I thought I just said that. “Yes, my lord. I have grown quite fond of her, and she has indicated that she would be amenable to my suit.”
“I see. Mr. Newland, you are a man of the theatre, not a gentleman of the peerage. We had hoped for a titled man for Sophie.”
“If I may be so bold, my lord,” Zach said. “Sophie’s sister, Alexandra, married your own son, and he does not possess a title.”
“You make a good point, Newland, but remember, my son is still a gentleman of impeccable lineage.”
Impeccable lineage? The man obviously thought highly of himself. Impeccable lineage Zach certainly did not have. A father he never even knew and a mother who died when he was very young… What could he say? “I may not come from the type of lineage you wish for Sophie, but I assure you I care very much for her, and I would be able to support her.”
“You no doubt know about her dowry, do you not?”
Zach shook his head. “I did not know she had a dowry. It was my understanding that her father left her, her mother, and her sister penniless.”
“Yes, he did. However, I have given Sophie a substantial dowry of twenty-five thousand pounds.”
Zach forced himself not to jerk in the chair. Twenty-five thousand pounds? What magnificent things he could do with that amount of money. He had no idea that Sophie came with such an amount.
“That is generous indeed, my lord. I had no idea Sophie even had a dowry.”
“You’re a smart man, Newland. Surely you don’t expect me to believe that you didn’t know about the dowry.”
“I assure you, I did not know. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
The earl rose, walked from behind his desk, and stood next to Zach’s chair. Lord Brighton was a substantial man and stood a few inches taller than Zach himself did. “I’m afraid I cannot accept your suit for Lady Sophie, Mr. Newland.”
Zach’s heart fell. He had never imagined that Brighton would say no. “Please, my lord. Sophie and I are quite fond of each other, and I truly would like to get to know her better.”
“You’ll have ample chance to get to know her while you’re working together at the theatre. I know all about you, Newland. I know you have a girl in every port and you’ve had many mistresses.”
“That’s absolutely not true!” Zach pounded his hand on the cherry desk. “I’ll not deny that I’ve had my share of women in the past, but what young man hasn’t? I’ve never kept any of them. I promise you that. I am serious about Lady Sophie, and I will again reiterate that I did not know about the dowry. I am asking only for courtship at this time, my lord, not for her hand in marriage. We must find out whether we suit together.”
Brighton shook his head. “I can discuss it with my wife. However, I’m not holding out much hope for you, Newland. We both want a better match for Sophie. Theatre management is by no means a sure thing these days. Your venture is still new, less than a year old at this point. What if we have an economic downturn? The first thing people will do is look for expenses they no longer need to have. Theatre tickets will be at the top of that list.”
“My lord, I have been in the theatre since I was nineteen years old. I’m now over thirty, and I not only manage my own theatre, I own it. I’ll not deny that I’ve had benefactors in the past, but at this point, I am making it on my own. I have a good name in the theatre, and that is not going anywhere. We run only top-quality productions, and we have steered clear of the burlesque-type shows, even though they would be an easy way to bring in money to the theatre. I run a fine business, Lord Brighton, and I don’t appreciate you alluding otherwise.”
Who did this man think he was? Zach was a perfect match for Sophie. He wanted to do this the correct way, but her stepfather wasn’t letting him.
“I am making no such allusions, Mr. Newland. I am simply stating
facts. Operation of a theatre is by no means a reliable income.”
Zach drew in a breath and paused for a few seconds, getting his bearing. “What will it take to get you to agree to let me court Lady Sophie?”
“As I said, I will discuss it with her mother.” Brighton held out his hand.
Zach reluctantly shook hands with the earl and then left the room somberly. What could he say to Sophie? She had been relying on him, and he had no doubt that she would refuse to see him after this. She wanted to do everything properly. She was a lady, and he didn’t blame her.
Of course, they had done many things already…
He stole down the hall to the conservatory, where Sophie was practicing her music. She was bent over the pianoforte, her lips in a tense line, her forehead beaded with tiny balls of perspiration. She was plunking out notes on the piano and singing them, working through her pieces. Zach hated to disturb her and hated even more to give her bad news.
He gently cleared his throat.
Sophie looked up and smiled. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“I was talking to your stepfather. He says your sister is on the mend.”
“Yes, the doctor thinks she will make a full recovery.”