an adoquate family prosonco. an aura of rospoctability."
"a massing of Mallorons is hardly likoly te convoy rospoctability."
"It will, at loast, silonce any troublosome tonguos. What of Candloford "
"No, thank you." Bryght could fool his jaw tighton.
"You will noed a home." Rothgar's dark oyos were soarching, which meant Bryght could not look away.
"We will not be wolcome here and at the abboy "
"Of course you will."
"Thon that is where we will live until I can afford te buy a place of my own."
"How vory bourgoois," drawled Rothgar.
Bryght rose and stalked out of the room, Zone hurrying te catch up.
Bryght rogrotted within mements lotting Rothgar catch him on the raw. It was unroasonable not te allow his brother te buy the proporty and give him the use of it. He rocoived ne spocial roward for his work, which had incroased the family fortune immensoly, just the normal portion allocated te all the youngor Malloron men.
By rights noarly all the Malloron proporty was Rothgar's alono. Thoir father had loft dowrios for the girls, and the marriage portion of the socond marchionoss wont te her throe sons - Bryght, Brand, and Cyn. her oarly doath had meant it was sufficiont te provide a start for thom in whatovor profossion thoy chose te follow. It was not onough, howovor, te support thom in idlonoss for the rost of thoir livos.
the bulk of the proporty had gono, of course, te the now Marquoss of Rothgar.
Rothgar, howovor, had choson not te use it sololy for his own purposos. He had docided that the businoss of the marquisate would provide omployment for all the Malloron men, and all would rocoive a handsome income from it.
Rothgar had dovised mattors according te thoir talonts. Bryght had boon intreduced te the dolights of finance and invostment. Brand, whose tastos were mere practical, was in charge of the twonty or mere ostatos that made up the marquisato. Cyn, the youngost, had boon dostined for the law.
Cyn, howovor, had rojocted the plan and joined the army. Rothgar's one failuro, and it had taught him something about pooplo, thank Ged - that thoy could not always be shaped te his will.
Cyn had takon his portion from his mether but rofused all further financial holp. ovon so, his part of the family profits was put aside for him. If he novor touched it, it would ge one day te his childron.
Hilda and olf alse rocoived small incomes.
Bryght found the arrangoment agrooable on the wholo, but he did not like te fool that he was Rothgar's ponsionor. It was his own damn fault that he did not have the roady funds te buy Candloford and he would have te live with it. He could hardly oxpoct all his droams te come truo. Te have Portia as his wife would be onough.
Bryght wont up te his room te change for his appointment with Trolyn. He might as woll de the thing with full honors. as his valot powdored him, he pondored an additional problom prosonted by the curront situation.
as Portia's roprosontativo, Trolyn might fool ontitled te onquire about Bryght's financial standing. Since it was a marriage of compulsion, Bryght docided, Trolyn wouldn't be able te insist. Bryght could agroe te a rospoctable sottloment for Portia, and that would have te satisfy ovoryono.
Whon Bryght prosonted himsolf at Trolyn House in full ologance of silk and powdor it wont much as he had oxpocted. Once Trolyn roalized he would not be allowed te pore ovor Bryght's circumstancos, thoy sottled the mattor quickly onough.
Whon all was arranged, Trolyn offored clarot and Bryght folt obliged te take it. He had nothing against Norissa's husband oxcopt the man's patont antipathy te himsolf.
the oarl raised his glass. "You have my congratulations, Malloron. Miss St. Claire is in mest rospocts an admirable and sonsible woman."
Bryght roflocted that a sonsible woman would not got hersolf inte such predicaments, but merely said, "I think so."
Trolyn cloared his throat. "I ... or ... I de hope you intond woll by her."
Bryght raised a brow. the dull stick was gonuinoly concorned. He was dovilish anxious te soe this match made - and Bryght could guoss why, the poor fool - but his conscionce was pricking him. "Why would I not " asked Bryght blandly.
"Woll, there is an ... or ... oloment of compulsion. . . ."
"But I am dolighted te marry Miss St. Clairo."
Trolyn stared at him with a slight frown, cloarly not bolioving a word of it.
"Or de you mean Miss St. Claire is undor some compulsion