Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

I f Lord Dowshire possessed even a fraction of the pride his niece harbored, Alexander knew the Earl would undoubtedly reject the stipend and insist on the acceptance of Elizabeth's dowry.

It was precisely for this reason that Alex had refrained from broaching the subject when he'd made his offer to marry her. He'd expected resistance, and sure enough, a letter arrived from Dowshire, addressing the dowry. Anticipating a stubborn refusal, Alexander invited the Earl for a drink, thinking it best to discuss the matter in person.

"It is a pleasure to have you in my home, Lord Dowshire," Alexander greeted, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.

"I must confess, your invitation took me by surprise," the Earl replied as he settled into his seat.

"I thought it the perfect opportunity to conclude our discussions," Alex said, retrieving two snifters and placing them on the desk before making his way to the liquor cabinet. "What takes your fancy this afternoon, Lord Dowshire? I've received a shipment of some fine Cognac from France. There's also American whiskey, or perhaps you'd prefer something more familiar? Some Scotch, maybe?"

The Earl chuckled. "Closer to home would be Farmer John's brandy, I daresay."

"Ah, nothing quite competes with that," Alex laughed, sharing in the jest. "But the Cognac, then?" he offered.

"Yes, the Cognac will do," Dowshire agreed.

Alex poured them both the French liquor, handing the Earl his glass before taking his own seat at the desk. As they sipped their drinks, Alex shuffled through the papers on his desk, retrieving the document detailing the monthly stipend he intended to offer Dowshire. He passed it across to the Earl, watching as confusion flickered across the older man's face.

"What is this?" Lord Dowshire asked, his brow furrowing as he scanned the document.

"Precisely what it appears to be," Alex replied calmly. "I've arranged a monthly stipend for you. The scandal, as you can imagine, may cast a shadow over your business dealings. This is meant to compensate for that."

The Earl's expression tightened as he pushed the document back toward Alexander. "You've already compensated what was due by offering for Elizabeth. I don't need more."

A smile tugged at Alex's lips. The pride in the Sutton family was unmistakable. "I suspected you might say that," he said. He hadn't expected Dowshire to accept the stipend easily.

"To be frank, we were not expecting you to take responsibility for your brother's actions," Dowshire continued, his tone thoughtful. "You had no obligation to step in for mistakes that were not yours to correct. Few men would show such a sense of duty."

"Which is exactly why you must understand," Alexander said, leaning forward, "that this responsibility obliges me to offer you these funds."

"I came here to discuss my niece's dowry, not to collect charity," Dowshire said, his tone firm. He sounded so much like Elizabeth in that moment that Alex couldn't help but see the family resemblance.

"I won't be accepting the dowry," Alexander declared, meeting the Earl's gaze squarely.

Dowshire paused, his glass halfway to his mouth, before setting it back on the desk with a faint thud. "You cannot be serious," he said, disbelief plain in his voice. "First a stipend, now you're refusing the dowry? When was that ever done?"

"Since my fool of a brother nearly ruined an innocent family with his recklessness and selfishness," Alex replied, his voice steady. "This isn't charity, Lord Dowshire. It's restitution for the damage caused. You must understand, I owe you every coin I'm offering. It's not merely an act of generosity."

The Earl fell silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he considered Alexander's words. The room was filled with a quiet tension as the weight of responsibility hung between them.

"Then you must accept the dowry if I am to accept the stipend," Dowshire said finally, his tone shifting to one of negotiation, as if this were a business arrangement rather than the marriage of his niece.

Alex chuckled, appreciating the Earl's stubbornness. "Ah, but my offer includes the omission of the dowry as well," he replied, a smile tugging at his lips. He had anticipated this exchange, knowing well the pride that ran deep in the Sutton family.

He recalled the state of the Dowshire residence during his visit. While the Earl was too dignified to admit to financial strain, Alexander suspected that things were not as secure as they appeared. His offer, however, came with the delicate balance of aiding without offending.

"Let us put it this way, my lord," Alexander began again, his voice measured. "You feel responsible for your family, do you not?"

"I don't feel responsible for them, Sterlin. I am responsible for them," the Earl corrected, his tone resolute.

"Exactly," Alexander said, nodding in agreement. "Then do not think of this as something for yourself. Think of it as a way to fulfill your responsibility to them. Consider my offer not as a handout, but as an assurance for their future. After all, I will soon be family as well, marrying your niece." He held Dowshire's gaze, watching as the older man weighed his words carefully.

