Free In Pursuit of Miriam by Helen A. Grant Page A

night. That is why I think she may be agreeable to my proposal.”
    â€œYou may be right. I know that she is to visit Lucy on Saturday afternoon; if we call on them at that time you may have the opportunity to put your proposal to Miss Knightly.”
    They agreed to this and the more Vincent thought about the arrangement he was proposing, the better he liked it. He could not see any obstacle in his way.

 
 
 
 
Chapter Eight
The Proposal
    Just after lunch on the following Saturday, Vincent and Robert set out to pay a visit to Lady Lucy Spencer, knowing that Miriam Knightly would also be there. Vincent had dressed in his finest jacket and tightest breeches and boots, hoping to make a good impression; it was, after all, the first time he had ever made a proposal of marriage.
    On arrival, the gentlemen were shown into the drawing room, where Lucy and Miriam were sitting with Lucy’s mother and sister. When Robert entered the room, Lucy’s mother and sister withdrew to the window seat to allow the pair some privacy. When Vincent saw Miriam rise to do the same, he put out his hand and drew her onto the settee beside him.
    â€œI have a very serious proposal to put before you, Miss Knightly.” He spoke quietly so as not to be overheard, and went on to outline his proposal of a marriage of convenience, telling her honestly of his situation and how his fortunes depended on this. When he had finished she did not speak. He therefore clarified, “I need a wife in order to inherit my fortune and I was hoping that maybe you would find me more preferable as a husband than Sir Thomas. I thought that my proposal may be mutually beneficial.”
    Miriam looked into his face as if expecting some enlightenment, so he continued, “You would be Countess of Chantry and be well cared for throughout the rest of your life. If the arrangement did not suit either of us, we could live in separate establishments, you in the county and I in London. Failing that, in three years’ time, when I turn twenty-five, as long as the marriage is not consummated we could ask for an annulment. In that circumstance I would ensure that it would be me and not you who would have to endure any scandal. It would, after all, be my impotency that was questioned.” Miriam still remained silent and he could tell that she was trying to make sense of what he was saying. He did not press her further but sat quietly and gave her time.
    Eventually Miriam spoke. “I am sorry to disappoint you, Lord Chantry. As you are aware I am lame and I have for many years known that I would not easily find love and marriage in the same way that I hope for my friends. However, it is expected that I should conform to society’s norms and find a husband, but should I not be successful in this quest, I am in the fortunate position of having an adequate private income to be able to set up my own household and therefore need not rely on a proposal of marriage.”
    Concerned that his motives for the proposal might lie elsewhere, she sought to relieve him of any obligation to her. “I understand that you may feel compromised by having danced inappropriately with me at Mrs. Bright’s party, but please do not feel beholden to me in any way; my physical limitations damage my prospects of marriage far more than one dance with you will do. I am sincerely flattered by your proposal and it confirms my belief that you are a most proper gentleman, but I cannot accept. I sincerely wish you every success in finding a suitable bride and I am sure that with your looks and position this will not prove a hard task for you.” She smiled at him to soften her words of rejection, which must surely have hurt his pride.
    For a moment Vincent was nonplussed. Then he rose to his feet, bowed stiffly and moved away from her. He had never considered that a woman might choose not to marry at all, and because of this he had been over-confident of achieving his