Page 62 of A Sorceress Comes to Call
“At any rate,” Hester continued, pulling the conversation back to more serious channels, “we know that Evangeline wants Cordelia to marry a rich man. We know that she will kill to get that. But we don’t know why.”
“If I may venture a guess,” Richard said, “it’s probably for the money.”
“That’s my guess as well. We just don’t know what she’ll do when she gets it. Does she want money for some specific purpose, or is a wealthy lifestyle her only goal?”
“So I’m the stalking horse, then? You marry me off to Cordelia and see what she does next?”
“It’s that, or we hope that Cordelia goes on the marriage market and finds a decent wealthy man who doesn’t laugh off the prospect of sorcery.”
Richard nodded slowly. “Given what I know of my peers, we might as well hunt a unicorn. Very well.” He extended a hand to Cordelia. “Does this meet your approval, Miss Cordelia? I vow on my soul that I shall not take advantage of my position in any way.”
Take advantage of his position? Cordelia wondered if this was somehow related to compromising positions. Still, Hester clearly trusted Richard, and it wasn’t as if Cordelia had any better plans. “I don’t mind,” she said. “We’re not really getting married, after all.”
“No, indeed. I shall make certain that there are definite grounds for annulment.” He gave Hester a wry look. “Though you realize that will destroy my reputation utterly.”
Hester snorted. “More the fool if anyone believes it.”
“Oh, they will. It’s the sort of juicy gossip everyone loves. And I have been single far too long besides.” He leaned against the back of Hester’s chair. “I don’t suppose that I could convince you to come and minister to me in my extremity?”
To Cordelia’s astonishment, a flush began to creep up Hester’s neck and into her face. “I… I might at that.”
Richard clearly hadn’t expected that response. He pushed away from the chair and stood up very straight. “Well!” he said, and cleared his throat. “We can discuss this later, then. Meanwhile, I would like to point out one small flaw in your plan.”
“Oh?”
“Evangeline might kill me. Otherwise she has to be content with taking possession of whatever money I funnel to my new wife.”
Cold prickled Cordelia’s spine at the thought. “I wish I thought she wouldn’t, but…” She could picture it all too easily. Being made obedient. Picking up a knife and plunging it into her new husband’s throat. She wrung the edge of her shawl with nervous fingers.
Hester was already nodding. “I’d thought of that, yes.”
“Oh, well, so long as my death is an acceptable contingency…”
She swatted his shins with her cane again. “No, you silly man. But your estate is mostly entailed and if you die, it goes to your heirs. She’d be a fool to kill you off before Cordelia’s had at least one child.”
The image of stabbing Richard was immediately overwhelmed by the image of being a mother. Cordelia’s mouth fell open. She’d never even considered it. She knew how things worked, more or less, and that people married in order to have babies, but somehow getting married had always been an entirely separate goal in her head.
The very notion was appalling. I’ve never even held a baby. What would I do with one? I can do dishes and clean rooms and ride a horse if the horse doesn’t mind, but caring for babies seems like it would be something else entirely.
“So that should give us some breathing room,” said Hester. “And really, Richard, would you prefer that we drag some innocent soul into the line of fire?”
“No, no. Please, let me throw myself into the breach for you. After all, if I die, then society won’t go around gossiping that I’m impotent.”
Impotent? Cordelia wasn’t sure how they’d gotten there. She made a mental note to ask Hester later.
“At any rate,” said Hester, giving him a glare, “it will buy us a little time to work out what she wants. And she’ll be away on her honeymoon, so we’ll have a perfect excuse for the three of us to be seen together without causing a scandal. I shall be Cordelia’s chaperone, and of course, as her fiancé, you will have every reason to call upon us regularly.”
“Very well, you’ve convinced me.” Lord Evermore gave Cordelia a wry smile. “I suppose while we are pretending to be engaged, Hester will be putting the next stage of her devious plan into action. Do you think she’ll tell us what it is, or just drop it on our heads like a flowerpot?”
Cordelia found that she could laugh, and pushed all thoughts of babies and parenting to one side. She wasn’t really getting married. “Is there a devious plan?”
“Well,” Hester said, “I hope there will be.” She thumped the book at her side. “I’ve been reading up on sorcery. Our library’s not worth much, though, so I’m hoping that I’ll find something worthwhile in a better one. Surely someone in the city has studied this more closely…”
Lord Evermore rubbed his chin. “There’s bound to be something in my library. The problem would be finding it. My grandfather collected rare books the way that some men collect butterflies. Alas, his passion for books did not extend to a passion for cataloguing them.”
“This may all end with us digging through the library and hoping for the best,” Hester said.
“If it does, it does.” Evermore nodded to Cordelia. “Well, it appears that you and I have our marching orders. I shall speak to the Squire directly.”
