Page 45 of 10 Things I Hate About the Earl

“For good.” After a long night of tossing, and turning, and tears, she’d risen with the dawn, determined to leave behind London and the whole wretched mess concerning the Earl of Haversham. Better to remain a spinster in the country than to have to listen to the sniggers and gossip of the ton about “poor Miss Locke who turned down her only chance at marriage. A marriage to pay off a wager is better than none at all.” What did they know? Solitude in her brother’s household was better than staying to such scorn and ridicule.

She dropped the yellow gown into the trunk and clenched her hands. How could she have been such a ninny? Never again would she risk her heart with a man who made her love him when he didn’t love her.

“You are not serious.” Celinda picked up the nightgowns and carried them back toward the open dressing room.

“Oh, yes, I am. Stop that, Celinda. Give those back to me.” Kate tried to snatch the clothing out of Celinda’s hands, but her cousin stepped nimbly away, holding the garments out of reach.

“Tell me what’s happened. Your note said only to come and say goodbye, not why.”

Kate swallowed back more tears. She didn’t want to cry anymore. “Oh, Celinda, I’ve been such an awful fool.”

Somehow, they were seated on the bed as she told Celinda everything about the courtship, the proposal, and the secret wager, though she could not bring herself to confess her gravest folly.

“Well, it wasn’t actually a wager, it seems.” Her cousin handed her another clean handkerchief from one of the piles they had pushed aside.

“It’s just as bad,” Kate wailed, mopping her face. “He agreed to marry me to pay off a debt. That’s even worse. My brother practically sold me to him for three thousand pounds.” She forced herself to calm her breathing. She didn’t want to faint into the bargain. “I don’t know which one of them I hate more.”

“The problem is that you love both of them.” Celinda sighed and tucked a foot underneath her. “You wouldn’t be so distraught if you didn’t.”

“I…but… Don’t be ridiculous.” Kate slid off the bed, pacing to the window with angry strides. She hated Nathan for making that despicable offer and hated Marcus even more for agreeing to it. And for making her fall in love with him. Drat these tears. She hated them most for making her cry.

“I’m not being ridiculous, and you know it. Look at me and tell me you’re not in love with Lord Haversham.”

Kate whirled around to stare at her beautiful blond cousin, trying to decide if she didn’t hate her as well. She didn’t want to think about Marcus, much less talk about him. Yet she couldn’t stop herself. “Whether or not I love him is beside the point. He doesn’t love me.” Despite what he’d confessed in the throes of passion, he couldn’t truly love her if he’d agreed to marry her to pay off a debt. Her heart constricted until she could scarcely breathe each time she thought of it. “The only reason he courted me was for the wretched money.”

“Hmmm.” Celinda jumped to the floor, grabbed Kate’s hand, and led her back to the bed. “I suspect that may indeed have been the original reason for his wooing you, but to be fair, Lord Haversham is not the first nobleman to need to marry for money. His method of doing so may have been unorthodox, but there is no shame in the motive itself. However, I also suspect his reasons changed over the course of the courtship.”

“How could you think that?” Kate blew her nose, unwilling to entertain such a seductive notion.

“Because of what transpired this past Friday night.” Celinda nodded, a triumphant smile on her face.

“Last Friday night?” Kate peered at her, baffled. She couldn’t even remember where she’d gone that evening amidst the past weeks’ whirl of activities.

“I was at Mrs. Doyle’s for supper and cards.” Celinda cocked her head, excitement in her eyes.

“Nathan and I attended a political dinner that night instead.” Kate frowned. “What difference would that make?”

“I met Lord Finley there as well.”

“I’m sure that was to your good fortune, rather than mine.” Kate’s frown deepened. What the devil was her cousin getting at?

“You may think differently in a moment. After supper, I was detained by our hostess then couldn’t find Lord Finley until almost the end of the party.” Celinda’s brows dipped briefly. “That was most annoying as I wanted his company particularly that evening. Papa is being difficult again about the man I wish to marry.” She gave herself a little shake and smiled at Kate. “Anyway, when I finally found him again, he apologized most abjectly and told me he’d been caught up in a very spirited game of Bezique with Lord Haversham.”

Kate sniffed. “I’m sure that’s no concern of mine.”

“Oh, but it is, my dear.” Celinda drew closer to her. “Lord Finley said he’d have to be careful when playing with Lord Haversham in the future, for the man was uncannily good at the game and had trounced him soundly.”

Kate swallowed, trying to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. “Did he say how much he’d lost?”

“Not to me, no, but the very next day, Lord Carmichael, who’s in the same club as Lord Finley, told Lady Carmichael, who told Lady Margery Scopes, who told Mrs. Hatcherd, who my maid Cutter overheard tell my mother that Lord Finley had lost five thousand pounds and paid it without blinking an eye.” Celinda’s triumphant voice rang in Kate’s ears. “I am so happy that Mamma heard this because now she can confirm what I’ve told her about Lord Finley’s assets, and she can tell Papa. A man who can lose that much without flinching must be well set up financially. Papa must see that in a favorable light.” Her cousin finished her recitation and beamed at Kate.

“You’re sure it was five thousand pounds Lord Finley lost?” Kate’s hands had grown damp, and she wiped them on her skirt, heedless of the stain. If this was true, Marcus had gained a fortune the day before they’d made love. At that moment, he hadn’t needed to marry her to pay his debt to Nathan. And if he hadn’t planned to marry her, he wouldn’t have allowed that tryst to happen. She might believe many horrible things about him, but she would swear on her life he was an honorable gentleman above all.

“I suspect Lord Haversham may have begun courting you with an eye to cancelling the debt but fell in love along the way.” Celinda’s cornflower blue eyes twinkled. “Why would he propose to a woman he loathed if there was no need?”

Could that be true? A flicker of hope began to thaw the icy ring surrounding her heart. If Marcus had no feelings for her at all, wouldn’t he have simply paid Nathan as soon as he received the funds? She glanced at Celinda. “There was another reason for his proposal.”

Her cousin cocked her head. “What reason?”