Lady Cecile preceded him through the
door to the library.
“No. Leave the door open, please,” she
said. His shoulders slumped the
tiniest bit as he stopped to throw the doors open once again. His jaw was
clenched and he’d wrinkled his brow. What on earth was he thinking, asking to
speak to her alone when she looked as if being alone with him was the furthest
thing from her mind? If it came to that maybe she’d save him from himself. Herself
too, all in one neat and quick refusal.
He gave the room a quick cursory glance
and then bounded towards the windows. Ned wished she’d been allowed to take him
to a room where the doors led out to the gardens. At least there would be a
means of escape if the conversation took an unexpected turn.
“If you’ll join me by the windows. I
think the likelihood of our conversation being overheard is lessened here.”
She stood, hands clasped in front of
her, staring at him. Perhaps one day she’d have to engage in a conversation
like the one awaiting her, but she didn’t look as if she was in a hurry to
bring it about. All the better for him.
“Please. I promise it’s not what you
think. Well. It is a bit, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
She took a bold step closer, her
shoulders thrown back and her chin lowered. “All right, Mr. Sutton. Here I am.
What did you need to speak to me about?”
Ned took a deep breath and plunged
ahead. “Am I wrong in thinking that you would rather not be married just now?”
She stepped back quickly and glared at him. “That is to say, you were hiding at that party, were you
not?”
She was frowning at him now. “If I recall,
you joined me behind the drapes in that alcove, so I’d say you were hiding as
well.”
He cleared his throat. “Just so. I ask
because I think I can help, erm
actually we can help one another, if you are as reluctant to wed as I am.”
Ned’s heart was beating in his throat. What was he thinking? Darrow was right,
this was a mad scheme and sure to go all together upside down. Just as he was
about to beg her pardon and then go collect his hat and coat, she spoke.
“Help one another. In what way? What is
your meaning sir, because if you’re suggesting…”
Ned gasped and a flash of himself
skewered at the end of Burke’s saber passed through his mind. “Good heavens,
no. Please, just hear me out.” He moved a step closer to her and caught a whiff
of a clean, airy scent that he would always associate with her. It made him
want to rub a finger across her pillowy, soft lips.
“My older brother is overdue in
returning from a trip to the continent, presumed missing and possibly worse.”
Ned swallowed and his voice broke a little as he stumbled over those last
words. A soft look passed over her face and she unclasped her hands. “With Nick
missing, there’s a chance that I could be named my father’s heir, which I have
no interest in. Especially if there’s any chance my brother is merely detained
and not, well, not ever coming back.” God, he could do with a whiskey about
now.
Lady Cecile had moved a bit closer and
now they were facing one another though standing at the opposite ends of one of
the tall windows. “I am sorry to hear about your brother but I still don’t see
how I can be of any help to you.”
Ned considered stepping closer but
decided against it. This part of the conversation might require some distance.
“The situation has put me squarely in my father’s line of sight and he’s
decided that his timetable of brokering a marriage for his youngest and least
favorite son is an inescapable task. Especially if said son is set to be the
heir, rather than the spare.” She made a tiny face at the words ‘least
favorite’ and Ned felt a flush of gratitude towards her. “The rest of the ton, especially the marriage-minded,
have decided that I’m a much more eligible match now that there’s a possibility
of me taking on my father’s title.” Ned could feel his face tightening with the
telling.
“And why would you not take this
opportunity to find yourself a suitable bride?” She drove right to the heart of
the thing. “Ah, Agnes and her mama.”
Ned nodded. “I have plans that would
take me away from these shores and marriage would interfere with them.”
“I fail to understand, Mr. Sutton. What
exactly is it you are asking of me?”
“I’m asking that we submit to a
betrothal and once it’s convenient, I will release you from any obligation.”
Her eyes widened before a little furrow formed between her eyes.
“Convenient? Convenient to whom?” She
asked.
“My plans include a partnership in an
import and export company based in Malaysia. Do you know where that is?
Malaysia, I mean.” He was nervous and babbling a little. He clasped his hands
behind his back.
Her brows lowered, giving her lovely
face a stern air. Then a half-smile formed on her lips. “Yes, I know where
Malaysia is. Do go on, Mr. Sutton.”
He took a step back, brushing against
the heavy emerald-colored drapes that had the earl’s crest emblazoned upon
them. “As I was saying, I’ve plans to not only invest but help to manage a
small trading company and my brother’s absence has cast an unwelcome light of
attention upon me.”
“Unwelcome because Lord Scarborough is
unaware of your plans and also your possibilities as heir?” She injected.
“Ah, yes. Exactly. And if I marry, that
would bring those plans to a halt.”
“Could you not simply take your bride along
to Malaysia?” She asked. Good heavens, she’d make an excellent barrister if
that kind of thing were allowed. God, now he was imagining her in one of those
silly wigs, a black flowing robe and not much else. Christ Ned, focus.
“That
would be inconvenient to not only me, but to my business partner as well.” Ned
heaved a shallow breath. He’d never felt this nervous, not even when he was
giving a report to a commanding officer. “I thought that since we have a common
desire in not being rushed into marriage, that this might be a solution for us
both.”
She pursed her lips. “I am afraid that
I cannot agree to this. You see, my father is the one insisting that I marry.
If I fail to choose a husband for myself, his Lordship has made it clear that
he has no compunction about performing the task himself. So, a broken betrothal is your
suggestion but that would leave me in the same dire circumstances once you
abscond to an alternate locale. Your reputation would be no worse for the wear,
but it would leave me returned squarely to the auction block with my own
reputation tarnished and my prospects lessened. For this to bring a benefit to
me, besides the cessation of the jousting for my dowry, it needs to put paid to
all those issues. Nothing less than a marriage would suit me.”
“Marriage.” Ned blinked and took a
breath intending to try another route to convince her but she wasn’t finished.
“Yes, a marriage. With us wed, you get
access to my dowry should you need ready funds for your venture and the
respectability that comes along with being a married man. If your concern is
what happens once you finally decide that a true marriage does suit you, well
perhaps your lady love would wait for you to bring a CrimCon against me in
order to gain your freedom. I shall then gladly retire to the country to manage
the shame of being unwanted by my husband.” The dare in her voice and the way
her eyes shone made him want to kiss her.
Ned had already determined that she was
bright but this proved to be beyond all his expectations. There was no reason
for hesitation since he stood to gain the most from this arrangement. He closed
the distance between them. “Shall we shake hands before I speak to your
father?”
No comments:
Post a Comment