A/N I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. Other story ideas and prompts came up, demanding to be written, but I always kept this story in the back of my mind because I absolutely wanted to continue and finish it. So I'm continuing, even if it's just for my own amusement. :)
The Marquis of Greenborough was not an unattractive man. If he had been less vain and pompous, he might even have been a tolerable candidate for a husband, but despite his lucrative title and the wishes it inspired in her mother, Cora found it difficult to encourage or even tolerate his attentions.
Lost in her own musings, she simply smiled complacently as the Marquis, who had come to pay a visit two days after the dinner he had given, went on about a haircut he was planning to get later in the afternoon and a fine looking set of cufflinks he had seen in the window of some shop earlier.
Cora knew perfectly well, of course, what was expected of her. She had been 15 years old when her mother had sat her down and told her of the plans she and her father had made for her. As her brother would inherit the family business, Cora's share of the fortune would have to be invested in securing an advantageous marriage – one that would improve not only her own status but, by association, that of the whole family. In short, it would fall on Cora to help wash away the stigma of new money that even in America was still frowned upon by those whose wealth had been accumulated over a longer period of time.
Now, at the age of 19, she had but one goal: marry an English aristocrat and do it soon, because her mother, despite her desire to have her daughter settled with a handsome title in England, was herself actually anxious to return home. Cora could not really blame her for it either, because where Cora herself had been born to wealth and enjoyed the level of upbringing it had secured, her mother came from a very different background and had never felt comfortable in the finery of the English society. On the outside she simply scorned it, but Cora knew that deeper inside there was insecurity. Martha Levinson would rather scorn than be scorned.
Her mind thus engaged, Cora had not attended to Lord Greenborough's conversation for some time when suddenly a familiar name made her look up with piqued interest.
"And then Lord Grantham said it was a fine horse and that it reminded him of his own steed," the Marquis finished, seemingly very pleased with himself.
Cora had no recollection of how the Marquis's soliloquy had veered from cufflinks to horses but her interest in the conversation had been restored.
"Lord Grantham?" she ventured to inquire, her pulse quickening slightly.
"Oh he is a fine fellow," the Marquis said, not registering the flush of colour that had appeared on Cora's cheeks. "Spends most of his time in the country, but we often move in the same society while in London. You probably don't know him at all," he added dismissively.
"We have been introduced," Cora replied softly.
"Have you indeed?" The Marquis appeared a little rebuffed.
"We met at Lady Cotworth's ball some weeks ago," Cora replied, picking up her needlework to busy herself with. "I believe you were not present that time, but you must remember he was also at your own dinner but two days ago."
"Indeed I had quite forgotten that Lord Grantham was a guest on Tuesday. I daresay he hardly spoke to me at all," Lord Greenborough replied with a shrug. "As for Lady Cotworth's ball, I was probably in the country at the time. I can't say I'm sorry to have missed it as balls can be quite tiresome," he concluded after some reflection when Cora would not continue the discussion.
"I like balls," she replied curtly when it was clear she would have to say something, but she did not look up from her needlework.
"Of course, young women often do," her companion replied in a patronizing tone. "Personally, I prefer more intimate gatherings," he added, leaning forward a little bit.
Cora could only respond with a nod of her head, accompanied with a forced smile.
To her relief, the visit did not last for much longer after this conversation. Once the Marquis had veered the discussion back to himself for another ten minutes, he finally took his leave after making a promise of another visit in the near future.
As soon as he was gone, Cora sighed. The idea of marrying an English aristocrat had sounded exciting enough to a 15-year-old, but the reality of it was not quite what she had imagined. At least not in the case of Lord Greenborough who, despite his handsome appearance, was nothing like the prince charming she had once dreamed of.
In another part of town, Robert took a seat next to his friend Sir Henry at the gentlemen's club they both were members of. The dinner at Lord Greenborough's had given him much to think about it and he felt he could use some advice on how to proceed. While he had obtained Mrs. Levinson's permission to formally court her daughter, what were his realistic chances of competing against a future Duke?
Sir Henry looked at Robert with some amusement as his friend recounted the events of the dinner, including his conversation with Mrs. Levinson.
"My, you are going to have a lovely mother-in-law," he commented as soon as Robert had finished.
"Well, it's not so certain that I will have her for a mother-in-law," Robert sighed, taking a sip of his scotch. "Did you not hear what I told you about Lord Greenborough?"
"And who in their right mind would marry Greenborough if they can have you?"
Robert's head shot up. He had hardly considered his personal charms as a factor in the matter. Not many people of sense liked Lord Greenborough, of course, but liking someone was hardly a requirement anymore when seeking a suitable marriage.
"I think many would…" Robert began, but Sir Henry lifted up his hand to silence him.
"Since you asked for my opinion, I will tell you," he interrupted, smirking at his friend. "I think it's quite obvious that Miss Levinson prefers you."
Robert blinked, rather surprised by the conviction in Sir Henry's voice.
"Your modesty compared to Lord Greenborough's is probably one of the reasons why that is," his friend continued when Robert still looked perplexed. "But surely even you must have thought something of the fact that, despite being engaged by Lord Greenborough's attentions, she specifically singled you out and came to talk you instead?"
"Well…" Robert thought back to the occasion, trying to recall every word Miss Levinson had said. At the time, he certainly had thought nothing of her approaching him. He had assumed she had simply been passing him by and thought it the polite thing to say hello, but it was true that only moments before she had been talking to Lord Greenborough.
"Really, Robert, you don't know much about women if you think she just came to greet you out of politeness," Sir Henry grinned. "She would have had no reason to do so if her sights were already set on Lord Greenborough."
"Do you really think so?" Robert asked, hopefully.
"I'm certain of it," Sir Henry replied without any hesitation. "She may well be pressured by her mother to pick the future Duke, but if you can get to her before him I would say you will have a very good chance of making her your wife…If that really is what you want," he added after a short pause.
"It is," Robert replied.
"I take it she pleases you more than Miss Winton then?"
"I think a cactus would please me more than Miss Winton," Robert sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Sir Henry chuckled. "You are harsh, my friend."
"Perhaps that was uncalled for," Robert amended. "But really, if I must marry for money, I would at least be glad of the luxury of at least being able to choose an amiable young woman such as Miss Levinson."
"But surely Miss Levinson is not the only amiable young woman in London?" Sir Henry prodded, his eyes twinkling.
Robert groaned. "You have no idea how difficult it is," he replied. "There are not that many heiresses who have enough money, and out of the ones I've met Miss Levinson seems the most suitable."
"So you like her the most?"
"Well, yes, if that's how you want to put it," Robert sighed. "But I'm not in love with her if that's what you're so subtly trying to suggest. I would simply hate to have to start this all over again with someone else now that I've already called on her and started getting used to the idea of possibly marrying her."
"Oh Robert, old man, you really could try to think more romantically sometimes."
"Well, I see you're already thinking romantically enough for both of us," Robert replied dryly, downing his remaining scotch. "I can't afford it myself until I've secured a fortune."