woman to tears.’
‘Oh dear. He is that bad? Well…’ Beatrice sighed ‘…I am not intimidated by him and nor am I in awe of him, and I am certainly not dazzled by his rank, his wealth or his power—although I admit that his wealth was a deciding factor when I decided to ask him to marry me, since it will go some way to renovating Larkhill. I suppose you could also say that I did make it difficult for him to back out of marrying me.’
Constance Merrick believed her. Even though she had known her for such a short time, she had become very fond of Beatrice. Her husband and the servants were completely enchanted by her friendly, unaffected cordiality towards everyone.
‘I knew your father, my dear, and from what I know, no doubt part of Julius’s decision to accept your proposal owed itself to the fact that in some way he felt responsible for your plight.’
‘Which he is,’ Beatrice was quick to point out.
‘Not…necessarily,’ Lady Merrick said hesitantly, averting her eyes. She would have liked to defend Julius, but to do so she would have to divulge the truth about what really happened on the day Beatrice’s father lost Larkhill in a game of cards—and the terrible events that had ensued. Julius had asked both her and her husband not to speak of it to Beatrice and Constance would abide by that. Three people were bound by a guilty secret, but it hurt her terribly to hear Julius wrongly maligned.
‘Your father was not blameless in all of this. He was a compulsive gambler—but I am sure you know that. But that doesn’t mean that things won’t turn out for the best. You are a young lady of excellent character and breeding and considerable pluck. There is also a gentle strength about you, a compassion and understanding that I believe will make you the perfect wife for Julius. I know him well. I have seen the way he looks at you. He already cares for you a great deal—though he may not know it yet.’
‘That is something I would question, Lady Merrick,’ Beatrice murmured sadly.
‘Nevertheless I suspect you will be good for him and that the two of you will pull off the best match in years.’
Beatrice gave her a truly dubious look. ‘If our relationship so far is anything to go by, I very much doubt it. I think you are being too optimistic, Lady Merrick. Even Julius would challenge that statement.’
Lady Merrick chuckled softly, her eyes dancing with mischief as she enfolded Beatrice in a brief, almost protective hug. ‘I have not always lived a life that was beyond reproach, Beatrice. Far from it. No matter what people are saying about you, I think that you are very brave. You, my dear, as young as you are, have managed to achieve that which all the other women can only dream about. To secure Julius.’
‘Does he not have any family?’
Pain slashed Lady Merrick’s features and she sat back from her. ‘He has no family, Beatrice—no one close.’
There was something in her voice that made Beatrice look sharply at her. ‘No one?’
‘There…was a tragedy—some years ago now—when he lost both his parents,’ Lady Merrick told her hesitantly. ‘There was a fire. Julius has never got over it. I do not believe he ever will.’
‘But—that’s truly awful. Will you not tell me what happened?’
‘I think Julius must do that. But it may help you to understand what drives him. His life has not been easy. As a boy he was bright, with a thirst for knowledge that put others to shame. Even though his family was financially destitute—which was down to his father, who was a wastrel and a spendthrift—he had a good education thanks to his maternal grandmother. At the end of it he’d learned all he could about the world of business and finance, and, with a small sum of money his grandmother had given him on his eighteenth birthday, he left home for the Continent to seek his fortune and to bring some pride and honour back to the Chadwick name.
‘He lost himself in his work with a blind, instinctive faith as his only hope for survival. His skills were quite extraordinary. Julius has the ability to calculate huge columns of figures in his mind in moments. His achievements are quite remarkable. Yes, he gambles—it is the challenge he loves best, of selecting exactly the right venture and wagering a fortune on it, not, as you believe, at