She shrugged one shoulder. “Perhaps one or two.”
“During which I’d be introduced as the man ye mean to marry.” He snorted. “Forgive me, but I’ve nae intention of letting such a rumor attach itself to my name.”
“But it wouldn’t beyourname. It would be—” She clamped her mouth shut and smiled at a spot behind him, all traces of her distress carefully stowed away beneath a composed exterior. “Mama. Papa. Allow me to introduce Mr. Wright. Mr. Wright, these are my parents, Viscount and Viscountess Elkins.”
Blayne wanted to gnash his teeth together. He’d no intention of continuing this charade for one more second. In fact, he was tempted to say he was not the man Miss Russell claimed him to be, storm out of the town house, and get himself as far away from her as possible. Except when he turned and saw her parents regarding him with a mixture of shock, disapproval, and downright disbelief, the devil sitting upon his shoulder tempted him with an almost perverse desire to needle them.
So rather than walking away from what was without doubt the worst decision ever, Blayne ignored the instinct he’d always relied on and stuck out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally make yer acquaintance. Yer daughter has told me so much about ye.”
Lady Elkins, a thin woman with sharp features who clearly favored bright colors judging from her orange gown, sucked in a breath while her eyes seemed to double in size. “Good heavens. He’s not just unkempt, he also speaks like a hoodlum.”
“Mama,” Miss Russell admonished. “I did mention him being Scottish.”
“It’s quite all right…darling. As ye ken, I must look the part I’m requested to play.” Blayne gave his supposed fiancée a devilish smile before returning his attention to her mother. “An explanation is certainly in order.”
“It is?” Miss Russell squeaked.
“Indeed.” Blayne allowed himself an inward grin and promptly reached for Lady Elkins’s hand. Executing a perfect bow, he kissed the air immediately above her knuckles, then straightened and deliberately faced the viscount. “My undercover work for the Home Office forces me to remain in character at all times. In case I happen upon the men I’ve spent the last year trying to bring to justice.”
“I was led to believe you were an entrepreneur,” Lord Elkins said with eyes too sharp for Blayne’s liking. “At least, that is what our daughter told us.”
“I see. Well…um…I also have a business,” Blayne said. “I suppose it would make more sense to mention that.”
“Oh look, Mama,” Miss Russell said in an obvious attempt to distract her parents from his blunder. “He brought flowers for each of us.” She produced two bouquets consisting of cream colored roses and other blooms in various shades of blue, pink, and yellow.
Startled, Blayne watched as she handed one to her mother. When he caught a skeptical look from Lord Elkins, he did his best to school his features and act like the flowers were as expected as his presence in their parlor and his intention to marry their daughter. “I wasnae sure what yer preference might be so I do hope ye like them.”
“They’re stunning,” Lady Elkins declared with the sort of surprise that informed Blayne she’d not believed him capable of locating a hothouse. “And very expensive looking.”
The added jibe rankled more than it ought to have done. He’d never cared much for prestige or wealth. Hell, he’d given both up a lifetime ago and hadn’t missed either since. But standing here in this parlor, being judged by people who’d not even bothered to get to know him yet, caused every muscle within him to tighten and strain with resentful irritation. Rather than let it show, he offered Lord Elkins his hand and proceeded to lie through his teeth. “I’m glad we’re finally able to meet face to face, my lord.”
The viscount, a man quite a bit shorter than Blayne, stared back at him through narrowed eyes. Time stretched, until the stern looking fellow finally chose to accept the handshake. “Neither my wife nor I knew of your existence until this morning, so you’ll have to forgive us for being a bit astonished by your arrival.”
Ah. So they’d suspected their daughter of lying about his existence. Miss Russell’s desperation to earn his collaboration was starting to make more sense although he’d yet to discover why she’d made him up in the first place.
“And um…” Lady Elkins appeared to struggle with finding the right words while examining him from head to toe. Eventually, she made an exasperated sound in the back of her throat and said, “We are curious to know how you plan on supporting Charlotte?”
“Mama,” Miss Russell exclaimed with a theatrical dose of outrage.
Blayne silently thanked the viscountess for supplying him with his supposed fiancée’s name since that was something he probably ought to know. The lady, however, ignored her daughter’s note of warning and took a step forward. “You will have to forgive me, Mr. Wright, but you do not strike me as a man of means.”
“Dear lord,” Miss Russell said. “Please accept my sincerest apologies, Mr. Wright.”
“Your mother is quite correct,” Lord Elkins said. “We need to know precisely who Mr. Wright is.”
“Perhaps we should sit?” Miss Russell said in a weary tone that suggested she might be losing her nerve. “I’m sure we could all do with refreshment.”
“I for one will not permit my daughter to marry just anyone,” Lord Elkins said.
“Papa…” Miss Russell said with a longing glance at the sofa. “Mr. Wright is the man I’ve fallen in love with.”
Love? Blayne almost choked on the air he was breathing. Did she really have to drag that particular emotion into this mess? He tried not to flinch beneath the weight of it but the truth was he wasn’t sure if his acting skills were up to par with her requirements.
She sidled close to him until he was left with no choice but to put his arm around her waist. To his surprise, she fit against him perfectly. Hmm.
Lord Elkins gave the ceiling a brief perusal before returning a hard and assessing stare to Blayne and Miss Russell. “Love will not put food on the table nor a roof over your head. It is the least important factor when making life-altering decisions. Trust me, Charlotte, Mr. Cooper will make a far better choice than this…individual. I’m sure of it.”
Years of keeping a cool head under Guthrie’s command allowed Blayne to let the insult slide so he could focus on the bit Lord Elkins had said about Mr. Cooper. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Obviously Miss Russell’s parents had selected her husband and as a result she’d created Mr. Wright.
