An Earl’s Broken Heart by Ella Edon
Chapter Two
Alexander felt torn, but one thing he was certain of was how much he wanted to redeem his Great Uncle's legacy, and, more importantly, keep the Estate in the family line.
Alexander felt a deep wave of duty to his late Great Uncle. He might not have understood anything about the ways of the nobility, but if there was something he did understand, it was duty. He had never been able to appreciate his Great Uncle for what he had done in his life. Perhaps this was the only way. The only problem now was how.
He turned to his friend and placed his palms on the table. "If I am to accept this, Michael, I ought to know how to set everything right. My lack of knowledge concerning these affairs might be a setback."
A grin crossed his friend's face. "Does this mean that you accept the Earldom?"
Alexander gave his friend a pointed look. "Mayhap."
Michael raised both his hands midair. "Your affirmation is all that is needed before we discuss a way forwards."
"You make this sound as though it shall be easy to redeem an entire estate. "
"It shan't be quite easy, to be frank." Michael shook his head. "All I can offer is the same solution I had offered your Great Uncle, my friend. "
"Pray tell?"
"To be wed. You must seek a bride with a sizeable dowry.”
"What?" Alexander exclaimed, falling back into his seat. "Is that the only way?"
"I am afraid so... with the Estate, with the situation it is in, no one would want to invest in any business connected to it. But a marriage to a wealthy and titled Lady would bring back the glory and economy of the Earldom, and that, my friend, should not be too difficult for you. You would only have to attend the prerequisite balls and be on the lookout for just the right lady. There are a lot of spinsters and maidens in London. Even Dowagers, all you have to do is put yourself out there."
Now Alexander saw how absurd the entire situation was. He let out a short laugh. There was certainly no way he would be wed. He wanted nothing at all to do with love or marriage. He had sworn off that for seven whole years and he was not about to break that promise. The last time he had allowed himself to feel, he had been hurt and terribly so.
Alexander's mind drifted back to Isabel Garrett, the only woman he had ever loved. With her, he had dared to dream and imagined a future where love and laughter would be things to perpetually share. That was a long time ago and she had crushed those dreams for good. Despite all that he had been through, Alexander had suffered no greater pain than the sting of her rejection, the demise of their love. Even when he had lost his parents, the pain had not been quite so severe. The pain that love brought was soul wrenching. He never wanted to relive such again.
"There has to be another way." Alexander countered.
"You have nothing to lose here, Alexander. I do not see what the problem is." Michael said.
Alexander shook his head. "I do not wish to be wed. Love is the last thing on my mind. And I believe that... a business deal would be more beneficial on the long run."
Michael scoffed. "There is no doubt about that, Alexander. However, getting anyone to invest in a nearly fallen estate shall be difficult. As I said earlier."
Alexander respected that Michael was only making his suggestions based on his expertise; however, he strongly believed that something other than being wed could be done. He truly would have not taken up the mantle of running the Estate had he not felt greatly indebted to his Great Uncle and although he held no regret that he had accepted the Earldom, he felt that there would be hurdles along the way and it had already begun.
"Take some time to think things through, Alex. Perhaps it would aid you come to terms with what should be done."
A curt nod was the only response Alex had to offer at that point in time. He had to go home and think things through. Alexander rose from his seat and stuck out his right hand. Michael stood up and clapped his hand against it.
"For what it is worth, my friend, I am glad that you have returned. Your return has given me hope that Carter Manor can be restored before it falls to a place of no return." Michael said.
"I am indeed pleased to be back, Michael. But I had never predicted that my return would be under these circumstances."
"I understand." Michael nodded.
"I shall take my time to think about a way out of this mess. I do have a lot to learn if I wish to save the estate and I will need you for that." Alexander said seriously.
Michael nodded vigorously. "You must know that you can come to me anytime. My doors are open for you, my friend, never forget that."
With one last nod, Alex turned and made his way out of the study.
“Where will you be staying?” Michael asked.
“There is a boarding house in Cheapside, they should have a bed for me,” Alexander replied.
