Alexander nodded. “They came late. I’m sure they’ll be down shortly.”
He now turned to the ladies and offered to fetch each a drink.
Lady Gaston tittered like a bird.
The daughter was not the tittering sort. The smile she had given upon meeting him was so brittle, he was surprised her face hadn’t cracked.
Nevertheless, he was determined to see this weekend through. “Lady Aurora, may I give you a tour of the Ardley Hall gardens?”
She did not appear impressed, but took his arm. “How delightful.”
She sounded about as jolly as a wet sock.
Her mother tossed her a cautionary look.
The girl did not wish to be here and took no pains to hide her irritation.
That was a point in her favor, perhaps. He supposed it depended on the reason for her reluctance to spend the weekend in his company. He led her onto the terrace and then down a few steps leading into his well-maintained garden. “I gather you do not enjoy the countryside. Or is it just me you find hard to digest?”
That caught her attention.
Perhaps he should not have been so blunt.
But there was something about this girl that irked him, and not in any hot-sparks-about-to-be-set-off way. She may appear charming to others, but there was a condescension in her manner that he did not find charming at all.
“You are perfectly acceptable, my lord,” she said, now assessing him with an avid eye. “Far handsomer than I expected. Do you never come to London? I haven’t seen you around.”
“No, I much prefer it here. London holds no temptation for me. It never will, so let me be up front about this.”
“I see. That is too bad. I quite enjoy the excitement of Town life. Would you care if your wife spent her time in London while you remained here? Of course, the details can be negotiated. I understand you would expect heirs. But would you hold me here after I had fulfilled my duty?”
“I quite appreciate your candor.” In truth, he did. The girl was full of herself, but knew what she wanted and did not want. “It is very helpful. But no, I expect my wife to remain here with me. One can hardly build a married life if one’s spouse resides in another city and under another roof.”
“I’m glad you appreciate my honesty. I shall return the favor and tell you I have no intention of playing the doting wife to a country squire, no matter how handsome he may be. I have already refused a viscount and the son of a marquess, neither man nearly as handsome as you. But I am within days of receiving an offer of marriage from a duke. One who adores Town life and happens to adore me.”
“I see. You are only here in the hope of making him jealous.”
She nodded.
“Do your parents know this is what is going on in your mind?”
“No, but they are quite out of touch. My mother, as you may have noticed, is a dithering, fluttery bird. My father is a genial clunch. They hardly have the intellect to devise this strategy. The marriage mart is all out war, you know. At the moment, I hold the advantage. But in a year or two from now? I shall be old news. I am only being frank with you because I wish to be kind and not give you hope that I might marry you. It will make this weekend quite awkward if you are constantly chasing after me.”
“That is very generous of you to warn me before I fell in love with you and you broke my tender heart.”
She patted her hair. “You are being sarcastic. But be assured, I do have men falling at my feet. Dozens of them daily. It is quite tiresome to be fawned over constantly.”
“But you encourage them because you hope the duke will take notice?”
“Yes, and it is working. But I am curious. Why did you bother to invite me? Had you seen me from afar?”
“No, never set eyes on you before today. You were among a list of debutantes I picked out of a hat.”
Her condescending smile faltered. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “Quite.”
“I cannot say I like that very much.”
