Page 30 of Any Rogue Will Do
Amesbury exhaled with a great sigh, leaning back on the sofa beside her. “You may have tae catch me up. Are you two engaged? Were you?”
“Like I told you before, his father and mine are friends. They proposed the match, and I flatly declined, back before I came to London.”
A maid arrived with a tea cart, and Amesbury waved for Lottie to sit back. Ignoring etiquette entirely, he poured her a cup, then one for himself. “Two sugars, right? That’s how you took it at the inn.”
Lottie cradled the delicate teacup and stared down at the liquid. He’d paid attention to how she liked her tea, and at the moment, that was the sweetest thing she could remember anyone doing for her. “Thank you. I can’t believe you remembered.”
Amesbury blew on his beverage and waved for her to continue her tale. “Carry on. The earl arranged the match, and you refused.”
“Yes. There was a big row until he finally agreed to let me come to London to find a husband, with one stipulation. I have until Parliament convenes in November. If I don’t find someone suitable by then, I have to accept Montague.”
He furrowed his brow and swallowed. “But Montague seems tae think there’s a different timeline.”
“Exactly. Also, I told Montague in no uncertain terms that I’d never marry him. And apparently, Father never passed along my original answer to the match. Montague is pushing forward, and Father is too far away to handle any of this in a timely manner. It’s a disaster.”
“Manipulative bastard.” Amesbury ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry for the language.”
Lottie shrugged. “Think nothing of it. Had you arrived five minutes earlier, you would have heard far worse.”
“He has the earl’s permission. Can he force you?”
“Father can certainly try to pressure me, but I’m of age. I refuse to marry Montague. Suffice it to say, he showed his true colors, and I found the shade did not suit me. My concern at this moment is more for exiting the immediate situation and then handling whatever underhanded dealings my father and his friend have been up to. We had an agreement, and by accepting the match, Father has broken that deal.”
Sighing, Amesbury shook his head. “What can I do?”
The fact that he’d offered to help in any way made her smile. “I bet you didn’t know agreeing to be my friend would involve all this, did you? I don’t know what to do. Every option I think of ends in scandal, shame, or a lifetime of dealing with that man.”
“You’re a better person than I. The plans I’ve considered in the last few minutes all end with a body disposal,” Amesbury said.
Her laugh felt wonderful after a day of darker emotions. “Do all Scotsmen have this homicidal bent?”
He grinned, and a bit of hope speared her. As allies went, this giant man was a good one, if only to lift her spirits. When his expression turned serious, she could practically see the wheels turning in his head.
“You have an idea. What is it?” She tilted her head toward him, and he met her halfway, with mere inches of sofa between them.
“How far are you willing tae go tae get rid of Montague?” he asked, and his low voice felt like a caress.
Lord, his eyes were blue. The thought distracted her for a moment, sending a fizzing sensation loose in her chest. They’d been closer than this on the balcony but not by much. Memories of their near kiss and then watching him disrobe from her window heated that fizzy feeling into a warmth settling low within her. Friends probably weren’t supposed to think of one another that way, but with the memories replaying and him so close, Lottie was having a hard time shoving the emotions back in place. “What are you thinking?”
“Montague can’t publish an engagement announcement tae you if you’re already promised tae someone else.” He grinned, bringing the dimple out.
Lottie blinked, connecting his suggestion to the situation. “You? You’re asking me to marry you?” Granted, she’d instigated friendship, and she might have just been admiring his dimple, but marrying him was a bit of a stretch. Not an abhorrent thought, oddly enough, but not the answer she’d expected either.
“You don’ need tae follow through with it, lass. When we’re ready, you end it. Quietly or publicly. I’m at your mercy. Or we can set a time limit if you like. Maybe a month? Then you will be free tae find a man the earl will accept.”
She cocked her head, resting it against the back of the sofa. “You’d do that?”
He moved first, breaking the odd tension that had risen with their noses almost touching. Leaning his elbows on his knees, he laced and unlaced his fingers over and over, as if nervous. “Aye. What better way for me tae show society how wrong I was about you than tae tell the world I want you?” His voice was rough as he stared at his hands. “Montague said he’s posting the engagement announcement in Friday’s paper, aye?”
Straightening, Lottie grappled with the details of this plan. A fake engagement might work. “I believe he is giving me time to come about to his way of thinking.”
Amesbury shot her a grin. “I might not know you well, but even I know you won’ be changing your mind on this.” He pulled a pocket watch from his waistcoat and flipped open the cover to check the time. “The print deadline is rapidly approaching. But our announcement doesn’ have tae be in tomorrow’s paper. We can still spike his guns if we get the news into Thursday’s edition. That gives you until this time tomorrow tae make your decision.”
It was the only choice she had, and for reasons she wasn’t willing to explore now, the idea of an engagement to Amesbury wasn’t abhorrent. Yes, she’d still have to deal with Father. But she could slay only one dragon at a time, and this would neutralize Montague’s threat. “We bring our close friends in on the plan. I won’t lie to Agatha.”
He nodded.
“And even though this engagement will be temporary, this is my first proposal—”