Michael shook his head. “Nonsense. You’re an Earl now. I will have a carriage brought round. You are going to Carter Manor.”
* * *
As his carriage rode towards Carter Manor, Alexander kept replaying the conversation he had with Michael in his head. He had tried and failed to figure a way out of this unconscionable predicament. It felt as though Michael had been right; there was no other hope of saving the Earldom but to make an advantageous marriage.
The carriage came at last to Carter Manor and Alexander glanced out of the window. It was plain to see that the manor had deteriorated somewhat. The lawns were overgrown and the fountain at the center of the carriageway had run dry. Vines and other creeping greenery were beginning to make their steady climb up the windows.
He approached the door and knocked firmly. The man who answered had a round, kindly face, with hair greying at the edges and a moustache plucked into a curl.
“Mr. Wilson,” Alexander exclaimed.
Mr. Wilson bowed. “Alex-” He caught himself and covered his mouth. “I suppose I must call you Lord Carter now.”
Alexander smiled. “So Michael has told you?”
“I was most pleased to hear it, my Lord.”
Alexander laughed. “Please don’t call me that, at least not when we are in private.”
Mr. Wilson frowned. “You must know that I do not drop my manners, Lord Carter. You are Lord Carter now and long may that continue.”
Alexander shook his head with a wry grin. The house was not much different from the last time he had been there except for the fact that it seemed much smaller.
"I had learnt you would be arriving today my Lord and took the liberty of gathering some things for supper. Shall you be taking your supper now, my Lord?”
Alexander nodded, scratching his neck. “That would be lovely, Mr. Wilson, thank you.”
Mr. Wilson bowed. “I trust you know your way around, my Lord?”
“I do,” said Alexander.
With that, Mr. Wilson scurried off to the kitchen.
Alex made for the study and along the way saw a large painting that depicted his Great Uncle on a large horse. It made him smile to see his Great Uncle portrayed with such veneration. He moved through the corridor and came at last to the study. He sank into the desk chair and stared down at the documents scattered across the table. His Great Uncle’s cursive was perfect until the very end, no matter how much he had been battered by gambling and drink. That made Alexander smile. Carter Manor had always been a great home but now it was his home. He owned it. It felt incredibly strange.
Before long, Mr. Wilson reappeared to inform him that his supper was ready, and he dined on succulent beef with roasted potatoes. When all was done, he at last made his way to his bed chamber, thinking that a nap would help to ease and focus his thoughts. It turned out to be quite the opposite. Once alone, his mind began a full-scale assault. The past dominated his mind then, more than it had ever in the past. It seemed the requirement that he be wed made him think of his heartbreak even more.
Pressing his lips in a thin line, he remembered the letter he had received from Isabel that had ruined him. He had never brought himself to destroy the letter and he did not know why. But he had also not read it in years. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the large bundle of letters he had received over the years from Isabel. The first and only opened letter amongst the bunch stared back at him with its haunted cursive. He almost always kept that first letter on his person as a reminder. He began to read.
Dear Alexander,
I understand that you had hoped for a future between us; however, that is no longer possible. I cannot jeopardize my future for a foolish love that shall have no meaning in years to come. My father has found me a proper suitor and I shall be wed soon. I wish you well in your future endeavors.
Truly, Isabel.
Alexander crumpled the paper and tossed the letter into the drawer. Isabel had sounded so cold in that letter that it made him feel as though she were a stranger. The pain had held him back for too long. Why did he have to hold himself back when she moved on? When she was happy? Why did he, who had done nothing wrong, have to suffer emotionally for her sake?
He shook his head and whispered a vicious, "No." He needed to move on. One thing Isabel had written in that letter that clung to him. She had said she would not jeopardize her future for a foolish love. He, too, would not jeopardize his future for a past that no longer bore meaning to him.
He decided there and then that he would do what needed to be done. He did not have to invest emotionally in anyone. All he needed was a marriage of convenience and that was what he was going to seek. Nothing would hold him back from saving his Earldom.