She watched the sun rising in the distance, casting different colors across the early clouds. She breathed in the crisp air and thought how beautiful it was.
It would be nice; I guess, she thought, to share this with someone.
That afternoon she was ready to go, standing at the end of her circular driveway near the gate. The long garden in between the front of the drive and the back near the house held two benches, but she didn’t feel like sitting down. One of the things she never mentioned when invited on a carriage ride was that her legs sometimes went numb from sitting for so long. If the Duke wanted to get out and walk through the park, she would much prefer that and planned to bring it up.
She saw the dust rising in the distance and knew he was on his way up the road to her house. She stepped through the door in the stone pillar next to the gate and stood on the other side, waiting for him to arrive.
She was a little nervous about her proposal and wondered quietly if she would even be able to broach the subject with him. Surely he wouldn’t want to marry someone he didn’t know just to pay her debts off for her. Then again, he didn’t want to be disinherited either. He probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself if they stripped him of his title, took away his duties and removed the money from his accounts.
He pulled up in front of her and stopped, smiling out at her. “Good afternoon, Lady Cynthia. How are you feeling today?”
“I feel fine, my lord. How are you?”
She stepped up into the carriage, taking his outstretched hand for assistance and settled into the seat next to him.
“I’m doing well. It is a beautiful day for a ride.”
“Yes, I agree.” She looked up at the clear blue sky, enjoying the breeze that moved past her face gracefully.
“I was thinking on the way here that we can go to Wasena Park and take a walk, if you prefer.”
She couldn’t help looking up at him in amusement. “I would like that. I sometimes get uncomfortable from taking carriage rides that last too long.”
He chuckled. “I do, too. I prefer shorter rides and walking. I like to stretch my legs so if I have the time, I walk.”
“It’s all a matter of leaving with enough time to get where you’re going. I know carriages and horses are so much faster, but I do prefer being out in the sun. Walking makes me feel good.”
He smiled. He was beginning to think this might be an opportunity he wouldn’t be able to resist. He wondered if she would consider marrying him, even if only on paper, to help him keep his fortune and his title. He wouldn’t hold her back, she could do anything she wanted to, and he wouldn’t say a thing. But would a woman consider marriage for nothing? Perhaps she was in need of something, and they could strike a deal.
“I suppose since you have been attending the Season dances, you are considering marrying again?”
Her heart thumped hard. It seemed his mind was on the same track as hers. “In reality, I decided last Season before it was over that I did not want to marry again. I usually attend the dances with my young friend, Lord Alexander, as he attempts to find a bride. I sometimes like the action of a ball because I spend a lot of my time alone in my house.”
“So…you aren’t looking to get married?”
“I had thought not before. I am reconsidering. I must say, if the right man were to propose, I suppose I would. But I have not…”
“No one good coming around?” He supplied.
She didn’t want to answer. “There wasn’t, no. I…came to a point where I wasn’t interested in trying anymore. I don’t think I ever really wanted to in the first place.”
“Are you still opposed to marriage?”
She looked up at him without answering.
“I informed you of my predicament. That’s why I ask.”
“I am not as opposed as I was,” She responded.
“That’s good to hear.” He looked out over the road and fell quiet.
“To be honest with you, my lord, I have been thinking about your situation. I was thinking about it last evening and this morning.”
“Were you?” He asked curiously.
“Yes. I am also in somewhat of a predicament myself.”
“Please inform me.”
Cynthia took in a quiet breath in an attempt to calm her pounding heart. “I…When my late husband died, he left me a fortune. It is enough to live on for many more years, and the house, and lands belong to me. However, he was in debt to several businesses to an amount that would reduce my accounts to nothing and leave me with nothing to live on.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. How long ago did your husband die?”
“It was over four years ago.”
“The debt has continued to accumulate, or the collectors are waiting?”
“They have been very kind.”
“To say the least.” He sounded surprised.
“You sound surprised,” She remarked.
“I don’t know many businessmen who will put off the repayment of a large debt for so many years.”
“You have no family to fall back on?”
“No, unfortunately not.”