Page 22 of The Pleasures of Passion
“Where I have to pretend to be something I’m not,” she said glumly.
“You’ll get used to it.” He came toward her. “Tomorrow I’ll come fetch you at your aunt’s at two, and we’ll go pay our first call on your father, if that’s all right with you.”
“The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned. I just want to be done with this as quickly as possible.”
The door to the library opened, and Lord Fulkham stepped in. “Have you made a decision, Mrs. Trevor?”
Niall glanced at her expectantly.
“Yes. I’ll go along with your scheme.”
“For as long as it takes to catch my counterfeiter?”
She nodded.
Niall stepped forward. “We want to announce it tonight, while everyone is here. We both feel that making one grand announcement and having everyone know would be less demanding than juggling which people know what.”
“I see.” Lord Fulkham strode over to pour himself a glass of brandy, then stood there sipping it. “That actually might work better in convincing Sir Oswald, as well.” He stared at her. “Your father will hear the gossip about your betrothal, and just as he’s getting his feelings hurt that you haven’t involved him, you’ll show up to introduce him to Niall. He’ll be so pleased to have you seeking him out that he might not notice the strangeness of it.”
“You attribute an enormous amount of familial affection to my father,” she said dryly. “I daresay he won’t care one way or the other.”
“You’d better hope he does,” Lord Fulkham said, “or this scheme will be for naught.”
“One more thing,” Niall said. “I assume you’ve already looked into her father’s compatriots to the extent that you can without being obvious. So I’ll need a report of everything you know, whom you suspect, et cetera.”
“Of course. I’ll have that sent over first thing in the morning, along with samples of the counterfeit notes for you to examine and instructions on what to look for. You’ll need to be able to recognize the flawed ones when you see them.” He held up his glass. “But for tonight, let me be the first to congratulate you two on your engagement.”
When she couldn’t stifle a snort, Niall said, “Oh, stubble it, Fulkham.” He offered her his arm. “Come, Bree. Let’s show this arrogant arse what we’re made of, shall we?”
As she took his arm, determination coursed through her. Shewouldshow Lord Fulkham what she was made of, him and her father and everyone else. She would weather this as she’d weathered her arranged marriage to Reynold, and the awful things that had come afterward. She would do it for Silas, and only Silas.
Then, when it was done, she would retire to Camden Hall, hopefully with more knowledge about estate management than she’d had before. And with any luck, she wouldn’t have to deal with society sorts or Niall or her dratted father ever again.
Four
By the time Niall left the library with Bree, the gentlemen were coming down the hall to join the ladies in the drawing room.
He stared at her, a lump catching in his throat. God, she was beautiful in that forest-green dinner gown, which skimmed her breasts with loving care and left far too much of the rest of her to the imagination. He would love to see what lay beneath the froth of petticoats that women wore these days. He had no doubt she would be a Botticelli indeed.
Well, except for her prudery and her absurd worries that he might be plotting to get her into his bed, that he might have plotted to get her there years ago. That angered him. The fact that she would even believe—
Don’t think about that right now, man. You’re supposed to be happily anticipating announcing your engagement, remember?
Right. To a woman who looked as if someone had just stolen her joy. How annoying. Years ago she’d refused to marry him, and now that she had her chance to get her hooks in him again, she balked?
That made no sense. And was rather insulting. He’d make any woman a good husband, blast it. Not that he wanted to be one to her, but still, she ought to be running after him like the other females in society.
Unless she’d truly loved Trevor.
The very thought of it was like an itch under his skin that he couldn’t scratch. He hadn’t been able to make her love him enough to leave her family behind for him, but Trevor had succeeded?
Although her point about her mother’s being unable to go abroad had been valid, he supposed. Still, he found it hard to believe that her mother had been her only sticking point. If so, Bree would have waited for him until her mother died. Then she would have sent word.
But she hadn’t even waited a full year before marrying some other fellow. Deuced bastard. If anything showed that she hadn’t truly lovedhim, that did.
Well, this would be over soon enough.
He halted at the threshold of the drawing room to gaze down into her grim face. “Are you ready for this?”
