Margot’s cheeks flamed. “He visited a fortnight ago. Please don’t tell my parents.”
“I absolutely will not. And I don’t want to know the details. I will happily endorse your courtship with Pritchard. He’s a good and highly intelligent man. Your father is very much looking forward to having him at the New Bond Street Library to increase the subscription base there, as he’s done in Oxford.”
“He will do an excellent job,” Margot assured him. “But what about Mr. Inman? He’s such a dear man, and he’s been a wonderful asset to the library.”
“Don’t fret about Mr. Inman,” Roman said. “Ellis and I have a plan for him. We will ensure he’s not cast aside.”
Margot exhaled with relief. “I’m glad to hear it. When is Oliver coming to town?”
“We haven’t yet set a date for his visit, but my thought was to invite him to come this week, perhaps on Thursday, if that’s convenient for him. We’ll show him the New Bond Street Library, and he can converse with Inman about the position.”
“Could you arrange for him to stay a few days, at least?” Margot asked.
“I wonder if you could engage in some social events together,” Ellis suggested. “You could pretend to have an instant romantic connection, and Mr. Pritchard could ask to court you before he returns to Oxford. Your parents need never know you already engaged in an epistolary attachment.”
“You’re brilliant!” Margot grinned. “I could hug you.”
Ellis smiled. “You can if you like, though I understand if you would prefer not to in my current garb.”
Margot leapt forward and embraced Ellis anyway. “Thank you.”
Roman couldn’t see Ellis’s face until they broke apart. He caught the remnants of her smile before it disappeared completely. Then he looked toward Margot. “I do think you could be honest with your parents if you wanted to try. They only want you to be happy.”
At least, that’s what Roman hoped, particularly after his recent conversation with Josiah about his marriage to Clarissa and the fact that they weren’t happy. Roman wanted to believe that Josiah would be delighted to learn his younger daughter had fallen in love, even if he wasn’t the type of husband they were hoping for.
Roman could persuade him—and Harriet—that it was better for Margot to wed a man of character and integrity instead of just hoping for a title. Roman’s father had been titled, and he’d been an absolute blackguard.
“Where will Oliver stay?” Margot asked. “Perhaps he could come to our house. We have plenty of room.”
Roman narrowed his gaze at her. “I don’t think that’s wise. He can stay here. I’ll arrange for you to visit with him—under supervision.”
Margot pursed her lips. “Just as you and Ellis are supervised?”
“I am not a marriageable young lady,” Ellis said. “You must protect your reputation.”
“But I’m going to marry Oliver,” Margot argued.
Ellis shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. Even if you’re betrothed, you must behave above reproach. If any compromising behavior were to be rumored, any potential place you had in Society would be gone.”
Margot blinked. “Truly?”
“Yes,” Roman said. “Trust me as someone raised in Society with its double standards and ridiculous expectations, as well as its penchant for gossip.”
“We will be careful,” Margot vowed. “I appreciate your facilitating our time together.” She looked at Roman. “You’re truly not disappointed about us not marrying?”
“Not at all,” he assured her. A marriage of convenience would have been extremely awkward, especially right now, when the only woman he could think about was Ellis. Roman would have to marry at some point, for he needed an heir, but he had plenty of time.
“Thank you both. My maid is waiting in the hall, so I must go.” Margot moved to open the door and glanced back over her shoulder. “Should I close this again?”
“That isn’t necessary,” Ellis said.
Margot nodded and slipped away, leaving the door ajar.
Ellis turned and shuffled papers on her desk. “I think it may be best if I worked somewhere else in the house.”
“Why?” Roman wanted to step around his desk to be closer to her but decided she might not want that after the way they’d been interrupted, which had necessitated her exposing herself as a woman.
Ellis gaped at him as if he’d gone daft.
