Page 46 of Weave me a Rope
Certainly, Mr. Morris was convinced. Cordelia was present when Spen asked for the solicitor’s help. He needed to do all the talking—or, at least, all of the relevant talking, for the fake Lady Daphne prattled and giggled, fiddled with her hair, and interrupted to pat Spen on the cheek and tell him he was kind.
Mr. Morris, in an undertone when “Lady Daphne” seemed to be distracted, asked, “Should you be going ahead, my lord? Her ladyship seems…”
Spen had an answer for that. “I am to be confined until I agree, Morris. And I feel sorry for the poor lady. At least I knowI shall care for her as best as I am able.” He shrugged. “Who knows whom the earl will choose for her if I continue to refuse.”
Mr. Morris had tears in his eyes when he patted ‘Lady Daphne’s’ hand, which she had just put on his arm so she could peer closely into his face. “You are a good man, your lordship. I am proud to be able to help you by making sure you and the little lady are independent of both your father and hers.”
After Mr. Morris left with copious notes and a promise to send three fair copies of the two agreements, Spen tried to dismiss the praise as undeserved, but Cordelia did not agree. “You are trying to look after both John—who is at least your blood kin—and Lady Daphne, for whom you have taken responsibility simply because you are a good man. I am proud of you, too, Spen.”
That deserved a kiss, but he did not want her to discount her own efforts. “And I of you, my heart,” he told her. Spen might not have incurred the obligation to Lady Daphne, but his father certainly had, so how could Spen fail to help her when he had a chance to do so? Cordelia had taken John in for his sake but was helping Lady Daphne for no reason butherown goodness.
Though Spen had not been raised as a religious man, he was praying for enough time for Cordelia’s people to reach her uncle and for Mr. Milton to organize a license. He had several ideas for managing a private word with the cleric to ask him not to mention the change of marriage license. A man who could be bribed could be turned with a larger bribe. Of course, that could go terribly wrong if the man decided to tell the marquess.
Apparently, God wasn’t listening to his plea for a delay. Marsh came just as Spen was about to blow out his candle that night to say that both marquess and earl had returned, and they had brought with them a minister.
So, this was it. They had had the dress rehearsal. Tomorrow would be the main performance.
Chapter Nineteen
Marsh left earlythe following day to let the solicitor know that they needed the agreements he was preparing, and that Mr. Morris should take them to the manor as soon as they were ready. After that, Spen had only to wait to be summoned, as he had been last time. He spent the morning going over the notes they’d made yesterday, rehearsing what he would need to do and say, and wishing they had one more day. Cordelia was not going to visit. They’d agreed before she had left him yesterday that she would keep to her own suite once the two peers arrived.
Near noon, the message arrived, and the three other guards escorted Spen downstairs to the parlor where he had met Lady Daphne, and where the confrontation with the earl had occurred.
“Lord Spenhurst!” Cordelia, using her Lady Daphne voice, was the first to greet him. “Look, Miss Faversham. It is Lord Spenhurst. Hello, Lord Spenhurst.”
“Keep the chit quiet,” Lord Yarverton growled, but Spen ignored him, the marquess, and the others in the room to say,
“Good morning, my lady. I trust you are well this morning.”
Her reply was a giggle, which was totally in keeping with what Spen knew of the lady she was pretending to be.
“Miss Faversham,” Spen said next, taking a small measure of pleasure in ignoring the two peers. “How are you today?”
She curtseyed. “Well, I thank you, my lord.” Cordelia, with a sidelong look at her preceptress, also curtseyed and spoiled the dignity of the moment with another giggle. The earl sighed and cast his eyes up to the ceiling.
Spen then offered an abbreviated bow to the marquess and the earl. “My lords. Did you have a pleasant trip?”
Lord Yarverton made a harrumphing sound and the marquess barked, “Well, boy? Are you ready to do as you are told?”
“I am considering it, my lord,” Spen said. “I wish to discuss the agreements.” He relished the look of surprise on his father’s face and of suspicion on the earl’s.
“Your father and I have agreed on the terms of the marriage,” growled that gentleman.
Spen bowed again. “I have read the terms to which you agreed, my lord. You and my father exchange benefits. I have no objection to that, though I do have a couple of questions about the details. However, as I have now turned twenty-one, your agreement should be with me, and not my father.”
He held up a hand as both gentlemen protested, and they were surprised enough to fall silent and let him continue.
“It can hardly surprise you, my lords, that I want something to my own benefit from this match. With due respect to the bride you have chosen for me, you cannot deny I am making a sacrifice.” Calm, firm, and reasonable, just as he had discussed with Cordelia. And it was working.
Before they could reject his proposal, at which point their pride would have them digging in their toes, he opened the package he had brought with him and gave each of them a thin sheaf of papers. “Mr. Morris, the tutor you assigned to me, Father, helped me to draw these up in legal form. One is between you and me, my lord,” he bowed to the marquess, “and the other between you and me, Lord Yarverton,” he bowed to the earl.
The earl was shaking his head, but the marquess was looking thoughtful.
“Are we going to get married, Lord Spenhurst?” Cordelia interrupted. “I am wearing my best dress.”
What was she up to? “It is a very pretty dress, Lady Daphne,” he said. Cordelia twirled, caught the earl’s eye, and hid behind Spen, giggling. Without thinking about it, he put his hand behind him for her to cling to. The earl sighed and turned away. The marquess narrowed his eyes, watching the interaction.
“Well?” he said. “You are ready to marry the chit?”
