Silence No More

44. The Secret Way

"And...the marriage?" Flora asked timidly, though she couldn't disguise the hope in her voice. "Won't it still happen?"

I smirked. I just couldn't help it. After all the desperation, suddenly knowing there was a way forward was liberating! "The whole point of the marriage was to use it as a threat against my husband, to force him to give up his businesses. If that isn't necessary because Adaira is the heir instead of her brother, what's the point of the marriage?"

"But will the marquess accept this?" Flora asked anxiously. "He...doesn't seem to be very feministically inclined. Would he expect a woman as his heir?"

"That's the beauty of this plan!" Eve cackled. "Don't you get it? As long as Lilly's hubby abdicates his position as heir, the old codger will have no choice but to accept it! Adaira will be the only one left who can continue his beloved noble line. And, more importantly, do you think he'll let his precious heir marry a Frenchman? It's all right as long as she is just a younger daughter, but when she is his heir? When she is the only one who can continue his house and his name? Ha! Not on your life!"

With a broad grin, she turned towards my little sister. "Great job, Ella! You did amazing work!"

"I, um...I did? Yes, I guess I did." Ella preened. "I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"

"You most certainly are!" I confirmed, giving my little sister a pat on the shoulder. "Though...how exactly did you find out about this? Did you actually read this—" I pointed at the terrifying tome of legal language. "—for relaxation purposes after an exhausting morning? Because if you did, I'll have to question your sanity."

"Oh, ehem, well...no. I, um, am simply quite knowledgeable and learned and—"

I gave Ella my patented elder-sister-look. Her ears went red.

"I, ehem...read about it in an old romance novel during my reading binge. There was this whole thing about a young, intrepid heroine fighting for her right to inherit her ancestral home that was about to be snatched away by a wicked baron who wanted to ravish her and—"

Her voice abruptly cut off when she noticed I was giving her the elder-sister-look again.

"Oy! Don't look at me like that, Lill! Reading literature is good for you!"

"I'm sure it is. I'm just not sure that particular kind of book can be counted as 'literature'."

Stubbornly, she raised her chin. "Well, it got us a way to save Adaira, didn't it?"

I opened my mouth—then paused and closed it again. "Huh. You're right."

The little minx dared to smirk at me. "Ha! There, you see?"

"Um..." Cautiously, Flora raised a hand. "I don't want to rain on your parade, but...there might be a little flaw in the plan. Can heirs renounce their titles? Is such a thing legally possible?"

I grinned. "If it isn't now, it will be by the time my dear husband is done with the House of Lords. I believe the promise that, once he ascends to the title of marquess, he will take on the role of treasurer and be responsible for checking the House's finances should be sufficient motivation to de-noble him at the earliest opportunity, don't you think?"

My friends took a moment or two to imagine that beautiful picture. The entire House of Lords, cowering in fear and clutching their purses.

"Yes." Eve nodded, smirking widely. "Yes, I could see that working."

"So...what next?" I asked, meeting the eyes of everyone else, one after another. A silent understanding formed between us.

"Find the marquess?" Flora suggested.