Page 25 of Snowed In with the Jilted Duke

“She’s my granddaughter—one of my granddaughters—twins, you know. Adorable as a button, both of them. Identical. But Penny’s the elder by an hour, so she’s the one for you.”

“Oh.” Oliver wished he could think of something more clever to say, but his head was spinning. He twisted his feet together under his chair as his father continued talking.

“You see, my boy, Mr. Montgomery has been obliging enough to, to… er… And we thought the best solution was to come to an agreement about your marriage.”

“Yes, Father.” Oliver was no fool. He knew what this meant. His father had been at the gaming tables again, and had somehow gambled his eldest son’s future away.

“Don’t look so sour, lad,” Montgomery said briskly. “I’ve got a mill down Birmingham way that’s booming and only looks to grow. M’daughter-in-law’s gentry, and the gels are getting every education to be ladies. You’ll never have call to be ashamed of either of them, I vow. And there’s that education at Cambridge for you to have first.”

“Yes, sir.”

Montgomery turned to face Oliver’s father. “That was all I needed, to check that the lad is sound.”

Sound! Like he was a horse to be purchased!

The older man rose from his chair, with Oliver’s father hastily rising as well. “I’ll have my solicitor draw up the contract and send it to you for witnessing. Good day, your grace.” He turned to Oliver, who belatedly leapt to his feet. “Good day, milord.”

It wasn’t this man’s fault that his father had decided to sell him to the highest bidder. Oliver bowed. “Good day, sir.”

As the door had closed behind Montgomery, his father sank back into his chair with a sigh and closed his eyes. Oliver moved to stand next to him, concerned by his father’s sudden pallor.

“Are you all right, Father?”

His father’s eyes had opened and he gave Oliver a wan smile. “My son, you have just saved our entire family from destitution.”

And all for the price of his hand in marriage to an unknown girl.

Oliver shook himself and turned his attention back to the contract. It did say, very clearly, that Miss Penelope Montgomery was his intended bride.

Except...

He peered closer. The ink was a little faded, but a small note had been appended and initialed at some point after it had been signed.

Allowable substitute: Miss Philippa Montgomery.

A substitution was allowed.

It would be a scandal, of course, for him to trade one sister for another, but they could weather it. Given enough time and distance, everyone would forget.

He could choose now, and he would.

He chose Pippa.

Carefully, he re-folded the contract and slipped it into the top drawer of his desk.

The only rub was… would Pippa choose him? Or would she feel she was merely a second-hand replacement for Penelope?

He must win her first, he decided with a firm nod. Once she had been won and he had convinced her they should marry, he could reveal the contract.

He did not want to take a chance on her only agreeing because she felt pressured into taking her sister’s place.

The clock on the mantlepiece struck the hour, and Oliver rose to his feet. It was time for rehearsal. Time to see Pippa. He would begin his campaign immediately and hope he could get her agreement before her father arrived.

Pippa could not help humming to herself as she walked to her room after supper and a family evening in the drawing room. Mother had excused herself a little early, pleading a headache, but Pippa had stayed to play riotous games with the Dalston cousins.

And Oliver, of course.

He had partnered her for every game, from charades to spillikins to elements, scarcely leaving her side unless it was to fetch her a glass of punch or a biscuit from the trays the servants brought in.