Page 21 of Three Weeks with a Princess
She rounded her eyes at him. “Because otherwise Granny would have. And she’ll probably still try to speak with you about it.”
“And I’ll tell her exactly what I just told you.”
“She’ll simply present you with another idea if you shoot down her first plan.”
“Which I already have,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m not an idiot,” she said. “You don’t have to keep beating me over the head with your rejection.”
“I’m not beating you . . . oh, never mind. Do you know what this other plan is likely to be?”
She shifted in her chair, looking a bit squeamish. “Granny thinks that since you’re so well-placed in the Ton, you’re bound to know lots of important, rich men. So, if you can’t be my patron, she wants you to help me find a suitable candidate for the position. Sponsor me, as it were.”
Once again he could feel his eyes bugging out. “You’re joking.”
“Yes, ha-ha. That is exactly the kind of thing I like to joke about,” she said sarcastically.
Jack placed his palms flat on his desk and came slowly to his feet. He glared down at her, as if trying to impress her with the full weight of his authority. Lia simply stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles, then propped her interlaced fingers on her stomach. She ticked up a decidedly unimpressed eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.
“Let me be very clear on one thing,” he started.
“Just one?”
“Lia . . .” he said in a warning voice.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Sorry. It’s just that I’m not used to you going lord-of-the-manor on me. It will take some getting used to.”
“Then you’d better get started, because I want you to hearveryclearly what I’m about to say. You are not embarking on a career as any man’s mistress or becoming a courtesan.”
“Well, of course I’m not, Jack. Do you really think I want to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps?”
He was trying very hard not to lose his temper. “Truthfully, I don’t know what you think at this point. I assume you made your grandmother aware of your position?”
“I did, for all the good it accomplished. Because, as Granny so cogently pointed out, the original problem remains, which is that we can’t rely on you to support us indefinitely. SoI’vecome up with another plan, one I feel confident will work.”
How many mad schemes had she and Rebecca conjured up? “Which is?” he warily asked.
“I’m going to London to join my mother’s acting troupe,” she said triumphantly. “That way, I can support both myself and Granny. And I’ll be with my mother and her husband. It’s exceedingly respectable, so even you can’t object.”
He fought the impulse to tear around the desk, haul her up, and shake some sense into her head. Either that or pull her into his arms and keep her safely there forever, protecting her from all the dangers that seemed to be springing up in her path like weeds. While he didn’t have the right to claim her like that, he’d be damned if he stood idly by while she rushed out into the world to ruin herself.
“Absolutely not,” he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. “You know as well as I do that actresses are viewed in much the same way as courtesans. Your family history should serve to confirm that.”
Lia pulled herself up, her back ramrod straight. She regarded him with a degree of haughtiness that would do a princess proud.
“If you’re referring to my mother, she has been respectably married for ten years. My stepfather is a well-regarded businessman whose conduct is above reproach.”
“In the theatrical world, yes. But society still looks askance on those engaged in that particular business and you know it.”
“But—”
“And let’s not forget that your mother came rather late to domestic respectability,” he continued. “We both know she was considered as notorious as your grandmother in her day. For you to join her company as an actress, even under the protection of your stepfather’s good name, would invite exactly the type of attention from exactly the type of men you’re trying to avoid. I absolutely forbid it.”
That brought Lia to her feet in a flash. “You forbid it? May I remind you, sir, that you have no right in that regard?”
“Legally, perhaps not. But I’m responsible for you nonetheless. Aside from your grandmother, I’m the closest thing to family you have—which you just pointed out only a few moments ago.”
“You seem to be forgetting that I do have a mother—and a stepfather,” she said with a lethal glare. “And I said youweremy best friend. I’m starting to doubt that particular relationship at the moment, given your wretchedly selfish behavior.”
