The Duke of Stanthorpe and the Earl of Malverne
The Duke of Stanthorpe and the Earl of Malverne
Shael Nathan Averay, 11th Duke of Stanthorpe sat rigidly in his neighbour’s study, his sole objective to set a date for formal introductions between his brothers and the offensive man’s daughters. In doing so, he would return to the comfortable and predictable routine of his own life as quickly as possible. Shael did not enjoy the company of others. He never did and never would, and wished only to be rid of the ignoramus sitting wedged in his desk chair like a distended toad. The Earl of Malverne may have been a catch in his day, but it certainly appeared that the bloated nobleman had let himself run to seed. Shael was not a snob and tried not to judge others given the intensity with which he had been criticised through his life, but Malverne had made no attempt to put his best foot forward for this meeting. The Earl couldn’t be more than fifty-five years of age and yet, he looked as if he had one foot in the grave. His dishevelled appearance spoke of low self-worth. Whilst the outcome of the meeting was undoubtedly a fait accompli in that Malverne would unload one or two of his daughters for the tidy sum already paid to him over the years, Shael thought the man would at least have had the sense to stay on the right side of his children’s benefactor. Not that he, the 11th Duke of Stanthorpe, had a particularly good side. Shael had a vague childhood recollection of the notorious rake that was rumoured to be Malverne some twenty years ago. He was infamous for his adventures, hot footing it across the English countryside to cause devastation in one town or the next, leaving behind a bevy of broken hearts and distraught mamas and raging fathers. That was until he met the beautiful Miss Marcia de Lacey in her brilliant finery and aplomb. And this twisted piece of fate was of course Malverne’s downfall, or so Shael had heard his own father tell. Soon after meeting Miss de Lacey she was made the 10th Lady of Malverne, to be fawned over, coddled and her every desire seen to. And with her lavish lifestyle Malverne’s ruin dawned like a lazy sun on a summer’s morning. His fate was undeniable and inevitable. So, it came to be that he was left with insurmountable debt and five mouths to feed whilst Lady Luck traversed Europe under the protection of the wealthiest European noblemen. The union had always been a travesty in the making as from the beginning Malverne had not been in the financial position to maintain his beautiful but shallow butterfly’s extravagant lifestyle, and apparently after the birth of their fifth daughter, she just upped and took flight with six grey geldings, the family jewellery and the clothing Malverne had gifted her over the years. Every material possession of worth that could be carried was carried out of the marital home and transported on that profoundly sad, soggy English day whilst her four older children watched their father beg for her mercy and continued patience. Whilst Shael understood how the pathetic lump of a man before him had come to be, Shael felt only disgust for the downtrodden sod who had allowed his person to be disrespected and degraded by a woman. To a man of Shael’s rank and upbringing, such an outcome was just not fathomable.
Lord Malverne shifted in his seat under the Duke’s scathing scrutiny. His chair began to groan under his considerable weight and his vest stretched skew over his bulging stomach so that the flesh of his gut oozed out of the gaps between the straining buttons. If it had not been for the Malverne girls’ faultless reputation, Shael would never have bothered with the loathsome man. That and of course the fact that the former and current Stanthorpe had invested thousands in the girls to ensure they were educated to the highest standard in all disciplines expected of a gentle-born young lady and more.
Shael’s mother had been a thoroughly accomplished woman who had rallied to his father’s side to make the Stanthorpe estate into more than just a heritage: a veritable empire. The 10th Duke had stumbled across his wife, Helene Hirschfield- a Hebrew heiress, working humbly amongst her father’s Petticoat Lane cloth factory workers as if labour normally reserved for men was second nature to her. Despite the deafening mishmash of French, German, Polish and Hebrew banter, Helene’s confident and authoritative Yiddish accent rose clear across the babble of the factory workers to enslave the 10th Duke of Stanthorpe’s senses and possess his heart. His love for her was instantaneous and his respect for her abilities to command a workforce, unparalleled. She was intelligent, confident, hardworking and strikingly beautiful. Her destiny was always of her own making and she cared not a groat for the sneers of the upper class as she, a working class nobody, joined the highest ranks of society. Shael’s devotion to her was based on the very fibre of her integrity and because her love was unconditional and unwavering. She had never given up on Shael even when he was at his most difficult and wearing. Any mother of noble birth and made of less stern material would have rejected him from the outset. Not Helene Hirschfield Averay. She doted on her eldest son despite the crippling magnitude of his flaws. It was to her character that the 10th Duke had compared all female counterparts and failed to find a suitable match for his son. It was after many years of failed searching that the 10th Duke concocted the plan to mould the future Duchess of Stanthorpe in his late wife’s image. Tutelage in music, art, deportment and obedience had been stipulated as essential in the binding agreement between Stanthorpe and Malverne. Shael’s father had insisted that Malverne’s girls have a sound understanding of these subjects and an average understanding of politics, economics and mathematics- enough to ensure unparalleled ability to support their husbands in the stately Stanthorpe business. These genteel women would not exist unless fashioned from a strict regime and understanding of their destiny. Malverne’s stricken circumstance left him no room to negotiate on his daughters’ behalf. He accepted the terms and, with that, their lives became rich with substance but regimented by education.
