An Unacceptable Arrangement (3 page)

“No sir, I have not. My children are not
privy to my financial dealings. In time I will bring my sons on
board but my daughters? No, they are sheltered from such serious
matters. Not that my Cassandra doesn’t have the head for it. She is
remarkably good at keeping accounts. I have often wished she was my
heir instead of that oldest boy of mine.” His voice trailed off but
he sighed and soldered on. “Hayden, to put it nicely, is an idiot.
The smartest thing he has ever done is winning the hand of the
Queen’s young cousin Teresa. That wedding cannot happen soon
enough. I’m afraid that after he inherits, he will bring down this
house.”

“Back to Cassandra, Arthur. Has she ever been
involved with a young man?”

“Oh no my good man, I can assure you. She has
been chaperoned her entire life. She has not even been allowed a
gentlemen caller, nor has she expressed an interest in having one.
She is a sensible girl, not man crazed like so many young women
these days.”

“And her education?”

“She was schooled at the Royal Academy, the
finest of young ladies’ boarding schools and has studied literature
extensively. She is fluent in French and Latin and is actually a
very talented poetess. She has mastered exquisite needlework under
her mother’s tutelage. As I recall, her best subject was history -
she is quite the history buff. She usually has her nose buried in a
book.” He chuckled, his fondness for his eldest daughter
obvious.

Arthur could not stay away from the subject
of his good-for-nothing heir for long though. “Hayden, on the other
hand, has mastered nothing except throwing his money away at the
gaming parlors of questionable establishments.” It was clear to see
which of his two older children he favored.

“Perhaps if Hayden’s inheritance were tied up
in trusts? Then the damage could be kept to a minimum,” Sir
Frederic suggested.

Arthur’s eyes widened. That was the solution,
of course! He could set up a trust for the house and grounds, one
for his wife and younger children and another for Hayden’s personal
finances which would be dispersed on a regular basis so he would
never be too long between funds. He beamed happily at his future
son-in-law.

Lord Newblythe well knew Prince Frederic’s
character. At one time, one of Arthur’s investments had faltered
and each of the investors had been asked for more capital. The
sensible thing was to protect his initial investment by producing
the necessary cash but Arthur’s liquid assets had been otherwise
tied up. He stood to lose it all. Any other shrewd investor would
have swooped in for the kill and forced Arthur out but Frederic had
instead covered Arthur’s investment as well as his own until Arthur
had been in position to reimburse him. Arthur had never forgotten
that kindness nor his glimpse into Sir Frederic’s good
character.

He would be honored to have him join the
family and told him as much, finishing with “You and Cassandra
should make a good match; you are both sensible and intelligent.
When would you like to meet her?”

“Tomorrow.” Frederic replied. “At the
altar.”

“Pardon me?” Arthur asked, not certain he had
heard correctly. “At what altar?”

“At the marriage altar, of course.”

“You wish to marry my daughter on the
morrow?”

“I am not a patient man, Lord Newblythe. When
I decide on a matter, I like to immediately move forward with my
plans. I wish to take your daughter as my wife tomorrow. I wish you
to arrange it.”

“But the banns must be posted! Why, it will
take months before the church will allow it.”

“There will be no posting of the bans. Get a
judge or a justice to officiate. It will be a legal, not religious
joining. I will secure the necessary license. Once we return to
Germany in the spring, Cassandra and I will then have a lavish
wedding, which you and your extended family must attend. I insist
upon it.”

“But... but where will this last minute
ceremony be held?” Arthur stammered.

“I believe I passed a small chapel on the way
to the courtyard.”

“The family chapel?”

“Yes, that should do quite nicely.”

Arthur leaned forward and confided to the
young man sitting across from him. “I’m not certain Cassandra will
go along with this, Sir Frederic. As the daughter of a Duke, she
has big expectations for her wedding day and I’m quite certain they
don’t involve a justice of the peace or the family chapel. Also,
truth be told, I have certain reservations about sending my beloved
daughter to live so very far away in Bavaria. She... well... she is
the light of our lives and has been ever since she was born.”

