Page 33 of The Marquess’s Forbidden Bride

‘With her son first in line for the succession, I imagine her relief at knowing you don’t intend to wed soon balanced out her displeasure at your insisting on making your own choice.’

‘I suppose. We then took tea like civilised creatures and parted cordially.’

‘What about Lady Routham? Did the mother persuade her daughter to return to the country?’

‘No mention was made of Lady Routham during our talk.’ He sighed. ‘But, not to my great surprise, she was lying in wait for me when I ended my interview with her mother.’

‘Oh, dear,’ Miss Wellingford said with a look of mild dismay. ‘I don’t imagine that conversation went as well.’

Charles gave a short laugh, remembering. ‘I made her a bow, told her we had nothing to discuss and began to walk away. She actually seized my arm and asked that I not be so hasty. Still clutching my sleeve, she gave me a sort of backhand apology, saying she hoped I would excuse her “excess of zeal” on her brother’s part.’

He gave a huff of disdain. ‘I was tempted to tell her I was unlikely to excuse her extreme incivility toward you, an altogether innocent party in these proceedings. But as she was offering a sort of peace, I decided not to risk shattering it before it had barely begun.’

‘Very forbearing of you.’

He grinned. ‘I like to think so. Anyway, when I said I do admire family loyalty, she replied that I should interpret her behaviour as just that, something we could both appreciate. Since whether or not we liked it, we are now family, we must carry on in the best interests of the marquisate, a statement with which I could also agree. Then, in a return of supreme arrogance, she informed me that in the interest of bringing up to snuff an army man not raised to be marquess, she would take it upon herself to introduce me to “suitable” Society.’

Sarah laughed. ‘She thinks you spend your days in public houses, getting drunk with officers on half pay?’

‘She evidently thinks I might without her “elevated” guidance. She wants to guide me in the matter of matrimony, too.’

‘She’s not pushing you to marry, surely!’

Charles gestured towards the trees. ‘I imagine she’d prefer to have some French sniper hide away in Hyde Park and assassinate me, so her brother could reclaim the title. Still, she said she knew I wouldn’t allow her to dictate who I considered a friend but begged me to consider the agony her mother had suffered because of her brother’s disgrace.’

He gave a short laugh. ‘With an irony that was lost on her, I replied that I knew something about that. She continued to explain that Beallaugh’s exile had not just meant her mother lost the company of her dearest sibling, the scandal of the affair nearly caused the breakdown of negotiations then going forward for her mother to wed my father. The termination of those agreements would have lost her mother her eventual status as Marchioness. Having the Strattons break off the engagement would also have ruined her chances to make any other advantageous marriage.’

‘As the scandal did my aunt’s,’ Miss Wellingford inserted acerbically.

‘Indeed. She concluded by magnanimously agreeing to accept my inheriting the title and offering again to introduce me to ladies she considered suitable brides for a marquess. Then stated that if I had any proper feeling for the sensibilities of Lady Richland, I would stop seeing “that Wellingford chit”. Upon which I informed her that if she wished to maintain peace between us, she had better never refer to you in such demeaning terms again.’

Taking a deep breath, Miss Wellingford nodded. ‘I’m not surprised she urges you to avoid me. I suppose it would be better if we were not to see each other—at least for now.’

He’d hoped for a protest, but she seemed actually…agreeable to a break. Something like consternation filling him, he retorted, ‘Is that what you want—for us not to see each other?’

‘No!’ she burst out, the vehemence of that protest reassuring him. ‘But there’s no denying this transition, which was already going to be difficult for you, has been made only more so by our families’ unfortunate history. It would be wise to give all parties time to become accustomed to the situation.’

‘After facing down Napoleon’s Old Guard at Waterloo, I’m hardly rattled by the prospect of my stepsister’s wrath.’

‘You might not be, but I am!’

Though she’d reacted with grace and courage to Lady Routham’s attack, it apparently had shaken her more than she had admitted. Tenderness and a fierce protective wrath filling him at that realisation, he said, ‘You can’t believe I’d allow her to abuse you again!’

‘No, I’m sure you wouldn’t. But disliking unpleasantness, I’d rather avoid even the possibility of another confrontation. For a while, at least until Lady Routham…becomes more resigned to the situation.’

‘Would that truly set your mind at ease?’

‘It would,’ she admitted, then gave him a game smile. ‘Though I will miss having your protection from Lord Aldersby.’

Reluctantly, he nodded. ‘If you truly wish it, I suppose we can only exchange polite greetings when we meet at large entertainments—for a while. A short while. After all, in the interim, who is going to protect me from importunate misses?’

She smiled at that, as he’d hoped she would. ‘Lady Jersey made an excellent beginning at the Croxtons’ ball. I imagine she will continue, at least until she tires of the sport or discovers a new object on whom to practice her flirtations.’

‘So when we do meet, we can only nod and smile? I’ll not get my two waltzes? Or come to your rescue when Lord Aldersby is importunate?’

‘I shall have to rescue myself,’ she said, but her smile faltered. ‘I had some practice before your arrival, after all.’

They walked in silence, he feeling as bereft as her troubled expression seemed to indicate she was. Seeing her…but not dancing with her? Not laughing over the foibles of the entitled aristocrats? Not sharing refreshments and her refreshing views on the world?