Page 51 of Wagering for Miss Blake (Lords and Ladies in Love 4)

Sometimes her mother could be absolutely wretched. Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, and faced with the beginning of a megrim, Suzanna asked to be excused.

Mother turned. “Unfasten me. That useless maid must have gone to bed already. I will give her a tongue lashing in the morning.”

Suzanna diligently undid the long row of buttons on her mother’s gown and unlaced her stays. “May I be excused now?”

“Yes, find your bed. But remember what I said.”

Lying in her bed now, Suzanna blew out a deep breath. The Giles she’d come to know over the past weeks was nothing if not tenacious. Even though they hadn’t been able to spend any more time together once Mother tugged her away at the end of the waltz and presented her to Lord Ambrose—like a prize on a platter—Suzanna worried that Giles would do something very soon to cause an uproar.

…

Giles tugged on the cuffs of his jacket, then dropped the knocker on the front door of the Montfords’s townhouse. It mattered not that Suzanna had told him her father would not allow anyone without a title to request permission to court her. From what he’d seen of the man, he seemed a devoted husband and father. Certainly, any father would be delighted to know his daughter was being courted by a wealthy man who loved her to distraction and would provide well for her.

Even though there was a wager between them, he felt no qualms at helping along his side, since he planned to send the money to the orphanage anyway.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Templeton. Shall I tell Miss Blake you are calling?” Jamie stepped back, allowing Giles to enter.

“I would like to speak with Mr. Blake, if he is available.” Giles held out his card to the man.

If Jamie was surprised by his request, as all good butlers, he did not show it. “Certainly. If you will follow me to the library, I will see if Mr. Blake is accepting callers.”

Giles entered the library and strolled to the window while he awaited Suzanna’s father.

He’d thought about rehearsing what he wanted to say but decided forthright speaking directly from the heart was the best way to present himself to his future father-in-law.

As Mr. Blake entered, Giles was reminded that the man was not an imposing figure, but looked rather like a soft-spoken, easy-of-manner man. He walked across the room and held out his hand. “Mr. Templeton? I don’t believe we’ve spoken, although I remember you from the day we arrived.”

Giles shook his hand. “Yes, sir. I was present that day. I had hoped to speak with you last evening at the Eversons’ ball, but we ended up in different rooms.”

“Not a card player, are you?”

“Yes. On occasion. Last night I chose to pass on the games.”

Mr. Blake waved to a chair in a small grouping in front of the fireplace. “Won’t you have a seat? Would you care for some brandy, or I can ring for tea?”

Keeping a clear head, and making a good impression uppermost in his mind, he said, “Thank you, no.”

Once they were both settled, Mr. Blake sat back in his chair, resting his hands on the arms. “What can I do for you, Templeton?”

“I have come to request permission to court Miss Blake.” There, it was out. No fussing, no hedging, just straight out.

To Giles surprise, Mr. Blake did not seem surprised. His face remained passive, and putting his fingertips together, he tapped on his lips and continued to study him for a few moments. “I am sorry to disappoint you, young man, but I am afraid I cannot grant you the permission you seek.”

Well, that certainly didn’t take a whole lot of time and thought.

“May I ask why not?”

“First of all, I know nothing about you.”

Giles dipped his head in understanding. “You are right. I apologize for neglecting to begin my conversation in the correct manner. I am the third son of the Earl of Wexford. I have an estate in Bedfordshire next to the Abbey—the Duke of Bedford’s estate. My land and home were granted to me, along with a generous income, by my maternal grandparents. I have turned that income into enough money to provide well for a wife and as many children that appear for the rest of our lives.

“I also have a townhouse here in London. I do not gamble or drink to excess. My name has not been linked to any scandals, and although I have had my share of liaisons, it is my full intention to remain true to my marriage vows when I take a wife.”

Mr. Blake merely nodded with Giles’s comments, then said, “Why my daughter? Surely someone as settled as you, with your wealth and good looks, must be quite the catch.”

Stunned by that esoteric remark, he said, “Perhaps. However, it has always been my intention to love the woman I marry. That has never happened, until I met Miss Blake.”

The man stood and walked to the sideboard and poured a brandy. He turned and held up the bottle. “Are you sure?”