CHAPTER 11
“My friend Isaac has returned from his Grand Tour,” Matthew said over breakfast the following day.
Edwina looked up. “Who is Isaac? I’ve never heard of him.”
“The Viscount Kentrow to you,” Matthew said. “And you haven’t heard of him because he has been on his Grand Tour for the past several years. He left London the year of your debut.”
“I wish I could do something like that,” Edwina observed wistfully.
“If you want to travel,” Matthew pointed out, “what you need is a husband who will be willing to take you to the places you’d like to go. A lady certainly can’t travel on her own.”
“It was only a wish,” Edwina said.
“It doesn’t have to be,” Matthew informed her. “See what you think of Lord Kentrow today.”
“Wait—have you invited him here to try to make a match?”
“I’ve invited him because he is my friend, and I haven’t seen him in a long time,” Matthew said. “But I wouldn’t be at all opposed to the idea of a match since you mention it.”
“Since I mention it? Don’t insult my intelligence, Matthew. I’m sure that’s what you were thinking about the whole time.”
“And I’m sure you’ll reject him just as you do every gentleman who comes to call. But I’m asking you to give this one a chance before you write him off. I’m asking you to consider someone who I believe would have been a true good match for you if he had been around when you made your debut. If he hadn’t been on his Grand Tour, I would have tried to arrange this long ago.”
“Wait a moment,” Edwina’s father interjected. “What about the Duke of Harbeck?”
“What about him?” Matthew asked.
“He’s courting Edwina. You can’t try to arrange for her to be with someone else while she’s being courted. It’s entirely inappropriate.”
“Father, the Duke is not courting me,” Edwina objected. “We’re going on five dates because he won the right to do so at anauction. It’s nothing more than that. When the dates are over, the Duke and I will go our separate ways.”
“That’s right,” Matthew agreed. “So, there’s no reason Edwina shouldn’t get to know Isaac.”
Edwina scowled at her brother. “You know that isn’t what I meant,” she said. “I just don’t want father getting his hopes up that I might marry a Duke, that’s all. It’s not going to happen.”
“Well, I say that the fact that you’re not going to marry him means you’re free to spend afternoons with other gentlemen. Go and prepare for Lord Kentrow’s arrival please.”
Edwina knew that she would get nowhere arguing with her brother, much as she wanted to go on trying to make her case. She left the table and went upstairs to change into something a bit nicer.
But she felt an unpleasant twist of guilt, almost as if she was betraying the Duke.
There was no reason to feel that way, she knew. There were no promises between the Duke and herself. But hehadtold her that he wouldn’t be involved with any other ladies until their five dates were at an end. She had accused him many times of being a flirt, and now, she was the one pursuing a day with another gentleman.
No, that isn’t right. I’m not pursuing anything. I’m being forced into this against my will. This isn’t a betrayal because I have no choice in the matter.
At least, it wasn’t a betrayal as long as she didn’t allow herself to become emotionally entangled with Lord Kentrow. And she wouldn’t. On that score, at least, she knew she was safe because she was still as committed as ever to the knowledge that she didn’t wish to marry. Her brother could make as many arrangements for her as he liked, but she would continue to reject them one by one.
Feeling better, she returned downstairs.
There was no one in the foyer, but she heard voices in the sitting room and went in to see what was going on.
A gentleman she didn’t know was sitting there, but he rose to his feet when he saw her. He was pleasant enough to look at with ginger hair and faint freckles, and he smiled at the sight of her. “Lady Edwina,” he said, “it’s such a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. We’ve never been introduced, but your brother has wonderful things to say about you.”
Edwina shot a look at Matthew. This came as no surprise. No doubt he had had this moment in his mind for a very long time. There must have been a part of him that had felt relief at the fact that she had never married. She was sure Matthew did want to see her married, of course, but now, it seemed clear to her that he wanted to see her married to Lord Kentrow. Perhaps this had always been his idea of a great match.
Still, she would be polite. She was experienced enough at driving gentlemen away that she could do it without being unkind to them. The idea of rudeness—especially when it hadn’t been provoked and wasn’t deserved—had never appealed to Edwina. In fact, there were times when she rather resented the fact that it felt necessary to be standoffish in order to convince gentlemen that she wasn’t interested in them.
“It’s lovely to meet you too,” she told Lord Kentrow. “I’m told you are a great friend of my brother’s.”
