Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I need him to understand this as more of a business arrangement, Lothar thought as he was led to the study at the Castwell residence. He had left as early as was appropriate to meet with Gemma’s father, and he had been expected, and welcomed. It was a good sign yet did little to calm his nerves.

Meeting with a woman’s father to ask to court their daughter had not been something Lothar had done very much in the past. What made his nerves more frayed was the fact that he cared more for his answer than he had ever cared when courting Henny. He had thought he had known what attraction was. Until Gemma, he had only known the very tip of the iceberg.

I have to convince Mr. Castwell. If it means I shall have to resort to begging, then so be it, Lothar thought, with less pride and more determination than he had experienced before.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Castwell,” Lothar greeted the older gentleman first. “Lothar Howard, sir.”

“Andrew Castwell. Good afternoon, Your Grace,” he replied and shook Lothar’s hand. Lothar noted his firm handshake and liked it. Men who limply grabbed your hand were considered untrustworthy and weak.

“Thank you for seeing me today, sir. As you must know from my letter, this is quite time-sensitive,” Lothar said, hoping it would show how earnest he was.

“Indeed, Your Grace. Please do take a seat,” Mr. Castwell said as he went to his drinks cart. “A Whiskey, Your Grace?”

“Yes, please, sir,” Lothar replied with a grateful smile. Andrew prepared two crystal glasses. When Andrew poured the whiskey, Lothar could see it was a rich mixture of amber and brown, a clear indication of quality.

Lothar had already felt intimidated by how well-groomed and luxurious the Castwell residence was. When his carriage had arrived, the palatial gardens were almost perfect in how well they were manicured. The main house did not need paint, and he had felt he could safely wager that the roof did not leak.

“Now Your Grace. I must be completely honest with you. I would like to know the reason for your letter, for the sudden interest in my daughter,” Mr. Castwell said before clinking glasses in a toast and taking a large sip of his whiskey.

“Please sir, feel free to address me as Lothar, I feel it is I who should address you with respect as I am a child in comparison to you, sir,” Lothar said in a tone he hoped conveyed his feelings and did not leave Mr. Castwell feeling patronized.

“Very well, you may call me Andrew. Lothar is an interesting name. May I ask about it?

“It means famous warrior, sir. It is German in origin,” Lothar answered.

“A fine name. Gemma is Latin and means a gem. It is what we have considered her from birth, a rare gem.” Andrew said in a tone that seemed to hold a warning.

“How else can one’s family be seen, sir?” Lothar asked.

“Do you truly feel that way, Lothar? Or is it a way to get into my good graces?” Andrew asked with a sudden sternness.

“Yes sir. You will find that I do not say things that I do not mean, not even in anger,” Lothar replied.

“And do you often find that you get angry?” Andrew said, narrowing his blue eyes at him. Lothar then noticed that Andrew had the same pale blue eyes as Gemma. She had also inherited his no-nonsense way of speaking, and perhaps his nose…

Lothar shook himself away from his thoughts of Gemma. He had learned in the short while they had been apart that he could think of little else but her and that he was blind to the world when doing so.

Get it together. You can hardly plead that your thoughts of his daughter have turned your brain to mud. Lothar thought as he focused on Andrew’s words.

“No sir. If memory serves me correctly, I last lost my temper at a hunter as a teen,” Lothar joined in the conversation, happy that it seemed he had not missed something vital.

“That far back? Really? Do tell me what happened.” Andrew asked.

Lothar explained the background story of what had happened. “I had been hunting for three years at the time. My father William, may he rest in peace, taught me; first how to clean a gun and then how to hold the weapon safely. Subsequently, I learned how to use the animals, and the resources gained from hunting them. The very last thing I learned was to fire the weapon. My father would always have his hunting rifle ready when I was doing so.

If I were to miss hitting the animal in the head or just behind the front leg, close to the heart, then my father would fire after me. “Not once, sir, did we allow an animal to suffer!” If Mr. Castwell was not of the same thinking, then the story would not agree with him.

