Page 18 of The Season for Loving
His mind froze and his feet stumbled. A portly gentleman almost ploughed into them, and Fergus had to lift Georgie off her feet to save her from being run over.
“What did you just say?” he asked once he’d set her down.
“You heard me. If you pretend you’re courting me, Lady Reese will leave you alone. After all, it would only be for a few weeks. Then you can go merrily on your way with no harm.”
She regarded him with an enchanting half-smile, her eyes glinting with mischief. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out if she was playing a game.
“That is the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard,” he said. “I could never take advantage of you like that.”
In truth, some part of his brain thought it was a splendid idea—and not simply to put Lady Reese off the scent. No, the temptation arose in the form of the lovely, warm-hearted slip of a girl standing in front of him.
Don’t be an idiot.
“I won’t mind,” she said. “I like spending time with you. And everyone will be so pleased that we’re not moping around like invalids that they’ll stop pestering us about eating enough or getting fresh air, and all the other silly things they lecture about. It’ll be fun.”
“Fun?” he croaked.
She gave an enthusiastic nod. “You could help me organize the skating party for Boxing Day. Eliza says it’s a tradition at the Friar’s House, a treat for the children of the tenants. She asked me to plan it this year.”
“But everyone will take it the wrong way.” It could get extremely dicey if Bertie thought Fergus was toying with his sister.
Georgie batted that objection aside with a careless wave. “You mean Bertie? He’ll be thrilled that I’ll have someone to watch over me when I go on outings, making sure I don’t fall into a ditch or tumble off my horse. Besides, I don’t think my brother can even imagine a gentleman wanting to court me. It probably won’t even occur to him that you’re doing it. Or pretending to,” she corrected.
“That’s absurd. He must know that any man in his right mind would be happy to court you—and marry you. They’d be idiots not to.”
She rewarded him with a smile that almost blinded him with its radiance. “Thank you, Mr. Haddon. But I do believe you’re not an idiot, and you’re clearly in your right mind.”
He stood there like a dolt, blinking at her. The blasted girl was running circles around him.
“Do we have a deal?” she asked.
He mustered one more attempt to dissuade her from the crazed notion. “Miss Gage, as flattered as I am by your trust in me—”
“Oh, never mind that now,” she said. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“But—”
“Just promise me you’ll consider it,” she said as she tugged him in the direction of their party. “Think of all the fun we could have. It’ll be a lark—you’ll see.”
Fergus had the feeling that he’d be thinking of little else, including how the devil he was going to say no.
