“It’s all above board if that’s your concern,” Sebastian said.“Women who need to avoid a marriage approach Adam and he works out the best way to make that happen.Sometimes, it involves organising an alternative marriage like this, but there are several other ways he helps too.”
“My part in the arrangement is to find men like yourself, your Grace, who need a marriage as a cover for the true selves, and Adam sorts out the details, so when I received Sebastian’s letter, I knew this would be perfect and both Adam and Lady Victoria agree,” Sir Pashley said.
Maurice was glad to hear the last part.He didn’t want to marry someone who was unwilling.“What do you need from me?”
“That depends on whether you know Lady Victoria.Otherwise we will arrange an introduction and you can have the banns read, or get a special licence, depending on what suits the two of you.”Sir Pashley’s explanation sounded like many of the other arranged marriages among the ton.
“And she understands that I couldn’t...”
“Maurice.”Sebastian sounded impatient.“Did you miss the part where Lady Victoria is in love with her maid?”
He’d forgotten because the idea of having a solution to his problem had overwhelmed him.He could be with Sebastian and never have to worry about Sebastian’s safety, especially if Sebastian married the maid and then they’d be two married couples living together; in the eyes of the world anyway.The fact that they slept in beds that didn’t match the paperwork was of no consequence; most of the marriages in the ton were organised for wealth or bloodlines, not love.
“Right.I am keen to do this, if it’s fine with Sebastian.”He held his breath as he waited for Sebastian to decide.
“Yes.Let’s rescue Lady Victoria and give Maurice a cover for any of his future lovers.”Ouch.Sebastian’s method for helping shouldn’t hurt this much.
Sir Pashley shoved Sebastian on the shoulder.“Brutal, dear friend.So brutal.”
“I wouldn’t dare to presume Maurice’s feelings.”
“On the contrary, I’d say his feelings are obviously favourable towards you.He is going to marry a stranger for you.”
“That is a fair and interesting point.”The little twitch at the corner of Sebastian’s mouth suddenly made Maurice realise that he was deliberately taunting him and making him wait.He was a Duke, after all, and Sebastian had spoken many times about life was easy for him.
“Once he has achieved this marriage,” Sebastian said with a tilt of his head towards Maurice, one that gave him hope, “it will show me that he is serious and then perhaps we can talk.”
“Goodness.I do love a good sacrifice of the heart.If someone did that for me, I’d swoon.”
Sebastian laughed.“You’d swoon if someone looked at you with lust.If someone made a big romantic gesture for you, you’d probably die.”
“But I’d die happy.”
Maurice let out the breath he’d been holding.“No one needs to die.Tomorrow, I will ride to Baverstock’s estate and make my position clear to Lady Victoria.”Now that he had a pathway forward, he merely needed to act, and his strength was in actions.He was a Duke.It would be easy to speak to another Duke and make his case that Baverstock’s daughter would be better placed with a Duke than an Earl.Lady Victoria and her maid could live here at Pewett Downs, free to love each other, and he would be free to woo Sebastian back into his bed, and then they could have a future together.It would be perfect.
Chapter 14
