‘Well, that’s as maybe, but you are the opposite and certainly not suited to matrimony. You never cared for anyone or anything other than yourself, to which your brother was a notable exception.’
‘I know what I am, my friend, and I have no illusions about my character. And as to redemption, there is none to be had in this world. But I loved Will, and I made a promise to him on his deathbed, which I intend to honour.’
‘Yes. You swore to look after that young woman, to provide for her, if necessary, but don’t marry her. No, this is utter foolishness. You are not yourself, Rawden. I can see that you grieve most terribly. But I will put a stop to this here and now, as your friend, or it will end in the most dreadful unhappiness on both sides.’
‘You cannot stop it,’ said Rawden.
‘Good God, you didn’t propose already, did you?’
Rawden stared down into his whisky as the humiliation of being soundly rejected bruised him anew.
‘Oh, God. And did the poor lady accept you?’ said Hardy.
‘No. And my pride is still smarting from her rejection.’
Hardy laughed with relief. ‘I should think it is. So, the matter is settled then. She has had a lucky escape, and you have fulfilled your promise.’
‘Not in the slightest. Firstly, I do not appreciate being bested by a young lady of no means or connections. Secondly, I swore an oath that I will not break just because some silly chit is too stubborn or blind to see that I have her best interests at heart. And thirdly…’ Rawden trailed off as he could not bring himself to say the words aloud.
‘Thirdly?’ said Hardy.
Rawden shifted in his seat. ‘I want her.’
‘God, Rawden. With your new fortune, you can have anyone you want, even with your shocking reputation. There are any number of infinitely more suitable women you can wed and forget - a mutually beneficial arrangement that suits everyone. But not this, not some girl who was entangled with your brother. You cannot simply scoop her up and carry her off. Throw some money at Miss Howden and forget her.’
‘I have no intention of accepting rejection.’
‘Then you are a fool.’
Rawden narrowed his eyes. ‘I am no more of a fool than you are. And there is more to this, my friend. Miss Howden is in danger. There are others sniffing around her. It is rumoured that her uncle is trying to pass her off as a mistress to the highest bidder. And one of them is Caville Sharp.’
‘Sharp? Is he not recently wed and very well, too? What does he want with this, Miss Howden?'
‘What do you think he wants?’
Realisation dawned on Hardy’s face. He sat forward. ‘Sharp is a dangerous man, Rawden. He is vastly wealthy, and his father wields considerable power within the ton.’
‘What care I for the opinion of the ton?’
‘You will become more of an outcast if you get on the wrong side of them, as will anyone entangled with you. Do not be shut out from society just because of pride and disdain. If you are serious about being a husband, you must consider the welfare of a wife. Do you want her to be spurned as well?’ Hardy sat back and shook his head. ‘And don’t pretend that you are acting honourably here, either. Not if you are as keen to seduce her as Sharp.’
‘I will marry her, and, in time, she will come around,’ said Rawden. ‘She might even become fond of me.’
‘I doubt that. I am your best friend, and even I am not particularly fond of you,’ said Hardy with a glare.
Rawden smiled. ‘I know.’
Chapter Nineteen
A picnic in Hyde Park should have been a joy, and Grace had looked forward to it after Uncle Charles’ imprisonment. She had been invited to attend, along with Harriet’s friends, the loathsome Lydia and others, and the occasion was to mark Harriet’s return from honeymoon after marrying the honourable and esteemed Gilbert Routledge.
The hum of conversation carried over the steady drone of bees plundering the last summer flowers. There was much talk of the sumptuousness of the wedding, but Grace could not join in, for she had not been invited. Harriet had explained that Gilbert’s family had wanted just close friends at the ceremony, but there was no escaping the fact that she had been excluded due to her lowly station in life. It hurt that Harriet had not insisted on her old friend being present. Surely she could have swayed her intended if she had tried?
The outing was not as Grace had hoped. The sun was searing, the company tiresome, and Harriet’s husband, though handsome enough, was an insufferable bore who talked only of himself and fawned over her friend as if she were a child, not a grown woman.
‘Take more refreshment, or you might swoon in this heat, and do keep your parasol up, dearest. We must not coarsen that flawless complexion,’ he said, then called out to his friends, ‘Am I not the luckiest man in England to have secured such a beauty.’
His equally odious friends patted him on the back and congratulated him. They seemed eager to agree with everything he said, even if it was nonsense. Harriet blushed and smiled up at Gilbert. How could she stand to be treated like a cossetted pet? So far, they had spoken only a few words, and Harriet seemed remote somehow, as if their friendship was fading away along with Grace’s hopes.
