He was determined not to fail her.
“Richard and Violet will adore you as I do,” he said. “Richard will admire the fact that you run your own estate, and he’ll bore us all to tears pestering you with questions about land management. Violet, on the other hand, is a hoyden despite being a viscountess and mama. She will undoubtedly involve you in countless scrapes, and Richard and I will have our hands full keeping the two of you out of trouble.”
“That sounds lovely.” Wistfulness edged her tone. “But won’t they wonder…about our relationship?”
When Beatrice had conceded to his plan to go to London, she’d had one contingency: she did not yet want to make their engagement public. She’d wanted to direct their energies toward stopping her enemy before planning for their future happiness. When he’d argued that there was no reason they couldn’t do both, she’d said in tremulous tones,The bastard targeted Fancy because she’s my friend. I won’t endanger you, Wick, by making our relationship public. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.
He’d told her he wasn’t afraid of anyone, least of all the sort of bloody coward who terrorized innocent young women. But Beatrice wouldn’t be moved; while he didn’t agree, he understood her resolve. Her sense of honor was as great as any man’s, and she’d do anything to protect those she cared about. For that reason, he’d agreed to keep their engagement a secret…for now.
“I agreed to keep our engagement under wraps, but I’m not going to hide my interest in you, lass,” he said bluntly. “Even if I could, Richard knows me too well. I’ve never brought a lady to meet him before.”
“Never?” She looked adorably pleased.
“Never,” he confirmed. “The women in my past weren’t the sort I’d introduce to my family. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry.”
Her nose wrinkled when he mentioned those other women, but he wanted to be honest with her. He hadn’t been a saint. He was discovering, however, that he was perfectly capable of devotion and fidelity: he’d just needed to find the right woman. Since Beatrice had come into his life, his past lovers had faded into insignificance. He had no desire to be with anyone else. She filled that emptiness inside him that others hadn’t even touched.
“What about your mama? Will she approve of me?” Bea tipped her head to one side. “You’ve mentioned your papa’s passing, but you haven’t said much about her.”
There was a reason for it. The mention of his mother, the dowager viscountess, stirred up a mix of love, affection…and embarrassment. It had taken him years to come to terms with the fact that while his mama adored him, she was not always kind to others. It shamed him to admit that she might be the one person in his family to find Beatrice lacking.
“Mama prefers the family seat in Scotland, which is for the better. She is…not an easy person.”
“She won’t like me?” Bea asked instantly.
He sighed. “She isn’t overly fond of most people—including Richard and my departed papa.”
Her brow pleated. “Why?”
“My mama tends to notice only the superficial.” It hurt to admit the truth about his mother, whom he loved despite her faults. “In her day, she was a celebrated beauty, and appearances mean a lot to her. Her parents arranged her marriage to my father, a Scotsman who adored her but who wasn’t the most refined gentleman. Richard takes after him, and I take after Mama, and Mama…well, she always favored me. Spoiled me rotten, truthfully. She taught me to believe that my looks and charm would guarantee my success in the world—lessons I took too much to heart. My arrogance and conceit led to my disgrace.”
“And your honor saved you,” Bea reminded him. “You made mistakes, but you worked diligently to get yourself out of debt, to earn your current success. I hope your mama understands that?”
“On the contrary, she refuses to see that I was at fault in any way,” he said wryly. “In her eyes, I can do no wrong, and I was a mere victim of bad circumstances. Richard, the poor chap, has done everything right, including working his arse off to salvage the family seat and refill the coffers. She has never once thanked him for his efforts.”
Bea frowned. “That hardly seems fair.”
“It isn’t.Sheisn’t,” he said bluntly. “She is my mama, and I love her, but I wouldn’t put much stock in her opinion, if that makes any sense.”
“It does. I could say the same about my brother. I care about Benedict, but I don’t trust in his judgement either.”
“Will you contact him when we’re in London?”
“I don’t think I will,” she said hollowly. “Five years is a long time, and I don’t want to dredge up the past. Perhaps it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.”
Knowing the nature of the estrangement, Wick understood her ambivalence. She had a loyal nature and cared deeply about her only surviving kin. At the same time, Hadleigh was like a hurricane: since one couldn’t stop his path of destruction, the wisest thing to do was to stay out of the way.
“Whatever you decide, I’ll support your decision,” he said. “You’re not alone now, angel.”
Her smile was so sweet that his heart ached. “What would I do without you, Wick?”
“You’ll never have to find out.”
Unable to resist, he reached over and snatched her onto his lap again. She giggled, straddling him, her skirts covering them in frothy yellow waves.
“We’re in this together, lass.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Through thick and thin.”
She peered at him through her lashes. “I’d say this is an instance ofthick…wouldn’t you?”