“Arthur, you know I have extensive business
dealings here in London. We will be in residence at the London
townhouse for several months out of each year. You and your family
will visit us in Bavaria often. It will all work out. You will not
be losing a daughter; you will be gaining a son-in-law – and
grandchildren.”

Arthur’s face lit up. This could all work out
very well. But still he was concerned. “But if I cannot tell her
that you are a Prince, what am I to tell her that will appease
her?”

“All she needs to know is that I am a
nobleman. Tell her that I am a Baron with a large estate. That
should satisfy any young maiden. And it will be the truth as one of
my lesser titles is Baron of Schenkelstein.”

Frederic and Arthur spent the remainder of
the morning hammering out the wedding contract. Frederic showed a
lack of interest in Cassandra’s dowry, a concession that Arthur
appreciated since there were more daughters to eventually marry
off. Frederic suggested instead co-ownership of the Newblythe house
and estate, as further protection from Hayden’s excesses. Arthur
happily signed over a portion of his estate and household; now
Frederic would be involved in the upkeep. In return, Frederic was
most generous with him and with Cassandra. She would always be
taken care of, in any eventuality. He was thrilled to finalize
their negotiations with a handshake. This union would bring
stability to their finances that eluded most noble British families
struggling to maintain large estates and great houses.

“So you will have her at the altar
twenty-four hours from now – tomorrow at noon?”

“I will see to it Sir Frederic. I could not
be more thrilled, I think you are the perfect husband for my
daughter.” Arthur spoke playfully now, teasing Frederic. “I should
warn you, young man, despite her demure demeanor she can be a bit
of a handful at times, having a fiery temper and strength of will
that she inherited from her doting papa.” He smiled fondly.

“I can assure you, Sir, that I am quite up to
the challenge. I am most looking forward to taming the spirited
young Lady Cassandra,” Frederic replied, clicking his heels and
bowing. His eyes twinkled as he took his leave. Oh yes, the Prince
was very much looking forward to bringing the temperamental Lady
Cassandra Newblythe under his thumb.

Arthur inquired from a passing servant as to
whether his wife had risen yet and was assured she had. He sent for
her and Eveline arrived shortly thereafter, looking blissfully
happy.

“Oh Arthur, the ball last night was such a
success!”

He had been sleeping when she’d arrived home
so she hadn’t had a chance to speak with him. “Our Cassandra was
the belle of the ball. The Prince himself danced with her – twice!
Can you imagine? I’m certain that she’ll make a wonderful
marriage.”

Arthur glared at her. “Settle down woman,” he
replied curtly. “Our daughter has already made an excellent match.
I just promised her hand to Sir Frederic.”

“Our Sir Frederic? Your business
partner?”

“Yes, the Prince himself.” Arthur allowed
himself to relax, pleased with his wife’s positive reaction.

“Our Cassandra, a Princess... someday to be a
Queen.“ She fell back into a chair staring off into space.

“I just worked out the wedding contract. He
is most taken with her. She will have financial security beyond her
wildest dreams and a husband who is clearly besotted with her. What
more can a girl ask for?”

“When are they to meet?” Eveline asked, “I
don’t believe they’ve even been introduced, have they? He was at
the ball last night and we spoke briefly but he didn’t ask her for
a dance. In fact, he didn’t dance with anyone.”

“Well, somehow the girl impressed him and the
wedding is tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!” his wife gasped, looking as if
she would swoon dead away.

“Here Eveline, put your head between your
knees.” He awkwardly tried to position her but her corset kept that
from happening.

“I’m fine, Arthur,” she scolded, slapping his
hands away. “What do you mean tomorrow? You can’t be serious! We
can’t possibly put on a proper royal wedding in that short amount
of time.”

“The fellow seems eager to snatch her up. I
guess he doesn’t want her on the marriage mart long enough for
anyone else to get ideas. He wants to wed her in the family chapel
at noon. It is our job to get her ready.”

