Jemima knew how rich her uncle was and that Niobe already had a huge fortune of her own and she wondered how it could matter.
“While the Marquis’s house,” Niobe was saying, “is in perfect condition. In fact Papa says it is exactly what a Nobleman’s house should look like.”
“But the Marquis is old,” Jemima pointed out, “and I think he is horrid!”
“When did you see him?” Niobe asked sharply.
“I watched him arrive last night,” Jemima answered, “and, when he came into the hall, there seemed to be something almost vacant in his expression. I am sure he is a very stupid man.”
“You know nothing about it,” Niobe snapped. “He is rich, he is a Marquis and what does it matter if he has been married before.”
“His wife is dead?” Jemima asked.
“Of course she is dead. How could I marry him if she
