by Sophie's cheek that he actually gaped.
Sophie decided she might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. "The marquess said it himself when I remarked similarly on his fortune. I said he was rich as Croesus, and he said he was richer."
A muscle jumped in the earl's square jaw. He looked from Sophie to his son. "Do you permit her to say whatever comes to her mind? I am thinking now that she should have remained at Tremont Park with me and not had such free rein under your roof."
Again Harold demonstrated his good sense by not responding. Silence was all that was required to shift his father's attention back to Sophie.
"Have you considered that I could turn you out, Sophia?" Tremont asked. "You would not be the first young woman, nor daughter of a peer, to be sent from home for such willful disobedience. Where would you go? Must I point out that you have no one save us to support you?"
Sophie drew a shallow breath and said carefully, "I thought the idea of shackling myself to his lordship was in aid of supporting you."
Tremont's hand came up again, this time stiff-fingered with his thumb at attention. He sliced the air with it, causing a disturbance that raffled the curling tendrils of hair at Sophie's forehead. It was not his intention to strike her, but to make her think he meant to. What he considered noteworthy was that she had not flinched. "You would do well to modulate that defiance," he told her. "It is not an attractive quality."
Sophie had not remained still because she was unafraid of being struck, but rather because she was unafraid of being struck in the face. She was of no use to the family if she was damaged goods, and her appearance was determined by Tremont and Harold to be her only asset. "I believe, my lord, that there are other means besides marriage for me to contribute to Tremont Park. I know something about the management of the estate and making the farms productive again. I have studied the latest techniques for improving the land, and I believe with only two good harvests we can realize an increase in the rents. If we were to practice even a measure of frugality or make a pledge to live within our means, there would be funds to pay the creditors and no new debts to dodge."
Harold crossed his arms in front of him and regarded his father with his head cocked slightly to one side. His entire posture communicated that Sophie's little speech was something he had heard before. "This is the refrain she has been singing since her arrival in town. As a governess for the children she has been unexceptional, and my wife finds her fit enough as a companion, but this... this insistence that we should manage the household with no regard to our social responsibilities, well, frankly it is wearing on all of our nerves. She would have Lady Dunsmore burn the same tallow candles the servants use and make do with fewer servants altogether. She thinks there is no necessity in replenishing our wardrobes when the fashion is not significantly changed from last Season."
"It is only that—" Sophie fell silent, cut off by Tremont's quelling look. She kept her feet flat on the floor to restrain the tremor in her legs.
"Mayhap you do not understand our position," the earl told her. He made an attempt to temper his voice. Tremont was incapable of cajolery, but he could be less severe when it served his purpose. "The current state of our finances has very little to do with tallow tapers or a bolt of Belgian lace. We are come to this point—and you will forgive me for speaking plainly—because of drinking, whoring, and gambling. You will recognize these vices, mayhap, as your father's raison d'etre. My cousin had no regard for the responsibilities of his station, and he was in every way subservient to his baser instincts. After your mother died there was no limiting his licentious behavior. No matter what you think you know to the contrary, your father's weak character certainly influenced the untimely end of his own
Sophie decided she might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. "The marquess said it himself when I remarked similarly on his fortune. I said he was rich as Croesus, and he said he was richer."
A muscle jumped in the earl's square jaw. He looked from Sophie to his son. "Do you permit her to say whatever comes to her mind? I am thinking now that she should have remained at Tremont Park with me and not had such free rein under your roof."
Again Harold demonstrated his good sense by not responding. Silence was all that was required to shift his father's attention back to Sophie.
"Have you considered that I could turn you out, Sophia?" Tremont asked. "You would not be the first young woman, nor daughter of a peer, to be sent from home for such willful disobedience. Where would you go? Must I point out that you have no one save us to support you?"
Sophie drew a shallow breath and said carefully, "I thought the idea of shackling myself to his lordship was in aid of supporting you."
Tremont's hand came up again, this time stiff-fingered with his thumb at attention. He sliced the air with it, causing a disturbance that raffled the curling tendrils of hair at Sophie's forehead. It was not his intention to strike her, but to make her think he meant to. What he considered noteworthy was that she had not flinched. "You would do well to modulate that defiance," he told her. "It is not an attractive quality."
Sophie had not remained still because she was unafraid of being struck, but rather because she was unafraid of being struck in the face. She was of no use to the family if she was damaged goods, and her appearance was determined by Tremont and Harold to be her only asset. "I believe, my lord, that there are other means besides marriage for me to contribute to Tremont Park. I know something about the management of the estate and making the farms productive again. I have studied the latest techniques for improving the land, and I believe with only two good harvests we can realize an increase in the rents. If we were to practice even a measure of frugality or make a pledge to live within our means, there would be funds to pay the creditors and no new debts to dodge."
Harold crossed his arms in front of him and regarded his father with his head cocked slightly to one side. His entire posture communicated that Sophie's little speech was something he had heard before. "This is the refrain she has been singing since her arrival in town. As a governess for the children she has been unexceptional, and my wife finds her fit enough as a companion, but this... this insistence that we should manage the household with no regard to our social responsibilities, well, frankly it is wearing on all of our nerves. She would have Lady Dunsmore burn the same tallow candles the servants use and make do with fewer servants altogether. She thinks there is no necessity in replenishing our wardrobes when the fashion is not significantly changed from last Season."
"It is only that—" Sophie fell silent, cut off by Tremont's quelling look. She kept her feet flat on the floor to restrain the tremor in her legs.
"Mayhap you do not understand our position," the earl told her. He made an attempt to temper his voice. Tremont was incapable of cajolery, but he could be less severe when it served his purpose. "The current state of our finances has very little to do with tallow tapers or a bolt of Belgian lace. We are come to this point—and you will forgive me for speaking plainly—because of drinking, whoring, and gambling. You will recognize these vices, mayhap, as your father's raison d'etre. My cousin had no regard for the responsibilities of his station, and he was in every way subservient to his baser instincts. After your mother died there was no limiting his licentious behavior. No matter what you think you know to the contrary, your father's weak character certainly influenced the untimely end of his own
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