“Well we can’t just have a rushed ceremony!
The chapel needs to be decorated, we’ll have to feed everyone
afterwards and we need to invite at least Aunt Phillipa and the
cousins. Hayden will wish his Teresa to be there. Oh Arthur, this
is all so sudden!” She stopped fussing and looked at him, a giant
smile growing on her face. “Cassandra will be so excited! I mean,
an arranged marriage is hardly ideal - but to a Prince, one of the
most powerful men in Europe!” Again she looked like she was going
to swoon.

Arthur cleared his throat. “Sir Frederic does
not want her to know who he is. All she is to be told is that he is
a Baron with an estate in Germany. He has some foolish notion about
wanting her to learn to love him for himself, not his title or
wealth.”

“Oh Arthur, how could you agree to that? That
will not appease Cassandra. She was very much looking forward to
her season and a proper wedding. She will be most unhappy when we
tell her she’s having a small, hurried wedding to a foreign
stranger. If we cannot even tell her how special he is, she will
hate us forever! I wouldn’t know how to even broach the subject of
this rushed marriage; she will think it shameful.”

“Nonsense, wife,” Arthur replied. “First of
all, you don’t ask the child; you tell her. Cassandra is sensible
and obedient. The girl will do as she’s told and she’ll make the
best of it. Soon she will learn how extraordinary her new husband
is and that we’ve done right by her and forgive us everything.
Besides, this wedding is just a legal formality; she’ll have a
proper royal wedding when they return to Bavaria in the
spring.”

Eveline did not look as certain as her
husband. She feared Cassandra’s temper almost as much as she did
her husband’s. And if she knew her daughter, Cassandra was not
going to take well to this news.

Cassandra was still
a child. This humiliating punishment had been a vivid reminder of
that fact. She still had to obey her papa even if it ruined her
life. A girl waited her entire life for her wedding day. She and
her mother had been planning it since she was old enough to talk.
Now it would be some sordid, hurried affair, thrown together at the
last moment and held in secret. And for what reason? No reasonable
explanation had been given. She would have to leave behind the life
she knew to go live in Germany. The presentation at court, the ball
last night - those two events would be her only glimpse into
British high society. She would drop out as quickly as she had
entered it, never to be seen again. At age eighteen she was being
put out to pasture, a brood mare required to produce one heir after
another for a man she did not love and who did not love her.

As she stood in her father’s study, nose
against the wall, holding the back of her skirts around her waist,
her white drawers lying in a puddle around her ankles, Cassandra
sniveled and shook. She could feel the cool air on her burning
nates and her parents' eyes boring into her. She had stopped
crying, stopped feeling anything at all. She felt her heart begin
to tighten in her chest, as it burned cold with anger.

Her mother, seeing that she’d regained
composure, helped her raise her drawers and lower her skirts.
Cassandra limped painfully to the door and turned back to look at
her father. He was concentrating on his blasted ledgers and didn’t
even look at her. Usually after punishment, he would provide some
sort of comfort; he might take her on his lap or fold her in his
arms and reassure her that he still loved her, but this time there
was none. She had been dismissed.

Cassandra hobbled down the stairs to her
mother’s suite. The skin on her bottom hurt so badly that it made
walking difficult. Her mother walked slowly as she tried to keep up
and then guided her into her suites where she found a group of
women waiting. Cassandra took in the assemblage; there was the
seamstress laying a cloth on the ground and two ladies’ maids
waiting to assist her. And in front of her, hanging from an armoire
was the ugliest wedding dress she had ever seen. It had to be at
least a hundred years old. Where on earth had they dug that
up, she wondered?

Cassandra knew she must look a fright. The
birching had been long and hard. She just wanted to crawl into bed
and lay on her tummy, her uncovered bottom cooling in the air. Her
nanny used to rub a soothing cream on her bottom after a spanking
from her father; that would feel wonderful about now. But only her
little sisters still had a nanny and there would be no relief for
her. And now she had this dress fitting to endure. She caught a
glimpse of herself in the full-length looking glass. Her hair had
come loose of its combs and was in wild disarray. Her nose looked
swollen and her skin was blotchy. Her eyes were red rimmed; there
were still tears on her eyelashes. It was obvious to all that she’d
just been chastised.