I rolled my eyes. “Humility is not a virtue you possess, my lord.”
“Lords have little use for humility.” He shrugged. “Now please allow me to explain the brilliance of my plan before your maid returns.”
I glanced at the door, remembering once again that we were alone. Should anyone happen to pass by and overhear our conversation . . . Well, that would be very bad indeed. For my reputation. For Damon’s. Oh dear. WherewasNora?
“Go on then.” I urged him to hurry.
“My father is intent that I marry by the year’s end. He’s seen fit to parade every eligible young woman in this part of the country in front of me in hopes I’ll choose a wife. But if I pretend you have caught my eye, that I intend to court you, then I would not have to court another, you see.”
“Oh yes. Idosee.” Only two nights earlier, Lord Winfield made clear his expectation that Damon not only dance with eligible young women but eventually marry one—a grim eventuality for a man content in his bachelorhood. “But I will only be here a short time. When I leave, you will be no better off than you are now. Your father will still demand you court and marry another young woman, will he not?”
Damon shrugged, and I tried not to notice how his broad shoulders strained against the seams of his coat. “Much can change in a short period of time.”
“Perhaps,” I said, though I thought it rather unlikely. “But I still don’t see how our pretending to court would helpme.”
“You wound me.” Damon held one hand to his chest. “But to answer your question, Ollie has always wanted what’s mine,” Damon said simply. “If he thoughtyouwere mine—”
I held up my hand, stopping him. “Ollie is not so juvenile.”
Damon laughed a little. “Unless I’m mistaken, Ollie only came around to youafterwe’d danced at the Rumfords’ ball.”
I bit my lip. It was true that Ollie had come to ask me to dance after Damon and I had danced the supper set, but wasn’t that because he’d felt bad for casting me aside earlier that evening?
“My hypothesis,” Damon persisted, “is that when Ollie sees us spending time together, he will become green with envy, just like at the ball, and he will rush in to steal you away from me.”
“There is only one problem with your plan.”
“Only one?” He laughed, his voice deep and rich. “Pray tell me.”
“We don’tlikeeach other.”
“I like you just fine, Miss Kent. That said, many couples don’t like each other.”
“That may be, but such courtships are generally based on mutual benefit.” I returned to the window and pulled back the curtain. The rain fell in sheets now. Water flooded the gardens and walking paths. Even if the rain stopped this moment—which it seemed it would not—the roads would be too wet to travel today. Defeated, I sat on the window seat and crossed my arms in frustration.
“I see you’re not convinced,” he said.
“It is good to know your eyesight is working properly.”
Damon stood from the vanity and walked to the window seat. “My planwouldwork, Hannah.”
“It would not.” I stood from the window seat and pushed past him. “Don’t be absurd.”
“Absurd?” He followed me to my trunk. “To say that your affections could have moved on to Ollie’s titled and obviously more handsome older brother? Yes. Thatwouldbe absurd.”
I shook my head. “Nobody would believe our courtship.”
“The Rumfords’ ball was a good demonstration of my preference for you, was it not?”
Had he been planning this scheme all along? I stopped packing and met his gaze. “Is that why you asked me to dance?”
“No,” he said flatly. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t work in our favor.”
“Must I spell it out for you? No one would believe thatyou—a titled gentleman—would be interested inme—a woman of no consequence. Perhaps if I stood to inherit a substantial fortune, but I do not.”
“Not all marriages are based upon mutual financial benefit. What if what people saw was a love match?”
“I’m no great beauty.” I looked at my slippers.
