interfering.” Cicely glanced at Andrew but could tell nothing from his expression. It was as if a mask had settled over his face. “So Eugénie and I decided to look at the books. We hadn’t been there long when you and Mr. Munford came in.”
A tick formed in Andrew’s jaw, and a deep frown appeared on his countenance. “Go on.”
Cicely prayed he wasn’t angry with her or Eugénie. “When we got to my bedchamber, she looked so strange that I asked her what had happened. She told me Mr. Munford had kissed her, and I think more besides. She was very affected. You see, she’d never been kissed before and kept touching her lips. I promised I’d help keep her away from him.” Cicely paused. “I know he’s your friend, but I don’t think he’s a very nice man.”
“He has many good qualities, but”—Andrew’s lips formed a thin line—“there are times when he fails to consider the consequences.” He rubbed his temples as if he was getting a headache. “His name is not Munford. It is William, Viscount Wivenly.”
“Wivenly!” This changed everything, and Cicely didn’t know if it was for the better or not. “I don’t understand. Why did he lie about who he was?”
“He wanted to learn what was going on here before he announced his presence. Now that he has, he’s dismissed Howden and will find a new manager who can be trusted. Other problems have cropped up as well.”
“What will Lord Wivenly do about Eugénie?”
Andrew raised her hands to his lips. “Don’t worry.” Andrew’s voice was a low rumble. “You can leave your friend’s problems to me. It is past time Viscount Wivenly was taught a lesson.”
Cicely breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew I could count on you.”
“You may always depend upon me.” Andrew stood, drawing her with him, wrapping his arms around her. “For the present, we have a wedding to plan. I do not wish to wait long before making you Mrs. Grayson.”
Mrs. Grayson. That sounded perfect. Cicely smiled. This was all going so well.
Chapter 8
H ervé, Vicomte de Villaret de Joyeuse, pushed back from the dining table of the house he’d borrowed in the Queen’s Quarter of Charlotte Amalie. He turned his attention to the servant cleaning the table. “When Mr. Shipley arrives, send him to the library.”
“Oui, Monsieur le Vicomte . ”
Several moments later, the servant left. Hervé hated this place. The heat was far worse than the Languedoc region of France, where his family’s estate was located. He would not have been required to come here at all if his former sister-in-law, Sidonie Wivenly, had not refused to consider the excellent marriage he proposed for Eugénie. Yet she had, and the only option he could think of was to convince Mr. Nathan Wivenly to his side.
Hervé had only wanted to speak with the man before Wivenly reached St. Thomas. Then the pirate he’d hired made a mess of things, killing the crew and abducting Nathan Wivenly. Hervé was certain that the man would have come around to the marriage—after all, he was a man of the world—but he was still on death’s door when Hervé had to leave Martinique and travel to St. Thomas. Now time was running short, and Wivenly would probably not be disposed to help Hervé. The only choice was to keep the man where he was until Eugénie was wed.
Imbéciles et incompétents. Now Hervé was forced to use Shipley. Who’d already attempted to forcibly abduct Eugénie and failed.
What should have been a simple matter of making a good marriage for his niece and the house of Villaret de Joyeuse had turned into a farce. Sidonie had no business refusing him. Eugénie owed something to her father’s family. That was the purpose of a woman, to wed in furtherance of her family’s well-being. Sidonie owed him as well. After all, Hervé had allowed her to keep the child. He sighed. No good deed goes unpunished. He should have insisted the child be brought to France years ago after her father died. Still,
A tick formed in Andrew’s jaw, and a deep frown appeared on his countenance. “Go on.”
Cicely prayed he wasn’t angry with her or Eugénie. “When we got to my bedchamber, she looked so strange that I asked her what had happened. She told me Mr. Munford had kissed her, and I think more besides. She was very affected. You see, she’d never been kissed before and kept touching her lips. I promised I’d help keep her away from him.” Cicely paused. “I know he’s your friend, but I don’t think he’s a very nice man.”
“He has many good qualities, but”—Andrew’s lips formed a thin line—“there are times when he fails to consider the consequences.” He rubbed his temples as if he was getting a headache. “His name is not Munford. It is William, Viscount Wivenly.”
“Wivenly!” This changed everything, and Cicely didn’t know if it was for the better or not. “I don’t understand. Why did he lie about who he was?”
“He wanted to learn what was going on here before he announced his presence. Now that he has, he’s dismissed Howden and will find a new manager who can be trusted. Other problems have cropped up as well.”
“What will Lord Wivenly do about Eugénie?”
Andrew raised her hands to his lips. “Don’t worry.” Andrew’s voice was a low rumble. “You can leave your friend’s problems to me. It is past time Viscount Wivenly was taught a lesson.”
Cicely breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew I could count on you.”
“You may always depend upon me.” Andrew stood, drawing her with him, wrapping his arms around her. “For the present, we have a wedding to plan. I do not wish to wait long before making you Mrs. Grayson.”
Mrs. Grayson. That sounded perfect. Cicely smiled. This was all going so well.
Chapter 8
H ervé, Vicomte de Villaret de Joyeuse, pushed back from the dining table of the house he’d borrowed in the Queen’s Quarter of Charlotte Amalie. He turned his attention to the servant cleaning the table. “When Mr. Shipley arrives, send him to the library.”
“Oui, Monsieur le Vicomte . ”
Several moments later, the servant left. Hervé hated this place. The heat was far worse than the Languedoc region of France, where his family’s estate was located. He would not have been required to come here at all if his former sister-in-law, Sidonie Wivenly, had not refused to consider the excellent marriage he proposed for Eugénie. Yet she had, and the only option he could think of was to convince Mr. Nathan Wivenly to his side.
Hervé had only wanted to speak with the man before Wivenly reached St. Thomas. Then the pirate he’d hired made a mess of things, killing the crew and abducting Nathan Wivenly. Hervé was certain that the man would have come around to the marriage—after all, he was a man of the world—but he was still on death’s door when Hervé had to leave Martinique and travel to St. Thomas. Now time was running short, and Wivenly would probably not be disposed to help Hervé. The only choice was to keep the man where he was until Eugénie was wed.
Imbéciles et incompétents. Now Hervé was forced to use Shipley. Who’d already attempted to forcibly abduct Eugénie and failed.
What should have been a simple matter of making a good marriage for his niece and the house of Villaret de Joyeuse had turned into a farce. Sidonie had no business refusing him. Eugénie owed something to her father’s family. That was the purpose of a woman, to wed in furtherance of her family’s well-being. Sidonie owed him as well. After all, Hervé had allowed her to keep the child. He sighed. No good deed goes unpunished. He should have insisted the child be brought to France years ago after her father died. Still,
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