Page 16 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

She lifted her chin and ignored him.

The earl leaped up on the other side and they got going. As she relaxed, she realised how smoothly the carriage travelled despite the roughness of the lane—pure luxury. He must be very wealthy indeed. All these years, with Papa taking so little interest in managing their property, she’d been pinching pennies, saving what she could to ensure that, when the time came, her sisters could have a decent come-out. There had been nothing left for horses, let alone carriages.

‘What is your suggestion for dealing with Lady March?’ he said, bringing her thoughts back to the matter at hand.

‘Perhaps if she understands that both families wish to get to the truth, she might be willing to assist us.’

‘I hope your influence is as great as you think,’ he said doubtfully.

So did she.

Graydon frowned at the ruts in the lane, carefully avoiding the worst of them. Not only for the lady’s sake, he assured himself, but primarily for that of his horse.

The answer from Lady March as relayed by the maid at the front door had been, ‘never shall a thieving Ingram set foot over my threshold’.

‘She does not like my family,’ he said. I don’t know what was done to—’

‘As I understand it, your father found himself below the hatches and used what were supposed to be diamonds as collateral for a loan he could not repay. They were paste.’

He winced. ‘I know from my mother that Father took advantage of some friends, but she told me that he had made restitution.’

‘I do not know the details, but whatever happened left a bad taste in the mouths of the county’s most influential families.’

Likely the reason his father had lived out his last days at his hunting box, not to mention the cut he’d received from the Prince of Wales. After that, even Father had not had the gall to show his face in London again. The person hurt the most by his father’s behaviour had been his mother…

His hands tightened on the reins and his horse tossed its head. He relaxed. The last thing he wanted was to tip them into a ditch.

‘I will make things right, but I won’t be taken for a fool.’ He still did not believe this nonsense about his ancestors stealing Dearing land. ‘To be honest, I do not see how talking to Lady March is going to help my case when she has already made up her mind.’

He glanced at her face to see her reaction. She was looking thoughtful, which didn’t tell him much.

‘I was wondering that myself,’ she said.

He prepared to slow the carriage and turn around.

‘However,’ she continued, ‘If anyone knows the history of the dispute between our families, it is she. If we don’t fully understand the problem, it will be harder to solve.’

He held steady on the road. ‘If we solve it…’ he was careful to emphasise the ‘if’ in his words ‘…what is the recompense you will require?’

She half-turned in her seat, her hands gripped in her lap. ‘As I said before, if you were to hold a ball and invite the local gentry, it would be a marvellous opportunity for my sisters.’

‘Why do you not just send them to London? Your sister, Miss Primrose, would certainly garner all the attention you and she would desire.’

Her lips tightened. ‘The expense of a successful come-out is beyond our means. There is also Iris to consider.’

‘And yourself.’

She waved a dismissive hand. ‘I am content as I am.’

He stared at her in surprise, and had to quickly turn his attention back to his horse as it began to pick up speed down a hill.

‘The drive is around the next corner; you need to slow down,’ she said.

Such a dictatorial young woman. ‘I know. I have been here before.’

The opportunity to ask her why she did not wish to marry was lost and he negotiated the turn and drew up once more in front of Lady March’s square red brick house.

She turned to him. ‘Let me do the talking, once we are admitted to the house. Lady March can be difficult at times.’