“Reggie will have you no matter what you bring to the marriage. I will provide for you if your father has failed to do so.As I said, it is your intelligence and charm that is important. This is what Reggie needs above all else.”
She did not look happy about his comment.
As for him, he was amazed that he managed to sound so unaffected. “Are we clear on this?”
“Yes, we are clear. But do not expect me to cheer over this, Your Grace. I am not comfortable about your plans, and it still feels quite mercenary.”
“Mercenary? Cherish, you have not asked me for a blessed thing.” He stared at her. “There is a business aspect to every marriage. You cannot deny it. Will it ease your mind if we set terms down in writing?”
She laughed. “No, although any young lady with half a brain would insist on it. But this appears to be the missing part of my brain. I don’t want to bepaid off, and I am not interested in your wealth. My concern is about matters of the heart.”
“Mine? I can assure you, I will not think less of you if you negotiate hard to protect your future.”
“No, I am speaking of your nephew’s future. Does he not deserve someone better than me? Someone who adores him and cannot breathe whenever he stands close? I’ve noticed this is how Lady Margaret behaves whenever she is around him. She genuinely cares for him.”
“Her?”
“Yes, and I like her.”
“If she is enamored of Reggie, then why is she constantly tossing herself in my path?”
Cherish pursed her lips. “That is her family’s doing, not hers. She is happiest and most relaxed when she is beside him. In truth, I think she and Reggie suit quite nicely. He is very kind and protective around her.”
“And your point?”
“It feels cruel to save myself by marrying Reggie when I cannot make him as happy as he deserves to be.”
“And you think a little peahen like Lady Margaret can make him a better wife? He needs a woman with brains. You will be a good wife for him because you also have a caring nature and will do all in your power never to hurt him.”
She did not appear convinced. “Well, I wanted to be honest with you about my feelings. But if you and Reggie are all right with it, then I shall try to be as well. I may not succeed. It feels very wrong, and this is difficult for me to overcome. Your nephew and Margaret seem so right together.”
“Fewtonmarriages are based on love, Cherish.”
“I know, and I think it is a very sad thing. Oh, I understand the business need for many in the Upper Crust to secure their assets or enhance their fortunes. I shall speak no more about love or the hope of it. But do not be angry with me if I quietly keep wishing for it.”
They strode down the hall and walked together into the parlor, where Fiona obviously had her hands full trying to keep her guests entertained.
Everyone sprang to attention when Gawain strode in. Reggie staggered to his feet and swallowed hard. “You aren’t going to berate me, are you?”
“No,” Gawain said. “Just lay off the brandy for a while.”
Cherish darted away when the peahens began to cluster around him. He took his punishment with manly grace, smiling all the while they chattered at him and split his head open with their inane comments.
He held his smile as they shamelessly flirted with him and did not bother to ask him a single question about his likes or dislikes, his feelings, his thoughts on anything.
Well, why should they? Their parents must have pounded all the relevant facts about him into their head. His noble lineage.How he acquired his peerage. The extent of the Bromleigh holdings. The ladies he had escorted in the past.
How best to lure him into a compromising position.
Cherish was the only one who stood to the side and did not bother to vie for his attention. Well, he had firmly chased her away by now. He’d shoved her at Reggie.
Why did it feel like the biggest mistake of his life?
When the rain finally stopped and the sun burst through the thick layers of clouds, he took it upon himself to organize a shopping excursion into Brighton. The ladies were thrilled. Even the gentlemen were eager to get out of the house. Some chose to join the ladies and others chose to remain behind and go for a ride. Reggie and his friend Durham agreed to attend to the men who wished to ride.
Gawain was not sure riding across the countryside was a wise idea, since the ground had to be wet and quite slippery because of the falling leaves.
In addition, they had all been drinking. Well, they were grown men. Durham and Reggie were only mildly soused and could be counted on to keep their wits about them.
