“Dear cousin,” Trey said, “you are now away from the eagle eyes of your father. Who knows what mischief the two of you will get into?”
“You are wrong, Trey. Although Collin has returned from traveling abroad and is ready to plant his feet in one spot, I don’t plan on staying here for more than a few years. Collin might want to live off our family’s wealth, but I prefer to make my own money.”
“Doing what, may I ask?” Trey rode next to Adrian’s horse.
“Your friend, Dominic Lawrence, Marquees of Hawthorne, knows where I can invest, does he not?”
Trey barked with laughter. “Hawthorne? Oh, my dear cousin, you had better watch yourself. Dominic is very cunning.”
“He is also a very wealthy man,” Adrian quickly added.
“I suppose if you were to listen to anyone’s advice, it would be to Hawthorne’s. He is wise beyond his years. However, I can honestly say I’ve never known a bigger jokester.”
Adrian wiped the moisture from his brow. England’s midsummer weather had plans to cook him this morning, even if it had rained during the night. If the temperature was this warm already, he wasn’t looking forward to what it would be later today, especially with a house full of guests who had never met the Worthington family. He prayed they would not know about their wealth, either.
Inwardly, Adrian grumbled. This meant that every single woman in attendance—whether young or old—would be daydreaming about becoming the wife of one of the brothers. Adrian absolutely loathed fortune-hunting women. Most of the women he’d courted while living in Yorkshire were only after his family’s money. None of them cared a whit about Adrian as a man. They didn’t take the time to discover that he enjoyed taking long walks at sunset, or that he had started a collection of rare books, or that he wanted to find his own piece of land and breed horses. There was definitely profit in doing that.
The one woman he hadthoughtdifferent turned out to be just as unscrupulous as the others. He met her while visiting a school chum in North Devon. She was a very lovely woman, and at first, he thought she had the kindest heart. She led him to believe she didn’t know who his family was, so he allowed himself to fall in love. He was ready to make an offer of marriage but didn’t want to propose until he fetched the heirloom ring from his grandmother. Thankfully, before that could happen, he discovered she hadn’t been honest with him. While away on business, she told everyone that she was going to be the next Lady Worthington, the sister-in-law to a wealthy earl.
Needless to say, Adrian had hardened his heart toward women who were only after snagging a rich husband, and he vowed not to let a woman worm her way into the Worthington family unless they were truly in love.
He mentally shook away the memory and focused on his cousin. “Trey? Are you and your wife planning to attend tonight’s party?”
“Judith and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Trey grinned teasingly. “I’ll be the one standing against the wall with a drink in my hand, watching you and Collin fight off all the maidens. I also plan on collecting bets to see who wins.”
Groaning, Adrian rubbed his forehead. “I’m not looking forward to fighting off these country women. In fact, I don’t want to attend the party at all for that reason alone.”
Trey sat forward on his saddle, giving Adrian a stare. “Perhaps you need to let your guests know right away that you’re not in the marriage market. In fact, if I have your permission, I shall walk amongst your guests holding a sign that reads,Lord William Worthington is not for sale.”
Adrian laughed boisterously. He wished to useAdrianas the name people knew him by instead of his given name of William. At least his family called him Adrian. “And you, my good man, would be the person who could pull it off. However, walking around with a sign might make me an outcast with our neighbors. If word ever got back to Father, he’d have heart palpitations and disown me.”
Trey shrugged. “It was just a suggestion, but I understand about your father. It’s best you keep your plans away from the old man, or he will find you a woman and write up the betrothal before the end of the week.”
“You are correct.” Adrian frowned. “Thankfully, Father won’t be coming to the party, so at least I won’t have to worry about tonight.”
The other complications in Adrian’s life could be put off, since there were now bigger issues at hand. If he had his way, he wouldn’t even let their guests know he was a Worthington at all. Just thinking about warding off the overeager women seeking a husband exhausted him. And to think, the night hadn’t even started.
Immediately, an idea popped into his head. The more he pondered the insanity of the situation, the more he liked it. Gradually, excitement filled his chest, making him anxious to try it.
“Actually, I have a better solution.” Adrian laughed. “I shall have Collin introduce me asMr.Adrian Collings, his cousin. After all, if one’s surname is Worthington, we are bound to be related somehow.”
Trey’s gaze narrowed. “And pray, why would you want to be called that name?”
Adrian grinned. “Since only my relatives know me as Adrian, I will use that along with my mother’s maiden name, Collings.” He sighed. “I think my plan will work perfectly as long as my brother doesn’t muck things up.”
Trey snorted a laugh. “And I know Collin well. Your brotherwillmake things difficult, if only to get you riled.”
Adrian shrugged. “Then I suppose we’ll have to keep him drinking port all evening. His mind will be spinning too much to think properly, and when he is that foxed, he doesn’t talk much.”
“Poor Collin.” Trey gripped the reins and urged his horse forward. “There are so many ways I could play with his mind, you just cannot fathom.”
“Indeed. I recall your pranks well, since I was the brunt of them many times.” Adrian chuckled, keeping pace with his horse beside his cousin. “I’m certain I could imagine just what you could do to poor Collin.”
“If I do something, I cannot let my beautiful Judith see. She would refuse to speak to me for a whole week, and I cannot have that.”
Adrian knew his cousin enjoyed joking about Judith, but even a blind man could see how much Trey loved his wife and would do anything to please her.
“I only see one problem with your plan,” Trey added.
