An Agreeable Arrangement (2 page)

“This is simply too much!” Cassie refused to believe this was happening to her. “I cannot go through
with this!”

“But dear”-Mrs. Hicks laid a hand upon Cassie’s
trembling arm-“this says if you do not marry Edward Stewart, you’ll lose everything: The money your
father put aside for you and Hedgeway Park!”

Cassie spun into her bedroom in a flurry. “Have
my trunks brought down and pack my clothes,
Layette. In two days’ time, we shall be leaving for
Stewart Hall”

Layette came in from the dressing room. “Most of zee wardrobe `ave already finished airing. I `ave
brought in your muslin dresses, zee silk and satin
gowns will be finished in plenty of time.”

“Not those clothes. I wish to bring only my mourning clothes.”

“Pourquoi? Today eez the last day you need to
wear those dresses. You should arrive in your lovely
blue traveling dress. It should make such a stunning
entrance. Zat evening, you could appear at dinner in
your pink silk.” Layette palmed her hands together
and twirled. “And what a sensation you shall make
when you attend your first soiree in zee yellow satin
gown.” The maid needed little help in imagining the
romantic notion of attending a ball.

“Layette, there will be no balls, no soirees, no parties,” Cassie answered, her tone serious, her mood
somber. “I plan to convince the squire that I am still
mourning my father. I hope it will delay or even prevent my marriage to Edward Stewart.”

“Prevent zee marriage? Eez not marriage what all
English gentlewomen desire?”

“Not this gentlewoman.” Cassie sat at her dressing
table and stared into the pier glass. Part of her knew
that she might be forced to marry the younger Stewart
brother. But not if she could prevent it. “I shan’t marry
for convenience or for a silly whim of my father’s.”

“Must there be a reason for you to marry? Ah,
l’amour … then love, perhaps, no?” Layette’s lips
bowed into a soft curve.

“I would gladly marry for love,” Cassie lamented.
“If such a fortunate thing were ever to find me”

In two days time a carriage sent by Squire Stewart
had arrived. A pair of matched dappled grays drew
the large black closed carriage which stood parked
in the drive. Standing outside the front door, Mrs.
Hicks sniffed into a handkerchief, muffling her sobs.
With the luggage loaded, the transport waited for its
the final passenger.

“Don’t worry, Rosie,” Cassie whispered to the
housekeeper. “I have Layette with me and if all goes
well, I shall return within the week” Cassie braved a
smile, urging Mrs. Hicks not to despair.

“Romeo!” Cassie called out. The small brown and
white terrier came bounding from around the house.
He darted toward his mistress and ran a tight circle
around her legs. Cassie handed him to Layette, already seated in the carriage. Cassie boarded and sat
upon the burgundy seats that smelled of new leather.

“A safe trip, my lady,” Siddons said over the creaking of the springs of the coach.

With a crack of the driver’s whip, the horses were
off and the carriage started to move.

Cassie waved good-bye. The last glimpse of Hedgeway Park secured her a dismal view of Mrs. Hicks succumbing to another bout of tears.

Every mile away from Hedgeway Park made
Cassie question her resistance. Every mile toward Stewart Hall made her realize how much she loved
her home and what she would do to secure its ownership.

After the first few hours, Cassie wanted to order
the driver to turn back for Yorkshire, but reined the
temptation. Sitting in silence, she planned.

At first, Cassie thought to tell the squire that she
was in love with another. However that was far from
the truth. Perhaps she could feign illness. That would
mean she’d have to be near death now to warrant a recuperation that would take more than several months.
Still that would only postpone her fate. She needed a
solid reason not to marry Edward Stewart.

Cassie was not comfortable approaching her father’s executor with a lie. An honest, straightforward
manner might yield the best results. Yes, she decided,
that might just work.

After the day’s travel, the carriage pulled up to the
Dog and Harp Inn for the night. Despite the name,
the proprietors of the establishment did not cater
to dogs, whether or not accompanied by harps. The
innkeeper wanted to put Romeo in the stable with the
rest of the livestock. Cassie would not allow such
treatment of her pet and carried the terrier off to her
room.

Cassie and Layette entered their accommodations.
Romeo trotted around, found himself a warm spot in
front of the meagerly lit hearth and curled before it.

“This room eez barely passable, my lady” Layette
lifted the sheets on the bed, inspecting them. “These
linens have not been properly aired.”

Cassie pulled the maid from the bed. “It is but for
one night. This will suffice.”

An hour had passed when a knock on the door announced supper. The meal of meat stew, sliced bread
and tea remained untouched by Cassie and Layette.
Romeo cleaned every spoonful, leaving the innkeeper
to think the guests had truly enjoyed the culinary fare.

“Do put yourself to bed, Layette. Our travels will
end tomorrow. We must get our rest” Layette turned in
for the night. Cassie took her own advice and slipped
between the cold sheets after changing into her night
rail.

Cassie managed to close out the distant sounds
of voices and rowdiness from the tavern below. The
fire crackled in the background while Layette’s quiet
snores rumbled in counterpoint to those of the terrier. In no time at all, Cassie fell asleep.

The next morning a knock at the door announced
the arrival of breakfast. Layette answered the door. She
set the toast-and muffin-laden tray on the table near the
fire, where Cassie sat.

It would be another full day’s travel ahead of
them. Cassie took the Gazette that arrived with the
tray. She unfolded the journal and perused the front
page.

Hostilities were growing between the Colonies and
England. Napoleon’s ships still threatened English
trading vessels. None of which interested her.

Cassie ignored the increasing flutter she felt. Layette
poured a cup of tea and placed a biscuit on a plate for
her mistress. The subsequent growl from Cassie’s
stomach was not from hunger. It was nerves that
plagued her. Her stomach, bound into a tight knot,
would not permit her to relax.

