An Unacceptable Arrangement Read online

  All too soon the final dance was playing. When the Prince of Wales cut in again, she almost swooned. Two dances and the final one yet! Had he danced with anyone else twice, she wondered? She focused on him, really paying attention. His name was Albert and he was tall enough and a tad bit portly. He was somewhat handsome and had a certain dignity about him. He was a more than adequate dancer.

  Her brother Hayden was already engaged to a cousin of the queen. Wouldn’t it be amazing if two of her parent’s children married into the royal family? She smiled up at him and when the dance ended, she curtseyed deeply. He bowed to her and kissed her hand. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink and then people were surrounding her and her mother was leading her to the cloakroom.

  Mother and daughter chatted excitedly all the way home in the carriage. The evening had been a huge success, they both agreed. Cassandra felt that her future was limitless. Her mother tucked her into bed that night imploring her to settle down and rest. “A young lady needs her beauty sleep, darling. You have many balls and parties to get through over the next few months. Getting your rest has to be a priority.”

  Cassandra looked up at her with shining eyes. “I promise to go right to sleep, Mother but it’s all just so exciting, isn’t it?” Her mother blew her a kiss as she turned down the gas lamp and exited the room. Cassandra hugged herself with excitement but all that dancing caught up with her. She quickly fell asleep dreaming of charming princes and fairytale castles.

  Chapter 2

  The next morning Cassandra had slept in as her father held an important meeting in his study. Lord Arthur Newblythe was entertaining a most unexpected caller, Frederic Von Dresden, the Crown Prince of Bavaria. Sir Frederic, as he preferred to be called, had extensive business dealings in England, several of them with Arthur himself.

  Frederic had been to the house before. He had attended a hunt there the previous summer and been also entertained at tea by Lord and Lady Newblythe. He had not met the Newblythe offspring, but had seen two of them - Hayden at the hunt and Cassandra briefly attending her mother as he arrived for tea. He knew there were others - a younger son away at school, and a couple of small daughters still in the nursery. Cassandra had not looked in his direction; it was a business tea and there had been a roomful of attendees. But he’d been taken by her nonetheless.

  She was a beautiful girl with long strawberry curls and a porcelain complexion who seemed very close to her mother. He had never seen so fine a face and form before and had been so overcome by the brief glance of her that he had put his hand to his face, ashamed that she might see the pock marks there. He had suddenly felt very ugly in her presence. He’d turned away and avoided being introduced.

  When he’d seen her a year later formally turned out for the debutante ball, for a moment he hadn’t even been sure she was Arthur’s daughter. But then she had sat with her mother briefly, so he was certain it was the young Lady Newblythe. She had matured since last he’d seen her; she had an elegance of comportment that made her stand out from the rest of the young ladies and her figure had filled out quite nicely. He had once again been overwhelmed at her sheer loveliness. She had a face that he could look upon forever.

  He could tell much from watching her as she danced with her various partners. Her beauty had drawn many an admirer, even the Crown Prince himself. Her eyes twinkled with good humor as she chatted with her dance partners and she was kind and patient with each, even those who weren’t very good dancers. Various young ladies slipped off with their admirers for stolen kisses on the veranda, but not Cassandra. Her high spirits and virtue were in evidence as she scolded those young men who attempted to become too familiar. Frederic realized that he did not want to chance losing this rare prize by allowing her to attend any more of these events. He wished to keep her for himself.

  Frederic had been shocked at his own reaction. Many females had pursued him in his country. His title and his fortune, not to mention his land holdings that included a picturesque castle that looked like something in a fairy story, had made him a very eligible bachelor. He was even considered good looking by most and his military exploits were legendary. But around the young Lady Cassandra he had suddenly felt most unattractive and unworthy.

  Frederic had avoided marriage despite being pursued by so many. He felt the male should do the pursuing and he very much wished to find a wife who would come to know and love him for himself, not for his social standing or family fortune. He had purposely kept a low social profile during his European travels and business dealings; very few knew his true identity. One of those few was the man who was currently sitting across from him, his Lordship Arthur Newblythe.

  “What brings you here, Sir Frederic?” Arthur nervously asked. Arthur was stout and graying, his once bright red hair fading to a light silver. He was well aware that the man sitting across from him could buy or sell him in the blink of an eye. Arthur had first gone into business with the Prince when he’d ventured into railroads, a most successful investment. Their finances were now inextricably linked as they’d then branched out with their profits and opened various businesses together. Staying on good terms with Sir Frederic was crucial and had the potential to ultimately be highly lucrative.

  “Actually, this is not a business matter my good man; it is personal,” Frederic replied. Arthur leaned back, shocked into silence. Frederic, despite being German through and through, had been schooled in England and spoke with almost no accent at all. There was no mistaking his intent. “I was at the debutante ball last night.”

  “Ah,” Arthur responded, “Looking over the new crop of marriageable young ladies, I take it. Are you in the market for a wife?”

  “Actually, I am Sir.” He looked intently at Arthur, wondering how long it would take him to realize that the object of his interest was his own daughter Cassandra.

  Arthur chuckled and replied, “Well the British do produce the most beautiful young women in the world. English roses, we call them. You can’t go wrong with a properly raised young noblewoman. My own daughter Cassandra was there last night. Did you see her? She is small and has long ginger curls and wore a blue dress.”

  Frederic tried manfully to keep from smiling. Arthur, while a shrewd businessman, apparently could be a bit slow on the uptake concerning social matters. “Yes, Lord Newblythe, in fact that is why I am here.” His voice trailed off as he watched Arthur’s reaction. Arthur’s eyes widened and he sat up straighter. His old friend and business associate was starting to understand the purpose of this meeting.

  “Cassandra, my Cassandra... you are interested in her as a possible wife?” Arthur’s cheeks colored and his eyes glazed over as he tried to imagine the possibility of the Prince becoming his son-in-law. Oh this was a dream come true! To have their families forever joined together by marriage - why it was too good to be believed!

  Arthur had been shocked into silence and so Frederic did the talking. “I have searched for a very long time to find a young woman I would consider marrying. It is time to take a wife and begin to build a family. But all of the young women who know who I am.... Well, they are frequently greedy and self-serving. They and their mamas, striving for social standing and financial security. They could not even tell you if they were interested in me or the security I represent. I am not interested in marrying for those reasons. I wish to find a wife who could learn to love me for myself, one who has not been apprised of my title or wealth. Have you ever spoken of me to your daughter?”

  “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 eno
ugh. 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 pr
oper 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.”