Dominic massaged his neck. “You are playing a dangerous game, Elington.”
“It is not a game,” Thomas countered. “It is simply good business.”
There was a beat of silence, and Thomas added, “I had rather hoped that you would be my best man. But if you disapprove of my plan, then perhaps I should ask Felty instead.”
Dominic opened his mouth, but at that moment, Charlotte walked onto the veranda and put her arm around her husband. Thomas inclined his head to her.
“Your grandmother is looking for you, Thomas.” Charlotte jerked her head toward the ballroom.
“Which means that it is high time I take my leave of you.” Thomas turned and began to make his way down the steps in the direction his fiancée had disappeared.
“Elington, wait!” Dominic called, grabbing his arm. “I will do it.”
Thomas smiled at him. “Brilliant.”
“I still think this is a foolish plan.” Dominic laughed. “But it will at the very least work out in my favor.”
“Ever the optimist, cousin, ever the optimist.” Thomas walked away.
He would visit his fiancée in the morning and make sure they were on the same page. He was offering her a business arrangement, and pretty face or no, he knew his plan would work.
Chapter Five
“How can you be asleep at a time like this?” Lady Brookes’ voice was firm as she flung open the curtains in Vivian’s room.
Sunlight streamed into the room, and Vivian raised a hand to shield her eyes, blinking blearily as she tried to make sense of what was going on around her. Her head spun as she sat up too fast, and she took a moment to steady herself.
Her mother was pacing at the foot of Vivian’s bed, muttering so furiously that Vivian struggled to make out anything she was saying. She glanced at the clock; it was just before eight.
It is too early for this.
“What is going on, Mama? You make it seem like the house is burning down. Are we in some sort of danger?” Vivian pulled on her dressing gown and glanced around the room.
“Do not play games with me, Vivian. I have no wish to deal with that on top of everything else.” Her mother sniffed.
Vivan massaged her head. “I just want to understand what brought you to my bedroom in such a state.”
“I was rather hoping you would be able to tell me.” Her mother shook her head. “Once more, your name is in the scandal sheets, and this time reporting the wildest tale. And of course, you did not see fit to so much as warn me. Oh no, why would you tell your mother anything like this? Why not just let her read it in the papers?”
“The papers? What are you talking about?” Vivian’s mind felt as though it was slowly slipping into place as she tried to follow the frantic path of her mother’s thoughts.
“What could have possessed you to do it? This is the maddest thing you could have done!” Her mother threw up her hands in frustration, her voice rising in pitch and speed as she continued to pace. “And of all the men you could have chosen—why would you choose the Dowager Duchess of Caverton’s grandson to make such a claim about? She will be furious! And it is so unbelievable. A marquess! Another viscount or perhaps even an earl would seem plausible, but a marquess?”
‘You should set your sights higher, Lady Vivian.’
Understanding dawned on Vivian, and her eyes widened. “Are you talking about my engagement to Lord Elington?”
Is he the Dowager Duchess of Caverton’s grandson? That would explain his surprise at my not knowing who he was.Her cheeks flushed scarlet at the memory.
Her mother looked at her as though she were a particularly slow child who had just learned that water was wet. “Do not tell me the same lie you have told the press. This will be a nightmare for us to sort out, how you could have let them get hold of such?—”
“I had nothing to do with the scandal sheets finding out about the engagement.”
Did he do this? How do they know?Vivian made a soothing motion with her hands as she tried to remember the events of the night before. “I planned on telling you when I had returned home with my chaperone, but the servants told me you had retired for the evening with a headache, and I did not want to disturb you.”
“And as always, you have an excuse prepared!” her mother sighed.
“It is the truth. I know how bad your headaches can be. I thought I would be able to tell you in the morning over breakfast.”
