Page 10 of The Risk of Rogues
“If one can say ‘remarriage,’ why can’t one say ‘re-courtship’?”
Helpless laughter erupted from her as she acknowledged his logic. “I may be stubborn, but you were always rebellious.”
He reached over to twirl one of her dangling curls about his finger. “You used to like that about me.”
His hand skimmed down her cheek in a caress that had her belly tightening and her breath coming quickly.
Oh no, he would not get around her so easily, drat it. “That was before I learned that your favorite way to rebel was in the stews.”
He froze, then dropped his hand. “Ah. That.”
“Yes, that.” She toyed with the feather. “You keep saying that your reputation is undeserved, that the gossip is exaggerated. But how am I to believe you? That’s what I was up late thinking about.”
He was silent for so long that she ventured a glance at him. His brow was knitted as if he were in deep thought. “How about this? Are there any respectable gentlemen at this house party whom you trust? Not my relations, since you probably won’t believe anything they say, but others?”
“I... I suppose. A few.”
“Good. Take them aside privately. Ask them about my character. Tell them it’s on behalf of a cousin of yours who wants to go into business with me. If they tell you I’m an upstanding fellow, then there you go.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then ask them for the source of whatever vile thing they say about me. For example, if a man says he heard I lost a fortune at the tables, ask where he heard it. If he says it was a friend, then ask what friend his friend heard it from. And so on and so on, until he admits he has no idea where the gossip actually started.”
She stared at him blankly.
“You’ll find that most gossip starts from nothing more than a throwaway opinion. It’s rarely based on fact. And if, when you dig past all the many people’s embellishments, you find no facts at the bottom, it’s just gossip.” He bent close. “The devil is in the details, sweetheart.”
She cocked her head. “Are you sure you want me digging that deeply into your reputation?”
He held out his hands. “I have nothing to hide. And remember, if we do choose to marry, I’m certain your father left trustees in place who will oversee any settlements to ensure that I can’t get my grubby hands on anything I shouldn’t.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Why should it? It’s your right.”
He was certainly being matter-of-fact about it. That didn’t seem the way a fortune hunter should behave. Or a gambler anticipating an unlimited source of funds with which to pay his creditors. Not that she had any such funds, but if hethoughtshe did...
“I meant what I said about my dowry being small.”
“And I meant what I said about not caring.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But it does beg the question—how have you and your mother been living? Once your father died, who inherited?”
“Another even more distant cousin, who took possession of the manor house. Fortunately, Mama has the usual widow’s portion and the estate has a dower house, where we live.”
“Thatisfortunate. Assuming that the widow’s portion is sufficient for both your needs.”
She bobbed her head. “I try to control our expenses.” She chuckled. “And Mama does the same by making sure we spend half our time visiting her friends.”
“That’s one way to save money.”
“So you see, I don’tneedto marry. I mean, if you were worried.”
He snorted. “I was worried that you’d be swept off your feet by the first fellow who figured out how unique and wonderful you are.”
She lifted her head to stare at him. “If I’m so unique and wonderful, why won’t you reveal your aspirations regarding making your fortune and ensuring our future? Why won’t you trust me withthose?”
A shadow passed over his features. “It’s complicated.”
“I don’t see how our re-courtship can make it any less complicated.”
