Page 89 of The Paid Companion

“From the sound of things, it is already too late for me, so I may as well enjoy the process.”

“Oh, my dear Elenora, it is not like you to talk that way. I can help you.”

“Indeed?” She was almost amused. “How do you intend to do that.”

“I will take you under my protection. I have the money to do that now. Unlike St. Merryn, I will be discreet. You will not be obliged to face the sneers of Society. I will keep you safely tucked away out of sight. We can be happy at last together, my love, just as we were meant to be.”

Outrage poured through her. Briefly she pondered sticking her fan in Jeremy’s ear.

“Allow me to tell you, sir,” she said through her teeth, “that the prospect of being ruined by St. Merryn is considerably more thrilling than that of becoming your mistress.”

“You are overset,” he soothed. “I understand. Your poor nerves have obviously been under severe stress lately. But when you think about it, you will see that what I am offering is the best solution. It will save you from the great humiliation that awaits you at St. Merryn’s hands.”

“Let me go, Jeremy.”

“I am only trying to protect you.”

She smiled coldly. “The last thing I want is to be under your protection, sir.”

“Do you prefer such an arrangement with St. Merryn because he is wealthier than I am? What good will his money do you when he is finished with you and you face the most complete and utter disaster? You will never again be able to show your face in Polite Society. Your future will be destroyed.”

“You know nothing about my plans for the future.”

“Elenora, you must hear me out. Then perhaps you will understand how dire your situation truly is. I just came from one of my clubs. I saw the entries in the book with my own eyes. This very evening young Geddings wagered two thousand pounds that St. Merryn will cast you off at the end of the Season. His bet was merely one of many. Some of the sums involved are quite enormous.”

“It never fails to astonish me that so many well-educated men can be such fools.”

“They are all wagering that the engagement is a sham. The only variation in the betting concerns the exact date when he will cast you aside. Most favor the end of the Season. A few believe he will keep you in his bed through the summer because the situation is so convenient for him.”

In a sense, Arthurwasgoing to let her go when this business was finished, she thought glumly. It was decidedly irritating to realize that so many of the gentlemen of the ton who were placing wagers on her future would make a handsome profit at her expense. It was not at all fair.

At that instant, a stunning thought struck her with more force than a bolt of lightning could have done.

I know precisely how this affair will end.

She could, in fact, see her own lonely future far more clearly than any of the gentlemen in the clubs. As soon as Arthur caught the killer, she would be able to fix an exact date for the end of their association.

It was a very depressing thought, but she could not ignore the financial implications. She was the one person in this situation, aside from Arthur, of course, who could place a wager on how it would end with absolute certainty.

It would not be a simple matter, she reminded herself. She tapped her folded fan against her palm, thinking quickly. There were one or two obstacles that would have to be dealt with. After all, no lady could walk into a gentlemen’s club and ask to put down a bet. She required the assistance of someone who could be trusted to place the wager in his name on her behalf.

“Elenora?” Jeremy gave her a small shake. “Did you hear me? Wagers are going down all over town as we speak. Where is your pride? You cannot allow St. Merryn to treat you in this despicable manner.”

Pull yourself together,Elenora thought. She was supposed to be playing a part here.

“Nonsense, Jeremy.” She raised her chin. “I cannot believe that St. Merryn would be so callous as to toss me aside. Why does everyone believe that he would do such a thing?”

That, she thought, was actually a very good question. Whathadled to this sudden spurt of wagers this evening?

“They say he got you from an agency,” Jeremy told her.

At that news she relaxed. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jeremy. That nonsense about selecting me from an agency has been a joke from the start of this affair. Everyone knows that. Have you no sense of humor?”

He squinted slightly. “Until tonight I and everyone else believed that the tale was, indeed, St. Merryn’s eccentric notion of an amusing jest. But now the gossip is going around that it is the truth, that he actuallydidobtain your services from an agency that supplies paid companions.”

“Why would he do that? With his money and title, he could take his pick of fiancées from among the young ladies of the ton.”

“Don’t you see? The word is that he went to an agency to hire an impoverished paid companion precisely because he has no intention of marrying. He merely wished to amuse himself with a mistress he could keep conveniently at hand under his own roof and parade in front of the ton. It is just another one of his infamous stratagems. The man is notorious for his clever schemes.”

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