Octavia had hardly spoken to me since the fake courtship had begun. Her lips curled with a smug grin. “Are you actually afraid you might find competition?”
Victoria laughed. “The two of you have been inseparable. There is no man who could steal Lady Daventry’s heart now. It is already yours.” She grimaced. “Although, she could easily choose to seek a man with a title if that is her ambition.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, reading the entire passage again. I had always known I had competition. It wasn’t the final lines that troubled me.
It was the fact that the news about Anne’s fortune had already been made public.
I looked up to see a footman approaching the table. His white powdered wig and the tassels on his livery bounced with his exuberant strides. “Mr. Holland, Lady Tottenham requests your presence.”
I nodded, pushing myself away from the table. What could Lady Tottenham want? She had never sent for me before. I followed the footman across the lawn and through the house until we rounded the corner to the vestibule.
My strides halted at the scene in front of me. Miles stood beside Anne, with Lady Tottenham facing both of them. Miles caught my gaze, his eyes flashing with a challenge. My worst fears were confirmed. My heart dropped to the floor.
My attention shifted to Anne, searching her face for any sign of her emotions. Was she overjoyed to see Miles? Did she resent me for kissing her? She was impossible to read. All I saw was the horror in her gaze as it darted between Miles and me.
“Ah, there you are, Mr. Holland,” Lady Tottenham said with a smile. “Where have you been hiding this charming brother of yours?”
I was about to be the opposite of charming. I composed myself with a deep breath. Miles had always excelled at winning the favor of others because he had a much firmer grasp on his emotions. If he was angry, he rarely showed it in front of spectators. If he was going to be malicious, he did it in secret. Any move I made was being observed by Anne, and if I wanted to have any hope of her believing me, I needed to behave like a gentleman. “He recently returned from India, my lady.” I was proud of how calm I sounded.
“Is that so?” Lady Tottenham turned toward Miles. “What brought you back to England?”
Miles cleared his throat. “A prior engagement.” His gaze slid in Anne’s direction.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Brother, may I have a word outside?” My efforts to contain my vexation hadn’t lasted as long as I hoped.
For a brief moment, Miles revealed a hint of smugness in his expression. “Gladly.”
I started toward the door, waiting at the threshold.
“Please excuse me, my lady,” Miles said to Lady Tottenham. “It was an honor to make your acquaintance, and it will be a delight to speak with you more this evening at the ball.” He took Anne by the hand, pressing his lips to her fingers before starting in my direction. I held her gaze for several seconds until Miles blocked it.
The moment the door closed behind us, the smile fell from Miles’s face. His nostrils flared as he followed me down the steps and out to the cobblestones. There wasn’t another person in sight throughout the square. Fallen leaves stirred up from the ground with the breeze. “Did you come to tell Anne that you have revoked your proposal?” I asked.
Miles scoffed. “That is what you hope, isn’t it? So you can continue courting her behind my back?”
I took one stride toward him, thoroughly tempted to finish the fight we had started the day before. “I fell in love with her, and you were not here to stop me.”
“Well, I am here now, and I am not leaving until she’s my wife.”
I matched his sneer, my blood boiling. “Why the sudden change of heart? Could it have something to do with the news of her inheritance?”
He threw his hands in the air. “What inheritance? Everyone is speaking of it. Please do enlighten me.”
I glared at him. “You read about it in the papers and rushed straight here to try to secure her hand. Don’t deny it.”
His face slowly betrayed him with a smile. “I didn’t rushstraighthere. I did stop to purchase flowers on the way.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Fifty thousand? All the young ladies of the ton combined could not offer such a sum. I had to read it twice to believe it.”
“Does she know that you were aware of the news before coming here?”
“She will never know. And if you try to explain, she will not believe you. She trusts me completely.” He loosened his cravat. “There is no point in having you here to complicate matters. You should leave as soon as possible.”
His eyes lifted to mine in a casual manner, but I saw through the act. He must have felt some measure of fear that I was a threat to his plans. I had promised myself that I would do everything I could to protect Anne’s heart, and that I would never leave her. Nothing could make me break that promise. “No.” I crossed my arms. “I’m staying here.”
Miles’s jaw clenched.
The door to the house opened, making us both turn around.
Anne stood in the doorway. She hurried down the steps, a gust of wind taking hold of her hair. She stopped between us, her brows pulled tight with a scowl. “I cannot bear the thought of the two of you fighting again. You have enough bruises already.” Her eyes darted to my face. She released a huffed breath. “Tonight is meant for celebration. Please do not ruin it. There is archery on the back lawn. If you can behave yourselves, that would be a better use of your time than arguing.”
