Shaking his head in amusement, Benedict smiled. “I think it is safe to assume that Miss Prescott is not, indeed, married, Julian. Anything that Miss Eleanor Everet says regarding you, or any of the women you have been interested in, is to be taken under advisement.” He shook his head again with a deep chuckle.
“Are you saying that Miss Everet made up the story? Why would she do such a thing?” Julian asked.
Narrowing his eyes, Benedict cocked his head to the side. “Do you truly not know that Miss Everet has been in love with you? She has been since the day I met you. There is no telling what lengths she would go to, to stop you from courting another woman.”
Looking down the river where the water made a small indentation with rocks, Julian thought back to all of the times that he had tried to let Eleanor know that he never thought of her as anything more than a friend.
He had known of her infatuation from early on, but his own feelings had never developed beyond that of simple friendship.
He had always been mindful of not leading her on, and there had been someone else…
He quickly shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the past. “It does not matter. I have considered finding a wife, but I shall attempt to mend the estate by all other means if it can be helped. Miss Prescott would be better off if she were engaged to somebody else.”
Benedict shot him a pitying look but said nothing more as he turned his attention back to his mare. Everyone in Julian’s life knew that it was better to allow the matter to rest rather than pressuring him in that direction.
Changing the subject, Julian remounted his horse and made himself comfortable in the saddle. “Have you made any progress with the money required to purchase your ship?”
Benedict nodded. “My father has agreed to front the costs, and I have a possible investor who is willing to lend me the rest. As a matter of fact, I was planning on seeing the man this afternoon. What will you do with the rest of your day?”
“I have a meeting with Alfred Baker, the family solicitor. I had him look into the Redding Hall estate with the hopes that he would be able to come up with a solution. There must have been some small, unturned stone with finances that can be used tosave the estate. If I am lucky, I will be able to place all of this marriage business behind me.”
Benedict seemed doubtful but shrugged instead. “Well, let us hope that he has good news for you then.”
***
Julian sat across from his solicitor in the family study.
The short, bespectacled man seemed to be staring quite intently at the documents laid out before him. “I am afraid that I do not have good news, my lord.” He sat back in the leather armchair and sighed, before removing his spectacles and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers and thumb.
Looking around the sparsely decorated room with shelves of books on either side, Julian took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. “Was there nothing at all?”
Alfred opened his eyes and sighed before replacing his spectacles on the bridge of his nose. “I am afraid that it is a great deal worse than nothing at all. The estate, as it is, is in a great deal of debt. As you know, I have spent the past few weeks combing over every available document and ledger that was found at Redding Hall. And as it stands, you owe more money than the property is currently worth.”
“How is that even possible?” Julian leaned forward, placing his elbow on the desk as he clasped his hands together.
“It would seem that in an attempt to save the estate, your late cousin borrowed money, but instead of using it wisely, he gambled it away in an attempt to make more.”
Julian swore under his breath as he fell back in his chair.
“I am sorry to say, but you would have been far better off if you had passed the title along to the next in line. You would have lost the title, but at least your own finances would not be in jeopardy as they are now,” he said gravely.
What will I do?
Julian clenched his jaw, racking his brain for even the smallest of ideas that would help him.
Julian continued. “There are two other matters that I am afraid I must bring to your attention. The first has to do with the tenants. They are no longer willing to carry on working the land and paying their rent when none of their demands have been met.
Several of the smaller farms are in dire need of repairs. It would seem that your late cousin held them at bay with nothing morethan empty promises. You could speak with them yourself, but I would not wager that the tenants would be willing to listen.”
“And if we sell the estate along with Redding Hall as it is now?” Julian asked begrudgingly, wanting the meeting to be over.
Alfred shook his head in defeat before looking up again. “Which brings me to my second point. It would not be possible to sell the estate without making at least the most pressing of renovations. And even then, you would be left destitute.”
“So, the only solution would be for me to come up with a large sum of money?”
“And preferably soon. If the matter of the tenants and the repairs is not settled within the next three months, then I am afraid that all will be lost…” His voice trailed off ominously.
Placing his head in his hands, Julian stared down at the letters in front of him on the desk. He would need a miracle if he were to save his family. There was his mother to think of, and his sister would soon be receiving her own proposals of marriage.