Cassie turned the page. Staring at her from the third
page she saw an announcement that bore her name. It
read:

Julian Stewart announces the engagement of
Lady Cassandra Phillips, daughter to the late
Earl of Thaddbury, to his brother, Edward
Stewart. The ceremony will take place on June
18th.

Cassie gasped. The day before her birthday! How
insufferable! And there it was, for all of England
to see.

“Of all the inconsiderate, deceitful tricks!” In a
crisp motion, Cassie lifted the paper and folded it,
displaying the offensive notice on top.

Didn’t he know? It was proper for only the bride’s
family to publish an announcement. But she had no
family. Still, that did not give him the authority to do
such a thing.

The nerve of the man! Cassie would make him
print a retraction right away.

But how, she wondered, would she ever convince
him that the marriage would not take place?

The transport lumbered up the drive of Stewart Hall.
Cassie scarcely noticed how much London had grown
after ten years. The vehicle came to a halt and the door
opened.

She fairly leaped out, brushed past the footman in
the black and gold livery that had assisted her, and
gave the other footman, heading for the entrance, no
opportunity to knock and announce her arrival. She
had no difficulty flinging wide the heavy front door
of Stewart Hall with the anger and outrage that fueled
her strength.

The butler bowed, his composure intact. “May I
announce you?”

“I’ll announce myself, thank you” Cassie took a handful of her gray skirt and spun away. With reticule
swinging by her side and the Gazette clutched in her
hand, she continued unescorted down the long hall,
looking for a sign of the squire. She tried to conjure
the ideas she’d thought of during the journey to persuade him into changing his mind.

From the far doorway, Julian Stewart appeared, tall
and lean. He looked vaguely familiar. Of course, he
was taller now. He was a young man of fourteen the
last time she had seen him. She recognized the same
wave in his hair, the same angular lines of his face,
and the same dark, unreadable eyes. On the fourth finger of his left hand Cassie noticed the signet ring she
had seen his father wear.

At the tender age of nine, she thought herself to be
in love with young Julian. He’d shown about as much
interest in her then as he did now. None.

Bits of the speech she memorized came back to her
but the closer Cassie neared the more difficult she
found it to keep her anger restrained.

“How dare you make an engagement announcement
on my behalf!” Cassie shook the paper only inches
from his nose. Her built-up frustration crossed the line
of decorum, her self-control fled and she slapped his
face. What she really wanted to do was level her reticule at his head. “I cannot conceive of a more presumptuous …”

The increasing noise of the footmen hauling luggage into the house interrupted Cassie’s tirade.
Layette supervised, spouting in French, warning the
footmen to take care with the trunks.

The squire backed into his library, escaping the
disturbance. “If you wish me to retract the announcement, Lady Cassandra, it is simply out of the question.” Touching the reddened area on his cheek, he
winced.

“I implore you, sir, do you have any sympathy for
your brother?” Cassie thought perhaps if Edward
Stewart had also objected to this marriage, that might
sway the squire into helping them avoid the parson’s
mousetrap.

“This arrangement was made long ago” The squire
took a seat behind his Sheridan desk.

“That is precisely the point, sir,” Cassie continued.
“Edward and I were mere children. You cannot expect
us to go through with that arrangement after all this
time.”

“Our fathers fully expected that you both would
honor their wishes. As executor of your father’s
will, the late Earl of Thaddbury, it is my duty to see
this marriage take place.” The squire lifted his wirerimmed glasses off the blotter. “I, myself, had such a
match made and married younger than you and Edward are now and it worked out splendidly.”

“And your wife, sir, what does she have to say?”

The squire guided each ear piece to its resting
place with precision. “My wife passed away some years ago.” He opened the inkwell and took up his
quill.

“My condolences.” Mrs. Stewart probably died of
extreme cold due to direct exposure to her husband.

The squire dipped the quill and began to pen his
letter, not looking up from his work. It was clear to
Cassie this man expected unconditional obedience
from her and would accept no less.

“As for matrimonial affection, no doubt Edward
will grow fond of you and you him, in time.”

Cassie stood in front of his desk clutching her reticule. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself
from saying something she would, no doubt, later
regret.

“Why now?” she asked.

“There has been more than sufficient time for
mourning. Your father clearly stated you should marry
Edward before your twentieth birthday.” He paused,
taking a moment to think on the matter. “Quite frankly,
I believe Edward needed the time as well. I don’t think
he was ready for marriage any sooner than this. It is
beyond my imagination that Edward could ever be a
settled, happily wedded man”

“Until now.” Cassie found it hard to believe that
this cold and completely unfeeling man could even
consider the wishes of his younger brother.

The squire went on with his discourse. “Although
our contact was limited our fathers’ were not. They
conferred with one another on personal and business matters up until my father’s death. The late earl continued to entrust me with their business matters and I
expect that your children will be the proper heir that
both of them would have wanted. Wealth and land
holdings from both sides of the family, and a possible
title from your father should your cousin lack issue.”

Cassie felt her face warm at his casual mention of
such an intimate subject. She dropped her gaze away
from him.

The squire took that opportunity to facilitate her
exit. “Maxwell will have you shown to your rooms.
Edward should make his appearance shortly and you
two can reacquaint yourselves”

“There must be something short of marrying Edward that I can do to keep Hedgeway Park? Please,
sir, will you not help me?” Cassie began to sound
desperate.

Squire Stewart paused, his pen lifted in midsentence. “Kindly curtail your sorrowful pleas, Lady
Cassandra. In the end, you shall do as you are instructed.” There was no anger in the squire’s voice.