hate to dance.”
And he had. Every young lady he used to dance with had wanted a proper courtship and marriage—so very boring. All he’d wanted to do was shock them with the lascivious direction of his thoughts, but he’d held himself back. Now he had his own woman to seduce, and the rest of them paled in his memory like ghosts of a forgotten past.
“If there’s dancing, you will dance,” Matthew said. “It’s part of our bargain.”
“Yes, Captain,” she said grimly, giving him a salute.
An hour later, when they all stood in Lord Sydney’s drawing room with another dozen guests, Matthew lost sight of Susanna in the face of an eager crowd. They gathered about him, all talking at once, the ladies dabbing their eyes and repeatedly hugging Lady Rosa, the men clapping Professor Leland on the back. Over and over Matthew explained how the mistake of his death announcement had happened. At least a half dozen times the women exclaimed over “dear” Emily’s bravery until Emily blushed at last.
He noticed that Emily remained with his family and not the other women, but then again, his parents had warned him that her closest friends were his sisters.
When Reggie brought him a claret, Matthew was able to step back against the wall. He downed a healthy swallow. “It’s so close in here, it might as well be summer.”
Reggie glanced past him, arching a brow.
“Or perhaps there’s another reason you’re overheated?”
Matthew followed his gaze and saw Emily standing with Rebecca. He smiled. “Why, yes, perhaps there is a contributing factor. But where is Susanna?” Then he caught sight of her against the far wall, amidst the elder ladies and the chaperones. He groaned. “So much for our bargain.”
When Reggie expressed his curiosity, Matthew told him about wanting to help Susanna.
“She is a lovely girl,” Reggie said. “I don’t see the problem.”
“The problem is she’s not a girl, but a woman, a not-quite-so-young woman.”
Reggie shrugged. “Give her time. This is only the first night of your bargain. Instead, tell me about your day with Emily.”
Matthew’s focus returned to his “wife,” although he did look about them to make sure he could speak without being overheard. “She is wily,” he began slowly.
“You still say that with admiration. The bloom is not yet off the rose?”
Matthew chuckled. “I find myself more and more intrigued. Yet I am ever practical. Do you remember a Mr. Tillman, a vicar near Southampton?”
“My mother despaired of me ever being a churchgoer,” Reggie said, taking a healthy sip of his claret.
“So that is a no?”
Reggie only grinned.
“Apparently, he ‘married’ us. His signature is on the forged license. I sent a letter today to the duke’s investigator to look into Emily’s background, specifically this vicar, whom she claims she worked closely with.”
“Worked closely?” Reggie said dubiously.
Matthew gave a soft snort. “Charity work with the other ladies of her village.”
“Ah. And you don’t believe it?”
“I don’t really know what to believe. I am keeping an open mind. It will be several days before I receive an answer.” His smile faded and he found himself once again studying Emily. Softly, he said, “What did she do when she found herself alone after her family’s death? Assuming her childhood was as she said, why wouldn’t a beautiful, well-bred woman just marry a man if she needed to support herself? Unless this marriage she’d created set her free to do as she wished.”
“Yet what has she done?” Reggie asked.
“That’s it, exactly. I heard today that she rides into the village often. I’ll pursue that next.”
“Someone approaches,” Reggie said in warning.
They both focused on Peter Derby, making his way through the milling guests. Matthew watched him glance Emily’s way where she stood with the rest of the Leland family.
“Is that regret in Mr. Derby’s eyes?” Reggie asked.
Matthew
And he had. Every young lady he used to dance with had wanted a proper courtship and marriage—so very boring. All he’d wanted to do was shock them with the lascivious direction of his thoughts, but he’d held himself back. Now he had his own woman to seduce, and the rest of them paled in his memory like ghosts of a forgotten past.
“If there’s dancing, you will dance,” Matthew said. “It’s part of our bargain.”
“Yes, Captain,” she said grimly, giving him a salute.
An hour later, when they all stood in Lord Sydney’s drawing room with another dozen guests, Matthew lost sight of Susanna in the face of an eager crowd. They gathered about him, all talking at once, the ladies dabbing their eyes and repeatedly hugging Lady Rosa, the men clapping Professor Leland on the back. Over and over Matthew explained how the mistake of his death announcement had happened. At least a half dozen times the women exclaimed over “dear” Emily’s bravery until Emily blushed at last.
He noticed that Emily remained with his family and not the other women, but then again, his parents had warned him that her closest friends were his sisters.
When Reggie brought him a claret, Matthew was able to step back against the wall. He downed a healthy swallow. “It’s so close in here, it might as well be summer.”
Reggie glanced past him, arching a brow.
“Or perhaps there’s another reason you’re overheated?”
Matthew followed his gaze and saw Emily standing with Rebecca. He smiled. “Why, yes, perhaps there is a contributing factor. But where is Susanna?” Then he caught sight of her against the far wall, amidst the elder ladies and the chaperones. He groaned. “So much for our bargain.”
When Reggie expressed his curiosity, Matthew told him about wanting to help Susanna.
“She is a lovely girl,” Reggie said. “I don’t see the problem.”
“The problem is she’s not a girl, but a woman, a not-quite-so-young woman.”
Reggie shrugged. “Give her time. This is only the first night of your bargain. Instead, tell me about your day with Emily.”
Matthew’s focus returned to his “wife,” although he did look about them to make sure he could speak without being overheard. “She is wily,” he began slowly.
“You still say that with admiration. The bloom is not yet off the rose?”
Matthew chuckled. “I find myself more and more intrigued. Yet I am ever practical. Do you remember a Mr. Tillman, a vicar near Southampton?”
“My mother despaired of me ever being a churchgoer,” Reggie said, taking a healthy sip of his claret.
“So that is a no?”
Reggie only grinned.
“Apparently, he ‘married’ us. His signature is on the forged license. I sent a letter today to the duke’s investigator to look into Emily’s background, specifically this vicar, whom she claims she worked closely with.”
“Worked closely?” Reggie said dubiously.
Matthew gave a soft snort. “Charity work with the other ladies of her village.”
“Ah. And you don’t believe it?”
“I don’t really know what to believe. I am keeping an open mind. It will be several days before I receive an answer.” His smile faded and he found himself once again studying Emily. Softly, he said, “What did she do when she found herself alone after her family’s death? Assuming her childhood was as she said, why wouldn’t a beautiful, well-bred woman just marry a man if she needed to support herself? Unless this marriage she’d created set her free to do as she wished.”
“Yet what has she done?” Reggie asked.
“That’s it, exactly. I heard today that she rides into the village often. I’ll pursue that next.”
“Someone approaches,” Reggie said in warning.
They both focused on Peter Derby, making his way through the milling guests. Matthew watched him glance Emily’s way where she stood with the rest of the Leland family.
“Is that regret in Mr. Derby’s eyes?” Reggie asked.
Matthew
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