Free Beauty in Breeches by Helen Dickson Page B

couldn’t for the life of him think why, he said, ‘Why does she resent you?’
    â€˜I think she sees me as some kind of threat to Astrid. Against her wishes, my uncle took us in when my mother and I had nowhere else to go. To add to our difficulties my mother was very ill. Her illness began immediately after my father died. Aunt Moira didn’t go out of her way to make us welcome. When my mother died she would have turned me out were it not for my uncle.’
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ Julius said, his tone suddenly sympathetic. ‘That must have been an awful time for you when you lost your mother. I am not unacquainted with death and loss,’ he said, thinking of the loss of his own mother. ‘I have not forgotten the pain of it. How was your relationship with your uncle?’
    â€˜He always treated me kindly. Before he died he made Aunt Moira promise to do right by me: to maintain me as one of her own children, to bring me out into society and to ensure that the man I married was suitable. I suppose she considers she has kept this promise as well as her nature will permit, but as soon as myuncle died she made it plain that I should not think myself on an equal footing with my cousins. How could she like or accept an irksome alien, someone inferior and unconnected to her by any tie, an intruder on her own family?’
    The softening of her manner enhanced her beauty and Julius boldly and appreciatively stared at her hard for several moments. There was a forlorn, lost look about her and he sensed she bore a deep inner pain and bitterness that had driven her to where she was now. In fact, he saw in her that which was in himself, and that something stirred, something moved that had not moved in a long time. It came unbidden, unexpected, born of the bleakness of his own life. Over the years he’d stifled that feeling as best he could, but it had been there just the same, telling him how he felt, and it was ridiculous, totally ridiculous, for with so much to do his life was full. But always there was something not quite right, something missing from his life.
    â€˜I can see your life at Standish House has not been easy and that you do indeed need rescuing,’ he said softly.
    â€˜I have become accustomed to it.’ She gave him a sideways, almost coy look. ‘Will you be my rescuer, Lord Chadwick?’
    He considered her remark in silence. Perhaps he should rescue her from her predicament. After all, if it wasn’t for his father, she wouldn’t be in this position, so maybe he should accept her marriage proposal. ‘Tell me. Why do you want to marry me so badly?’
    â€˜You know why. Because you own Larkhill.’
    â€˜Yes, I thought that might have something to do with it,’ he remarked drily.
    â€˜But I have no money. I can’t afford Larkhill. I have nothing save what my aunt chooses to give me, which is very little, therefore it is up to me to provide for myself. I will no longer be a burden to my aunt. I can no longer submit to her opinion as a matter of course. In short, Lord Chadwick, I have decided to be my own advocate and make my own case.’
    â€˜Will that be such a hardship for you?’
    Beatrice detected a mild concern in his voice. ‘I hope not. I am indeed at your mercy. After this I cannot stay here. My aunt will cut me off from all connection with her family because I dared ask you to marry me. If you refuse to do this, I shall have to find somewhere else to live and an occupation to support myself.’
    His eyes held hers in an enquiring glance. ‘What you really mean is that your pride won’t let you show defeat.’
    She bristled at his light, mocking tone. ‘After this I shall be regarded as low as a fallen woman—a helpless and defenceless female.’
    Her words were so inappropriate he laughed out loud. ‘Helpless and defenceless be damned. A woman who can ride as you do and beat me at my own