"You are almost as stubborn as my Lizzy," the Earl chuckled lightly at last, his posture relaxing.

Alexander allowed himself a silent sigh of relief. It appeared he had finally managed to convince the man. "Almost?" he said, his lips quirking into a smile. "Then I shall have to work harder and match her stubbornness."

"If the two of you ever reach that height, you'd burn the house down," Dowshire laughed, the tension in the room easing as he reached for his drink once again.

"We'll live in a castle then," Alexander replied, joining in the humor.

As the laughter subsided, Dowshire grew pensive once more. His voice softened as he spoke. "I believe things happen for a reason, and that certain people enter our lives with a purpose. I cannot help but feel that your brother's flight, as irresponsible as it was, may have been for the best. You are a man of great honor, Sterlin. I could not have chosen a better husband for my Elizabeth."

Alexander smiled politely, though the compliment weighed heavily on him. Honor, he thought, was the last thing that defined him. He had failed before—failed to protect his family, failed to fulfill his father's dying wish. This marriage, this so-called act of responsibility, was merely a desperate attempt to patch over the cracks in the promise he had made years ago.

Still, his time spent with Lord Dowshire that afternoon was unexpectedly pleasant. The Earl was a man who, despite his pride, deeply cared for his family. Alexander admired that quality. He, too, had spent years trying to protect his family, albeit with less success. Perhaps, in that sense, he and the Earl were not so different after all.

The special license arrived soon enough, and the day before the wedding, Alexander found himself in need of familiar company. He called upon his friend Colin, who greeted him with a raised brow the moment he entered the room.

"You look like you've seen better days," Colin remarked, leaning casually against the billiards table as Alexander helped himself to a drink.

"Perhaps I have," Alex muttered, pouring a generous measure from the decanter. The weight of tomorrow sat heavily on his shoulders, pressing down harder with every passing hour. He tossed back the drink, savoring the brief burn that numbed his mind.

Colin watched him with an amused yet curious expression. "Are you ready for tomorrow, then?"

Alexander snorted into his glass. "How does one ever truly prepare for marriage?"

"Don't ask me," Colin shrugged with a grin. "I'm not married, nor do I plan to be anytime soon."

"You really are hopeless, aren't you?" Alexander sighed, rubbing a hand across his face as the weight of everything bore down on him.

"In that regard, I'm afraid so," Colin replied, a grin tugging at his lips. "But you, Sterlin—you always have everything under control." His friend's voice was full of that easy confidence, the kind that only comes when one isn't in the midst of a storm.

Control , Alex thought bitterly. If only that was the word for the swirling conflicts inside him. If only he had even a fraction of the confidence in himself that Colin seemed to possess.

"Any chance of Percy's miraculous reappearance right now?" Alexander muttered, taking another sip of whiskey. The bitterness of the drink mirrored the bitterness in his chest.

"You know," Colin said, his tone light with amusement, "I've heard of bride's nerves, but never of the groom's."

Alexander couldn't help but chuckle despite the tension that tightened his chest. "Perhaps it's just nerves, after all."

But deep down, he knew it was more than that. He was scared. The realization hit him harder than the whiskey. He had failed to protect his family once, and now, he was about to take on another soul—another responsibility. What if he failed to protect her too? What if his failures repeated themselves?

"I hardly know Lady Elizabeth Sutton," Colin said, as though reading his thoughts. "And I'm not just saying this because we're friends, but if ever there was a man capable of providing security for a lady, it's you, Alex."

Alexander shook his head, the familiar weight of doubt pressing harder. "You sound too confident."

"It's not confidence," Colin replied, his voice firm, yet steady. "It's simply knowing the man that you are. Apart from how hopelessly blind you tend to be sometimes," he added with a teasing smile.

"Blind?" Alexander raised a brow, curious but wary.

"To your true self," Colin said, meeting his gaze with unshakeable certainty. "You've always been too hard on yourself."

Alexander frowned, contemplating his friend's words. His true self. What did that even mean? Who was his true self? Was it the man who had failed his family, who couldn't keep the promises he had made to his father?

Or was it the man who now sought to fulfill those promises through this marriage, even though it wasn't of his choosing?