‘Ah, sister!’ He called in a jarring, affectionate tone. ‘There you are! Do come in so we may talk with you.’
Josephine edged into the room, glaringly aware that Thomas’s new brotherly affection was due to the presence of a third person, seated in his favourite high-backed chair. She swallowed, wondering if this was the moment she was to discover that he was to have her committed to an asylum– just as the person stood up. Josephine drew in a shaky breath, momentarily bereft of speech, as she stared at his clean-shaven face and long locks swept à la Brutus, to his impeccably dressed person. And yet there was that same towering frame, fiery chestnut eyes, and familiar mocking smile too.
Was this Thomas’s idea of retribution? Was he planning to chastise her in front of Lord Huntingly?
‘Look who has graced us with a visit, Josephine! I’m sure we’re both delighted to make Lord Huntingly’s better acquaintance, especially given recent exciting news.’
Startled, Josephine glanced at Thomas, but there was no hint of irony in his face, only genuine satisfaction.
‘Lord Huntingly has been kind enough to confirm his satisfaction with the new arrangements. He is a country man, with little interest in town and outside distractions, and feels your nature will be well suited to his lifestyle. I have to say, I am of the same opinion! Let me congratulate you, dear sister, for Huntingly has made a formal offer for your hand this morning, and I have accepted.’
Josephine blinked at her older brother as he wrung Huntingly’s hand before turning to nod approvingly at her.
‘It is a fine offer, sister, and I will ensure you have a wedding that befits your new status, for the Huntinglys are a very old family indeed.’
‘Old, but not ostentatious,’ Huntingly amended, his eyes never leaving Josephine’s face. ‘In truth, I would be quite happy with a modest affair, Fairfax, and I wager Miss Josephine feels the same way?’
Josephine managed to nod, blood drumming in her ears. She had no idea how things had turned about so swiftly, only that Lord Alistair Huntingly had apparently decided to take her marriage offer seriously– and persuaded Thomas to do the same. He appraised her now, his dark eyes taking her straight back to his breakfast room when he’d closed the distance between them. It was such an intense, vivid memory that she felt a flush steal up her neck, prompting a gleam of recognition in his eyes. She reddened further, aware she might still appear a figure of fun in his eyes. Yet, whatever his reasoning, she’d done it, she’d changed his mind, and now their match would protect Matilda for a while longer.
Josephine lowered her eyes, searching for words while he seemed content to gaze. In truth, his youthful, clean-shaven face unsettled her more than she cared to own. He looked barely older than Fred now, which was curious for someone who’d lived so much.
‘I would be content with a very quiet affair, thank you, my lord,’ she murmured, wondering how differently her sisters felt when they received their offers.
‘Excellent!’ He smiled disconcertingly. ‘Didn’t I say we would deal famously together, Fairfax? Miss Josephine has as little desire for pomp and ceremony as I, and she has already expressed a very particular view about the condition of Huntingly Manor…’ His lips curled as he forced Josephine to recall her comments about the dilapidated condition of his ancestral home. She swallowed and flashed a glance at Thomas, who was beginning to frown. ‘…which I found excessively fresh and useful,’ he added smoothly. ‘In short, Fairfax, I believe Miss Josephine will breathe new life into Huntingly Manor without exacerbating mine– which is precisely what is needed.’
‘Excellent… excellent!’ Thomas boomed, clearly relieved he wasn’t required to defend Josephine unnecessarily. ‘What say we toast this new arrangement at dinner? I might even crack open a bottle of my favourite Blandy’s Madeira to mark the occasion!’
‘I should be delighted,’ Lord Huntingly replied with a swift smile, ‘as I shall be to make your sister’s better acquaintance.’
‘Excellent!’ Thomas repeated, crossing the room. ‘And now I shall give the two of you a few moments in private. Suffice to say, I’m very happy to conclude this business with you, Huntingly– very happy indeed! Until dinner!’
Then Thomas pulled the library door shut, leaving Josephine alone with her new, most unexpected, fiancé.
‘You look perplexed, Miss Josephine,’ Lord Huntingly commented with a faint frown. ‘Yet I only came to make our agreement formal. If you have changed your mind, pray tell me now, for I am sure your brother will be understanding.’
Josephine’s eyes flew to Lord Huntingly’s, their amber flare just visible.
‘You do not know my brother, sir!’ she returned, a thousand thoughts racing. ‘And I can assure you that any surprise on my part is due to the fact that I thought my behaviour might have… scared you off.’
Lord Huntingly’s sombre expression changed suddenly, giving Josephine a glimpse of a sunnier face she barely recognised, before it faded again. ‘You really are most refreshing, Miss Fairfax,’ he observed, closing the gap between them with a few easy paces. ‘You are aware of my reputation, are you not? I cannot recall the last time anyone accused me of being scared of anything, least of all an over-protective bluestocking!’
Josephine lifted her chin, aware of a rise of chagrin.
‘But to be quite clear,’ he continued in a softer tone, ‘no, you didn’t scare me off, quite the opposite, in fact. And, in truth, I owe you an apology: I should have never asked you to remove your spectacles. It was most… ignoble of me.’
He was barely an arm’s length away now, towering over her with his chestnut eyes and derisive smile. She stole a shallow breath, aware of the oddest rush of feelings. This lord was so different from the one she’d encountered in the manor. His coat was expensive, his manner sophisticated, his shaven face far more handsome than she’d ever realised… Suddenly, Josephine realised the enormity of what she’d done. She’d proposed marriage to the sort of gentleman she’d made it her life’s work to avoid, in the knowledge they would never find interest in her. She flushed furiously. Perhaps Thomas was right; perhaps he would have dealt better with Matilda.
‘I’ve never before met a female prepared to make a lifelong sacrifice merely to protect another.’ He raised an eyebrow, stilling her response. ‘Please, I have it on the best authority thatnothing would induce Matilda to marry me!’Josephine’s flush deepened. ‘And the fact you were prepared to risk your own reputation, in order to secure the arrangement, only makes your selflessness all the more admirable.’ He smiled then, but in a way that made Josephine’s toes tingle quite oddly. ‘Indeed, I can quite honestly say that I have not felt this intrigued by someone for some time, Miss Josephine, and as your offer makes perfect logical sense, I am quite content to move forward with the new arrangement. Which leaves you, my dear?’
He reached out then to take her hand and lift it to his lips– a move that took Josephine entirely by surprise– before planting a chaste kiss on her back of her fingers. It was the briefest of touches, yet the warmth of his lips startled her.
His eyelids lowered as she caught her breath.
‘There is no need for… any apology, sir,’ Josephine stumbled, ‘for I too am… quite content. I have not changed my mind, for the happiness of my sister is everything to me… And I shall endeavour to breathe new life into Huntingly Manor, sir, without interfering in your life at all. You have my word.’
Momentarily, he observed her, a faint quizzical light in his eyes. ‘And what of your happiness, Miss Josephine?’ he asked softly. ‘Or does that count for nothing?’
Josephine returned his regard, wondering if he was testing her. ‘My happiness shall derive from the satisfaction of knowing I helped a sister, sir, and that shall be enough to sustain me.’
