Theo looked shrewdly at him. “He seems to have had that intention. Did you scotch it?”
“Not that precisely. He was not fully informed of the circumstances.”
“I see. In short, Ulverston has offered for Miss Bolderwood, and has been accepted?”
“The engagement is not to be made generally known yet,” the Earl warned him.
“You need not be afraid that I shall spread the news. Well! I guessed as much. I am sorry for Martin. He has not had time to grow accustomed to the knowledge that he is not of sufficient consequence to aspire to the hand of an heiress.”
“Really, Theo, I think you wrong Miss Bolderwood!”
“Never. This is her parents’ doing. I always knew they had set their ambition high. Oh, don’t think I blame them! it was inevitable.” He forced a smile. “I fancy you raised expectations, trifler that you are!”
“Nonsense!”
“My dear Gervase, you cannot be such an innocent as to suppose that Sir Thomas would not have jumped at the chance of seeing his daughter Countess of St. Erth!”
“You sound very like my stepmother,” remarked the Earl. “He gave me no encouragement, nor do I think that his wishing not to announce this engagement immediately shows him to be jumping at the chance of seeing Miss Bolderwood the future Countess of Wrexham.”