Page 64 of The Heir's Fortune
They never had.
“I will get right to it, then. I do not have long until I have to return to London.”
“For…”
“There’s a tournament.”
There was always a tournament. Her father was a gambler, but unlike most, he played games of skill – poker, usually – and most often he won. She had asked him to teach her how to win as he did, but despite his less-than-upright pastimes, he had always insisted that she remain respectable. It was the one way he had always chosen to honor her mother, who would have wished it to be so.
“What does that have to do with me?” she asked.
“I was to come collect you this week upon my return to London. So here I am. I also decided it was time I find a wifeand I supposed you could help me pick one. But we must leave today.”
Her jaw dropped. “First, finding a wife is more than justpickingone. And I can hardly leave today. I am not at all prepared and I would prefer more time to say my farewells to Cassandra.”
He sighed. “I thought you might say that. Tomorrow then.”
She narrowed her eyes. He had obviously always been planning on tomorrow. He was negotiating, as always. One would think she would have learned by now.
If this was yesterday, she would have told him no, that she would not be accompanying him to London because she was staying at Castleton indefinitely.
Now, she had no idea what to expect. The fact that Gideon had not even sought her out to speak to her, however, told her more than she would like.
“What am I to do while you are playing poker and courting women in London?”
“The Season starts soon,” he said, the hope in his eyes slight, having dimmed considerably over the years as each Season passed without any success in marrying her off. “Perhaps this is your year. You could have one of these of your own!” He waved a finger around at Jack.
She looked up at him and smiled sarcastically. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”
She knew that he just wanted to be rid of her. He had done his duty by her and now was ready to live a life without being responsible for her. How different he was from Gideon, who took on responsibility with such determination to do right by those who relied on him.
Which made her realize that he would insist on keeping his promise of marriage due to having provided his word, even if he would resent it in the future. She wouldn’t have that.
She had known the moment the promise of the treasure had been taken away from him that he had seen the error of his ways. She just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it.
“Very well,” she said with a sigh. “I will accompany you. I will be ready by tomorrow.”
“Wonderful,” he said, slapping his hands on his thighs. “I’m going for a ride if you would like to join me?”
It was the one interest they had always shared, the one that had allowed them to bond when it had never been possible in any other way.
She waved toward Jack. “I cannot just leave the baby.”
“There’s a nanny around here somewhere, isn’t there? Why are you tending to him anyway?”
She rolled her eyes. “I will see you,” she said, turning her attention back to Jack, partly to hide the tears that pricked her eyes at the thought of leaving Jack, Cassandra, and now, Gideon most of all.
CHAPTER 25
“Jacobs?” Gideon called out as his search for Madeline had, thus far, proved fruitless. “Have you seen Lady Madeline?”
“She is in the drawing room,” the butler said. “She is there with a visitor. Her father, Lord Trenton, has arrived.”
Her father? Perfect. He would be able to ask the man for her hand in marriage – assuming Madeline agreed. Perhaps they would be able to finish all this before the man even left.
He heard the voices coming from within the drawing room and he stopped outside the door, waiting for them to finish their conversation. He would ask to speak to Madeline alone first.
He could only hope that she would still choose him.
