“It is entailed, I collect?”
“No, it is not an entail precisely. On the day Eustace marries he may dispose of the property as he wishes. It is an awkward arrangement, and I have often wondered what maggot can have entered my grandfather’s head. He had some odd fancies, one of them being a strong persuasion that early marriages are beneficial to young men. That may have been in his mind when he made these provisions. I cannot tell.” He paused, and added calmly, “You must acknowledge, ma’am, that my present scheme is not as fantastic as it may at first appear.”
She could not help smiling at this, but merely said, “Will you find any female ready to lend herself to such a marriage? I must hold that to be in grave doubt.”
“On the contrary, I hope I may have done so,” he retorted.
She resolutely shook her head. “No, my lord, you have not, if you have me in your mind. I could not entertain such a notion.”
“Why could you not?” he asked.
She blinked at him. “ Why could I not?” she repeated.
“Yes, tell me!”
She found herself quite unable to comply with this request, although she was sure that she knew her own reasons. After struggling to put these into words, she sought refuge in evasion and replied crossly, “It must be perfectly plain why I could not!”
“Not to me.”