The main character is a young woman (late teens? early 20s?) She's in Paris with an (aunt?) and they're discussing what to do since her father has suddenly died. If they return to England, her brother will claim the family estate and sell it for gambling debts. The only way she can see to prevent this is for her to marry someone, anyone, as soon as possible. Before her brother learns of their father's death. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
The book was written in English, maybe in the 1990s or 2000s. As best I can remember, if she married, her husband would then have the rights to the property. This was an era when women could not own property themselves, after all. Evidently she felt she could influence a husband to retain control. Where if she did nothing and let the inheritance pass to her brother, who cared nothing for the estate, he would sell it to pay gambling debts.