The Headstrong Ward by Jane Ashford Page A

through them and choose the ones you wish to accept.”
    â€œI?”
    He raised one blond eyebrow. “Who else? You are the one coming out this season.”
    â€œBut I don’t know any of the people. How will I choose?”
    â€œOh, Laurence can help you with that,” he replied carelessly.
    â€œAnd do you not wish to be consulted?”
    â€œNo. I shall not be attending most of them. You and Laurence and Edward must go where you like.”
    She took the envelopes. “Very well.” He nodded and turned to leave. “Charles?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œAre you…are you very busy? Might I talk to you for a moment?”
    â€œI was on my way out.” He met her eye and shrugged. “I can delay a short time, however.”
    â€œThank you.” She went to sit on the sofa. “I feel I must speak to you about Laurence. I am determined in my own mind, but it does not seem right to do anything without consulting you. You are the head of the family, after all.”
    Lord Wrenley’s face hardened. “Consulting me?”
    Anne nodded. She looked down at the pile of envelopes in her hands. “Charles, I am…convinced that Miss Branwell is not a proper match for Laurence. I thought so before, but now I am certain. They will not be happy.”
    The viscount’s lips turned down. “And what do you expect me to do about it?” he answered coldly. “I warn you that I shall do nothing.”
    Anne gazed at him. There was no hint of emotion in his eyes. “I know your feelings on the subject,” she agreed. “So I thought I would do something. But I wanted to tell you first.”
    The icy withdrawal in his face was softened by puzzlement. “You? But why should you? Laurence’s happiness is not your responsibility.”
    â€œI cannot understand your complete lack of interest in these questions—for Edward as well.”
    â€œAnd I cannot understand your concern about them. Why should you care, Anne?”
    Their eyes met in mutual incomprehension and held for a long moment. Charles was clearly intrigued. It was almost the first sign of real feeling Anne had seen him show. She sought words to explain. “I…I can’t help but be concerned,” she said at last. “Laurence has been kind to me; I have known him since I was a child. I want him to be happy.”
    Lord Wrenley continued to watch her.
    â€œAnd…I want to do what I can to help him become so.”
    â€œBecome?” He seemed to examine the word.
    â€œYes. And Edward, too.”
    â€œYou believe, then, that they are not happy now?”
    Anne blinked. “What…what do you mean?”
    â€œYou used the word ‘become.’ It implies that neither of my brothers is, in your view, happy now, if they must ‘become’ so.”
    She flushed. “I didn’t mean… I wasn’t thinking of that when I spoke.”
    â€œPrecisely. You used it automatically.” The viscount still gazed at her as if at some rare new breed of animal. It was astonishing to him that anyone should wish to shoulder the sort of responsibility that he had always found so irksome. To feel that another’s happiness depended on one’s actions—this had seemed a burden to him since the age of sixteen. He had thought Anne foolish to seek it, but he had also been convinced that she would soon change her mind; it was doubly surprising that she persisted.
    Anne was looking down in confusion.
    â€œAnd what of me?” added Lord Wrenley.
    â€œYou?”
    â€œDo you include me in your program for happiness?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in habitual condescension.
    Her flush deepening painfully, Anne stammered, “I did not think… I would not presume…”
    â€œGood. In that case, you may meddle all you like, as long as I am not bothered with the consequences. Does that satisfy your scruples?”
    A spark of anger