes were worried.

“I did say that I would give this a fair chance,” Lothar replied.

“And you will go to Miss Castwell’s father and seek permission?” Violet said with suspicion.

“Yes, as I have stated, I will do as you as ask,” Lothar said.

“Thank you. Now, you said that you met Miss Castwell this morning. What was she like?” Violet asked.

Lothar was surprised by the sudden change of topic and was unsure how to describe Miss Castwell. He thought for a moment and found himself smiling.

“Why do you ask?” Lothar said to give himself a few moments more to think.

“Mrs. Gardner made her sound unseemly. Now, as you know, I do not put a lot of stock in appearance. I am curious what you thought of her,” Violet said with a smile. Lothar knew she was more than just curious. His mother had been asking him to find a wife for the longest time. He had thought at first that she had been trying to get him and Henny together. After the last five years, he was convinced that she would prefer any woman who was not Henny Briggs.

“She has a lovely manner. Her voice is sweet but not dull. She has the most beautiful eyes, and I feel as though I could give her an embrace without snapping her in half,” Lothar said, and wondered if he had said too much.

“She has made quite an impression on you,” Violet said.

Lothar smiled and did not speak further. He was the type of person who could became quiet and contemplative.

“Right, I know when I have gotten as much from you on the subject as I will get for now,” Violet said as she stood up. Lothar did the same. The moment his mother left, he looked for writing supplies to send a letter back to Henny.

Dearest Henny

I have missed you so since we last met, and I hope you are well. I would be thrilled to join you for tea tomorrow. Furthermore, I shall be counting the hours.

Lothar

Lothar frowned down at the letter he had just penned. He had ended their correspondence with yours Lothar since their first letter to one another. This was the first one that he had ended in his name, as she had.

He still felt the same way about her as he had all those years. Perhaps her lack of affection had finally become too much to bear. Lothar decided to send the letter as it was. He went to the kitchen to find the same man who had given him Henny’s letter. He handed the man the letter and knew he would be off to her estate to deliver it to a staff member at the Whitcomb estate.

He would usually feel elated that he was going to see Henny soon. It would be the only thing he could think of. It would consume his every thought. Now, as he looked out the study window that looked out onto the lands, he found his thoughts going to Miss Castwell. He knew he could make his estate a more worthy place for her, the place a wonderful lady like her deserved.

He could remember her in vivid detail, which was rare. Lothar did not easily remember a face or a name, and he had committed Gemma to his memory.

He wondered when he could go see her father and make arrangements to start their courtship.

I could learn to love her if she would do the same, though I may not be able to love her the way I loved Henny. Furthermore, I will give her everything I have and protect her. Likewise, I do like the idea of becoming a father. Lothar was deep in thought for a while before he realized he had not given Henny so much as another thought.

He smiled, thinking how the tea with Henny might be interesting. Would she care that I am planning to court another?

Surely, that would show me if there is even a chance that I might ever be with her.

“Excuse me, Your Grace.” A footman stood at the door.

“Please come in,” Lothar said.

“The matchmaker has sent word that you are expected for tea at the Castwell residence next month, Your Grace,” the footman announced.

“When?” Lothar asked.

“On the 5 th at six PM, Your Grace,” The footman replied. “Next month, Your Grace.”

Lothar thanked him, and the footman left.

I cannot make a poor impression on the Castwells. Henny will have to understand that our tea will be a short one. Lothar decided to go for a ride on one of the horses. It would help clear his head.

Lothar made his way from the main house to the stables that lay about a ten- or fifteen-minute walk away. His long legs got him there in six minutes. The groomsman immediately saddled a horse for him upon his arrival. These were no average type of horse. They stood six feet tall with a strong, muscular build. They had been bred to plough fields. Their mighty bodies were able to pull massive weights and travel long distances quickly.

Lothar had fallen in love with the breed a few years ago. He had seen them when a passing gentleman had stopped in town. Lothar had inquired about the horses, and the gentleman had shown him to the breeders. Though they were often used plow the land, Lothar liked them for riding since he felt they could better carry his large frame.

Lothar went to the horse that was now ready to ride and scratched behind the horse’s ears down its neck, before he mounted and rode away.

Lothar felt more at ease the moment the horse started to gallop away. He was not planning on going anywhere specific and instead let the horse run free. He had the reins just in case there was an obstacle the horse could not see.

It felt as though he had only been out a short while, yet when Lothar looked at the sky, he could see that the blue sky was starting to turn orange and pink. The sun started to make its journey to lay between the rolling hills. Lothar felt more prepared for what tomorrow could bring. He still felt his nerves fray at the thought of having to meet Mr. Castwell. More than anything, Lothar realized, he wanted a chance with Gemma.