After said 10th Duke’s demise, his successor continued the quest for the women who would have the necessary qualities to stand by the Averay men in their continued dominance and success. Shael had reason to believe that Malverne executed to the letter the conditions the 10th Duke had insisted on in exchange for an annual income of two thousand pounds. Following his father’s death, Shael kept a close eye on the investment and kept the still declining Malverne to his promise. Two generations of Stanthorpe Dukes had invested in the ideology of growing their future brides. As these rare female beings were not only born of noble stock, but strictly taught to act like thoroughbreds, Shael believed one of Malverne’s girls had to be worthy of the privilege of marriage into the Stanthorpe dynasty. Malverne’s offspring would secure the thriving prospect of Stanthorpe with as little a fuss as possible. Shael hated fuss.
Malverne cleared his throat. The sagging skin below his chin wobbled with the effort before he continued in a defeated tone. “I have done everything your esteemed father set out in the agreement, down to every detail, and the net effect is that my daughters are not the run of the mill ladies of society. Although it saddens me to see them so very different to other young ladies in their position, I know you will be satisfied with the result of their tuition. They are quite intelligent, but not bookish and decidedly disinterested in the baubles which interest others of their age. All four of my children are graceful and beautiful. Whilst their destiny is not what I would have chosen for them, they do accept there are debts to pay and an obligation to you and your brothers. They will not act wilfully.”
It was clear that Malverne had missed the point of the gruelling education the girls had endured. The very crux of the plan was to produce woman equivalent to Shael’s mother’s character. Women with the confidence to stand their own ground, to deliver excellence and do it independently and wilfully if required. He had no intention of saddling the family with needy, bothersome brats of an aristocrat who have nothing more going for them than sparkling eyes, a glossy mane and superficial intelligence. The 11th Duke of Stanthorpe had made his position crystal clear following his father’s death. He would not have shallow hearted temptresses to distract his brothers. Still, his brothers would marry the most suitable two of the Malverne girls to secure the bloodline with as little botheration as possible. Shael however, would never marry. He disliked company of any sort, including that of his brothers, although this did not stop him from exerting a will of iron over the heir presumptive. Not that his irrefutable authority seemed to affect the sibling bond. The two younger Averays were fiercely protective of their powerful brother despite of, or perhaps because of, his unsociable demeanour. Shael’s temper made it generally difficult for people outside the family to get to know him well enough to understand him and appreciate his brilliance. Regardless, Shael had no intention of explaining his motivation for not marrying or his current intent to the shell of a man before him. He had also caught Malverne’s reference to four girls rather than the quintet Shael knew he sponsored. Never one to be diddled, he decided to allow the oversight to pass for now, only to be stored for future challenge should the fifth investment not be produced on the assigned date and the presented four be found wanting.
Ever to the point and bored with the Earl’s blathering, Shael interjected, “So it is agreed. Tuesday next week we shall gather here to take this forward and hopefully with some finality. Be assured my brothers are more amiable than I. They are certain to put your daughters at ease and make the selection as painless as possible. At the very minimum, I can assure you that the chosen two will never suffer harm under an Averay’s protection and they will not want for anything. My continued sponsorship of the remainder of your offspring is assured until such time as they marry.” And with that, he stood, his six foot four frame looming over the hefty Earl. With a nod of his dark head, he took his leave.
