Page 88 of The Truth About Lord Stoneville
Mrs. Plumtree shook her head. “You are as stubborn as he is.”
“It’s the one thing we have in common.”
“It’s something we all have in common.” A faint smile touched Mrs. Plumtree’s lips. “Very well. I will keep them until you return.” Her voice softened. “You are alwayswelcome here, my dear. No matter what happens between you and Oliver.”
Maria cast her a startled glance.
Mrs. Plumtree’s smile broadened. “I would prefer to have you in the family, but failing that, I would be pleased and honored if you would consider me a friend.”
A lump caught in Maria’s throat. “Thank you. I would like that, too.”
“And I will keep your secret, though I am not sure it will matter. I suspect Oliver will not let you go as easily as you think.”
“Trust me, he will congratulate himself on his narrow escape.”
“You do not really believe that, do you?”
“I only know that if I stay here, he’ll wed me out of necessity. I don’t want to be his wife by necessity.”Not when passion is clouding his judgment. And mine.
Mrs. Plumtree merely looked skeptical as she left the room.
Maria wished she could believe in Oliver as much as his grandmother did, but she feared he was like any man whose plans had been spoiled. His pride was pricked, that’s all. Once he saw she was gone and there was nothing to be done about it, he would turn to other schemes, other plans . . . another woman who would marry him for his title and his grandmother’s fortune.
She gulped down the pain that surged through her. Then she reminded herself that she would suffer even worse pain if she had to watch him break his marriage vows. It wasbetter to get past it now, than have it repeated for the rest of her life.
Even if leaving him broke her heart.
OLIVER ARRIVED ATHalstead Hall near nine in the evening. It had taken him far too long to hunt down the Archbishop of Canterbury and then convince the man to issue him a special license. He could only hope that Maria had not retired early. He wanted to see her with a virulence that surprised him.
Minerva met him in the courtyard as he strode through, headed for the great hall. She looked furious. “How long does it take to get a special license, anyway?”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“Maria has packed up and gone, she and Freddy both.”
His heart dropped into his stomach. “Gone where?”
“She wouldn’t say. All I know is that Mr. Pinter came this afternoon with news of her fiancé. Then she and Freddy headed off to join the man.”
“The hell they did!” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Without a word to me?”
“She said she had no reason to stay, since your plan to fool Gran wasn’t working. I pointed out that your getting a special license implied that the two of you had an understanding, but she denied it.”
He stared blindly ahead, his blood slowing to sludge in his veins.She denied it.So she’d been sincere last night when she’d refused his offer of marriage. Maria wasn’t afool—she could tell a bad candidate for a husband when she saw one.Hewas the fool, behaving like a green lad with his first sweetheart.
And here he’d spent the day reconciling himself to the idea of marrying her! On the way back to Halstead Hall, he’d been able to think of nothing but holding her, kissing her, convincing her that they could make a marriage work, even though he wasn’t at all sure of that. Clearly she was even less sure.
He gritted his teeth. What an idiot he was. One word about her fiancé and off she ran, eager to marry that American bastard who cared only for her money. She obviously preferred a fortune hunter to a known profligate, even one who’d seduced her.
But she had no money—how could she travel?
Then he remembered the pearls. She could easily sell those in Ealing to gain money for fares. The pearls were worth enough to fund a trip anywhere in England.
“And she left no note for me?” he couldn’t help asking, though it made him sound like the besotted wretch that he was. “Nothing to say why?”
“No. Something had upset her, but I couldn’t get her to talk about it.” Minerva eyed him closely. “You didn’t do anything to her, did you?”
“Nothing that would provoke her to flee.” Except ruin her for any other man. And offer her a marriage of the sort she found appalling. And desire her with an intensity that made his throat close up at the thought of her gone.
