Page 17 of Marrying the Wrong Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love 2)

“Tell me a bit about yourself, Arabella.” He glanced at her sideways. “I assume I am permitted to use your given name?”

“Yes, of course. Since I am friends with Eugenia, I assume you already know a little about me.”

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“A few things. I also know you like to take cats to the park that escape your hold and require rescue.”

Arabella shifted her parasol handle from one shoulder to the other as the vehicle took a turn in the other direction. She tilted her head and smiled. “And I know you spend time at parks to be available for young ladies to ask you to rescue their animals.” She tilted her head in a saucy manner and spun her parasol.

Nash grinned. “Ah, but that is not so. I was merely taking a stroll, trying to enjoy the day, when I was accosted by a screeching furry banshee, with a pretty young lady running after her in a most unladylike manner.”

She flushed. He thought she was pretty? “’Tis hard for one to maintain the demeanor of a lady when one is chasing a cat in the park.”

One eyebrow shot up. “I will need to take your word for that, my dear, since I have never been a lady chasing a cat in the park.”

“You must excuse me if I laugh at the image of you dressed in a gown.” Arabella’s smile faltered. “You have an aversion to animals, then?”

“Not so. I do not dislike animals, I am merely unable to be in the presence of some without suffering a sneezing fit.”

“Miss Aphrodite?”

“Indeed.” He shifted to look at her. “Whatever possessed you to name that devil’s spawn Miss Aphrodite?”

“You do not believe it suits her, my lord?”

He shook his head. “And you, my dear, have managed to dodge my initial question quite nicely. Tell me something about yourself.”

“And then you will do the same?” Lord, she was actually flirting with him. That would not do. Flirting was the forerunner to romance, and all the entanglements following. If she were foolish enough to actually consider this arrangement—a startling thought, that—her life would no longer be her own. Before she knew it, Nash would be controlling her, which she had no intention of tolerating.

“I am the only child of the late Earl of Melrose. I’m sure you know, as most of Society does, once he died, his estate passed into the hands of a distant relative. He will be traveling here to take possession in a few months.”

“So your mother told me last night. I assume that is why she was quite anxious for you to marry.” Ostensibly, their shaky circumstances had been part of the conversation between Nash and Mother.

“Yes. We have been at sixes and sevens over it for some time now. I don’t understand Mother’s concerns. The new earl has offered to allow us to stay on once he arrives. Father left money for Mother’s benefit, as well as my dowry, so her scheming to marry me off to Lord Pembroke confuses me. Although she had mentioned a few times recently that our circumstances were approaching precarious.”

She drew in a deep breath and studied Nash’s hands as he guided the horses around the pathway. “Another reason I feel we will never suit is I am quite fond of animals.” She glanced at him sideways, but he did not react.

“What I mean is I take care of injured animals.”

“I have heard rumors.” He continued to stare straight ahead.

“Yes, well, I’m afraid what you have heard is probably true. They mean a great deal to me, and since I do not wish to discontinue my ‘hobby’ as my mother calls it, a marriage between us would never work.”

Finally, he turned to look at her. “I am not fond of animals. Horses, yes, they have their place—which is not in my house. Cats, I am obviously allergic to, something I never knew until recently. However, as my countess, you will have enough to keep you busy without seeking out injured animals.”

She fisted her hands in her lap. “My lord, your lack of hearing concerns me. May I suggest you summon your doctor to assess your deficiency? I do not intend to marry you.”

His raised eyebrow had her squirming, like a child in trouble. “Indeed?” He steered the carriage around a deep hole in the ground and continued, “I will apply for a special license, which is expected in our circumstances.”

Arabella’s anger rose once again. “I do not wish to discuss this here, so please refrain from making sweeping statements that will only raise my ire and cause unpleasantness.”

Nash’s lips tightened. “I believe we have already settled the matter. If you cry off, your reputation will not recover. All my life, I have ensured that I always behave as a gentleman. I would not be able to continue in that vein if I allowed your reputation to be destroyed when I had the ability to save it.” He turned in her direction. “I agree we have had our differences, but is marriage to me so contemptible that you prefer a spinster’s life under a cloud of scandal?”

A spinster’s life under a cloud of scandal.

A horrid situation, to be sure. Whatever funds Father had left for her and Mother’s care might be enough to buy a small house somewhere in the country and sustain them for a few years. She could always take a post as a companion or governess. Not a wonderful life, to be sure, and certainly not one she would have embraced, given the choice.

Then again, if her reputation were ruined, even a companion or governess position might not be available to her. And, she would be without her animals, for sure. She shuddered to think she might be forced to approach one of the older gentlemen she’d already rejected to announce she had reconsidered his offer. Who was to say they would agree after this? And truthfully, why would she prefer to be stuck with one of them instead of the man sitting beside her?