“I am the same. I followed a deer for almost two hours once. It had been a misfire from another hunter,” Mr. Castwell stated shortly. Lothar saw it as encouragement and went on.

“My father and I had been on a hunt when we had heard several shots fired in the distance. We had gone closer to congratulate the hunters when their injured prize had limped past us. My father and I had the same idea and had both shot at the animal.

Mercifully, it fell to the ground. What had made us both so dismayed was the fact that not one of the party of three hunters had even attempted to do the same. They had headed in the opposite direction. That is perhaps where I should have left the matter,” Lothar finished with a wry smile.

Andrew grinned, and Lothar knew he had guessed the obvious outcome of his story.

“I had followed them and confronted them. I had found them and told them off when one of them had thrown an insult towards my father. I had walked right up to him and punched him square in the jaw. It is not something I am very proud of,” Lothar said, more saddened by how much he still missed his father than what he had done that day.

It still haunted him that he had wished Lothar goodnight one night and then had not awoken the next morning. The doctor had rushed to see him, only to deliver the heart-breaking news that he was gone.

“Your father sounds like a good man, Lothar, and I am truly sorry for your loss,” Andrew said. “You mentioned your father William, and said may he rest in peace,” Andrew explained. Lothar realized that his face must be giving his feelings away.

I would hate to have this man think that I am soft. Lothar thought.

“Thank you, sir. I do apologize. Our family is a close-knit kind. I truly miss him.”

Andrew got up from his chair, drained his glass of the last of its contents, and smiled at Lothar. “Now that I know you will not be a menace with a weapon. Shall we go target shooting?” Andrew asked. Lothar had grown up without the luxuries that more wealthy families found the norm. He had honed his shooting skills by putting old tins on a wall and shooting at them.

He had seen other families on their lands. A servant would throw a clay disc into the air at his master’s command. He would then shoot the clay disc before it fell to the floor. Lothar had wanted to try it ever since.

“That does sound amusing. Thank you, sir,” Lothar said as he also got up from his chair. He followed Andrew from the study, down the hallway, and then down the stairs. From there, walked straight out the front door. Andrew took a sharp left and went toward a side door. It was opened for them as they approached and led out directly into the gardens.

Lothar breathed in the sweet scent of Jasmin and roses. The grass that had been cut recently felt as soft as carpet to walk on. The contrasts to his home and Gemma’s started to chip away at his confidence.

How can I convince her father to allow his daughter to live in a place a lot less glamorous? How can I expect her to be content? Lothar thought and knew he had to revive his estate for no other reason than to make Gemma feel like the duchess she was going to become.

They arrived at a clearing that seemed to know no end as the land wound its way into the hills in the distance. A footman ran towards them with a rifle in each hand.

“Excellent Jonathan, thank you,” Andrew said as he handed him the weapons. Andrew handed one to Lothar and took the round, steel bullets and gunpowder satchel from Jonathan.

He loaded his weapon with the bullets and pushed them further into the muzzle with a specially designed rod. Next, a small cloth and gunpowder were applied. Lothar did the same. They both held their rifles pointed to the ground as they waited for Jonathan to stand safely with the pile of clay discs.

“So Lothar—Pull!” Andrew interrupted himself to shout to Jonathan to throw the first disc. He kept his eye on his target. When the clay disc began its descent, Andrew shot it into pieces, signifying an excellent shot.

“Excellent shot, sir! “Lothar exclaimed. “I believe you wanted to ask me a question.”

“Yes. I wondered what would happen to my daughter once you no longer require the financial benefits from this union—Pull!” Andrew asked, then aimed again. Lothar waited for Andrew to shoot before he gave his answer.

The shot was spot on again.

“Well done, Sir. As to your question. I do not take marriage lightly. The woman I shall marry will be someone I intend to spend the rest of my days with. I will treat her with kindness and value her opinions and feelings at all times,” Lothar said, speaking from the heart.

It would be the easiest thing in the world to take care of Gemma . Lothar thought of her. The way she would light up the room and how empty it seemed after she had left.

