Page 51 of Courting Miss Lancaster
“Athena,” Persephone said, an almost scolding edge to her words. “I know Harry nearly as well as you do, and I do not for one moment believe him to be the sort of gentleman who would act as a saboteur.”
“He as much as admitted it,” Athena said.
“It is not Harry’s actions that I doubt,” Persephone answered. “It is his motivation. You believe he acted out of ill will or malice.”
“You think differently?” Athena knew there was a hint of desperate hope in her voice, and she did not at all care. She had wanted to believe that Harry was still her friend ever since his departure from London, but realizing now how she had grown to love him, Athena needed to know that he did not despise her.
“Iknowdifferently,” Persephone said. “Adam asked Harry to help with your come-out.”
Being forced into service was almost as bad as purposefully undermining Athena’s debut.
“Adam, unfortunately, is a little too unobservant to realize what he was asking of Harry,” Persephone continued. “You know that Harry is as poor as a church mouse. His situation in many ways is even more desperate than ours was. A young lady without a dowry has a greater chance of marrying than a man who is destitute. He is labeled a fortune hunter by society, shunned by fathers of dowered young ladies, and too poor to marry a girl without a dowry. Harry has no title to induce a father to consider his suit and has no means of acquiring wealth of his own.”
Athena nodded. She knew all that. Harry had beenparticularly empathetic when she had spoken of the difficulties they had passed through during the years of financial hardship. He had shared many of his own struggles and worries with her in return.
“Harry is a gentleman of the world, and though he can be quite absurd and jovial at times, he is realistic. He knows that, for all intents and purposes, he is considered ineligible.”
Eligibility.It was one of the requirements on Athena’s list; the list she had first concocted and shared with Harry. Would he have seen that as proof that his suit would not be welcomed?
“Looking back over the brief visit you made to Falstone Castle last Christmas and the time we all spent together last spring before the opening of the Season, I can see that Harry had grown very fond of you... perhaps more than fond. For Adam to ask Harry to help you find a husband when he himself would have liked to try for the position must have been torturous for Harry. I believe he did the best he could.”
Athena wanted to believe it, but the arguments were too strong. “If he truly loved me, why did he not say so? Why did he not at least try?”
“He is practically penniless, Athena. A basic requirement for any suit to be considered acceptable is a gentleman’s ability to support a wife.”
“But I have a dowry,” Athena said. “We would not be destitute.”
“Men have pride, dear. Living off one’s wife’s wealth would sting tremendously.”
“Is pride more important than love?” Athena asked, her hopefulness of a moment earlier dimmed by a feeling of sadness and frustration. Had Harry refused to court her because of pride?
Persephone sighed and gave Athena another squeeze. “You shall simply have to wait and see.”
Chapter Twenty-One
VW
The Falstone butler smiled ashe opened the door for Harry. The house was, Harry noted, still standing. Nothing appeared to be broken or in disarray. For a household supposedly on the brink of utter chaos, the atmosphere was remarkably calm.
“Where might I find His Grumpiness?” Harry asked, enjoying the sight of Adam’s very proper London butler attempting to keep a straight face.
“Their Graces are in the book room, Mr. Windover,” was the very professional reply.
Harry nodded his acknowledgment and made his way up the stairs. A hauntingly familiar voice floating out of the drawing room stopped Harry in his tracks.
“Is Artemis finally sleeping?” Athena asked. Harry’s heart thudded to hear her voice again. Heavens, how he’d missed her!
“Yes.” He was pretty sure that was the governess.
Harry peeked discreetly around the corner of the doorway, hoping to see without being seen.
“Before she fell asleep, Miss Artemis asked me to give this to you.” The governess held out a sheet of paper.
“A drawing?” Athena took the sheet and looked up at the governess.
Harry barely managed not to gasp. She was pale, just as Persephone’s letter had indicated, and her eyes were weary, the spark he was so used to seeing there having dimmed. Harry desperately hoped the blame for that did not rest on hisshoulders. Although, if Dalforth had broken her spirit, Harry was going to fillet the man!
“I believe it is meant to depict Miss Artemis in the throes of a painfully fatal disease,” the governess explained.