“Pull!” Andrew said and aimed. This time, he only shot the edge of the clay disc. “That one got away. I am pleased to hear that, Lothar. There is one thing you must understand about our family. I value my wife and my daughters highly. Their opinions matter, and I will not have them anywhere near misogynistic behavior. In other words, they are of no less value than a male,” Andrew stated, not taking his eyes from Lothar’s for a moment. Lothar was not easily frightened, though the thought of trying to convince a man to allow him to court his daughter while he held a loaded gun was daunting.

“I agree, sir. My mother is responsible for our household, and it is the way I desire it to be. I am responsible for the upkeep of the estate; however, I leave the decisions to her.” Lothar was pleased that he did not have to put on an air to impress Andrew.

He had found himself in countless conversations where the men had thought very little of their wives. They had spoken of them in terms of being a good or a bad purchase. It had made him keep very few friends as men his age were mostly, in his opinion ghastly.

“Excellent. Have a turn, Lothar.” Andrew offered.

“Thank you, sir,” Lothar replied as he stepped forward. He looked down to see a marker on the ground. He stood behind it and made sure his sight was aligned. “Pull!” He yelled and waited for the disc to go airborne. Once it did, he aimed and fired.

Damn it! Lothar thought with disappointment as his shot left the clay disc unscathed. He was used to being a good shot and wanted to at the very least stand toe to toe with Andrew. “Pull!” Lothar yelled again. He took a deep breath and aimed. He heard his heart thud in his ears as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

He hit the clay disc, and it dissolved into pieces.

“Good shot!” Andrew exclaimed and playfully gave Lothar a smack on the shoulder. He called a few more times and only missed once more. Jonathan made a hand signal and Andrew waved back. “We have run out of discs. I shall be sure to order more. We should be able to return within a few weeks.”

“I would like that,” Lothar answered, and they left the shooting area to return to the study.

“I have a drink I have been meaning to try, it was a gift. Would you care to enjoy a glass of Madeira?” Andrew asked.

“I would be honored to share your gift, sir,” Lothar replied.

“Correct answer. We still have much to discuss,” Andrew said as they entered the house.

They were soon back in Andrew’s study. Lothar took the glass offered and lifted his glass. “To family,” he said and awaited Andrew’s response.

“To family,” Andrew said as he touched Lothar’s glass with his in a toast. “Do you know why people do that before they drink?” Andrew asked.

“No, I do not, sir. Though I would like to! Please, enlighten me,” Lothar said with genuine interest.

“It started as a way to prove you had not put poison into someone’s drink. When you toast, you are supposed to do it with enough force to exchange fluid from both cups. That way if one person intended to poison another, they would themselves be poisoned,” Andrew offered.

“That is truly fascinating, sir. I find it rather interesting how things come to pass,” Lothar answered.

“I think it would be a good time for you to meet the rest of the family. I will allow you to court my daughter if you agree to a term of no less than three months. After which you shall receive a third of what our fortune amounts to.

That is to say, whether the two of you marry or not, you will receive the funds to better maintain your estate,” Andrew said. “Perhaps I should mention now that Gemma isn’t all that keen on getting married. You might have your work cut out for you in that regard.”

All that Lothar was focused on was the elation he felt at the prospect of courting Gemma.

With that type of financing, I can make my estate more worthy of a place for Gemma to live. Lothar thought with a surprising amount of relief.

“Do we have an agreement?” Andrew inquired.

“Yes sir, we do,” Lothar said, offering Andrew his hand.

“Very well, then you shall meet with the family and Gemma. I shall allow you to attend tea with her here, with her ladies' made present. You should meet her and get to know her before you make your decision,” Andrew said, as he took Lothar’s hand in his for a firm handshake.

“Sir, I have made your daughter’s acquaintance twice before now. First at the stationers and then at the garden party. I find her to be a happy, intelligent, beautiful woman… with all due respect, sir,” Lothar replied.

“I am pleased you mentioned this. You see, my daughter has made mention of meeting you. I wanted to see if you would be honest with me. I am more content than ever to give you my blessing to court Gemma,” Andrew said, giving Lothar a nod of approval.

Lothar could not recall a time when he had been more elated in his entire life.