Page 4 of An Affair with a Notorious Heiress
He didn’t usually indulge this early in the day, but he’d welcome the heat of whisky at his throat to distract him from the other heated areas of his body. “Yes, please.”
To his surprise, she poured whisky into two glasses. She handed him one, took the other, raised it slightly. “Cheers.”
She took a sip and licked her lips in a manner that caused his gut to tighten, before walking over to the settee where she gracefully lowered herself onto a cushion. “Please make yourself comfortable.”
He selected the chair nearest to her, studied her, and couldn’t help thinking how quickly Landsdowne must have fallen for her. She was poised, graceful, and beautiful. The man would have preened with her on his arm. That she then betrayed him and her vows was beyond the pale. Little wonder people looked at her and expected the same of her sister. This woman commanded the room; she could not be without influence, and her sister was her vulnerable pupil. What lessons she must have taught her. And that tutoring was going to make his task all the more challenging.
“I’m actually rather glad we have this opportunity to speak privately,” she said, brazenly holding his gaze. She might be American but her accent was refined—not the harsh brusqueness of her uncle’s but neither was it quite British. “You may be aware that our father passed a little over a year ago, our mother some years before that. Gina’s inheritance has been placed in a trust to be handed over to her when she marries or reaches the age of five and twenty. In either case, she will bring to her marriage a small fortune, all that was left to her, and the wrong sort of man could take advantage of that, take it as his own, leave her with naught.”
“I have no need of a small fortune,” he stated succinctly, feeling a need to defend himself even though he could care less about any girl’s dowry. Based upon what he knew of her family’s business, she was being modest concerning the size of the fortune she and her sister had inherited. “Reputation, not coin, is the currency by which I will measure the value of the woman I intend to take to wife.”
Although she blanched, to her credit, she continued to hold his gaze. “While you may claim money has no bearing, it still needs to be emphasized that much is at stake here. I’m quite aware you come with a respected title, position, and influence. However, my lord, if you seek to marry my dear sister, you must also come with your heart. You must not only convince her that you love her but you must convince me as well. I will not allow Gina to spend so much as an hour in a loveless marriage.”
He had absolutely no interest in marrying the girl. Still, Lady Landsdowne’s words irked. How dare she judge him or his motives when she knew him not at all. “I am quite the catch,my lady. Miss Hammersley would be damned lucky to have me as a husband.”
“Modest as well, I see.”
“Merely speaking the truth. I, on the other hand, need reassurances that she will not follow her sister’s path to ruination and scandal.”
Lady Landsdowne’s chin came up and he suspected she had an urge to toss in his face what remained of her whisky. “If she marries a man who loves her, a man she loves, I believe that will be assured.”
“You didn’t marry for love?”
“I don’t see that my feelings regarding Landsdowne are really any of your concern. However, I will admit my mother wanted me to have a title she could flaunt in front of her New York enemies. I was raised to obey my mother in all things. Landsdowne wanted a dowry. I provided that. A title never interested me.”
“Yet you insist upon being addressed by yours.” Another offense against the aristocracy for which she would never be forgiven, to have the title tainted permanently by her transgressions. Because of the embarrassment she had caused, Landsdowne had asked the divorce court to strip her of the title she’d gained through marriage to him. They’d ruled in his favor. She had appealed to a higher court—and won. Appalled by her cheek, people justifiably shunned her.
“I paid for the privilege of it. Quite handsomely since Downie took possession of my entire dowry. Besides, I knew it would irritate the devil out of him.”
Her secretive smile made him want to grin but he refrained. His family wasn’t without scandal but she seemed to relish it. He glanced around. “You seem to be doing quite well for yourself now.”
“My father was not a man to fritter away what he acquired through blood, sweat, and tears. His fortune was vast. Certainly I shall never do without and I want to ensure Gina does not go without either, which is the reason it is even more imperative to weed out all fortune hunters.”
He found it rather crass to be discussing money matters right out of the gate as though he was possessed of greedy fingers. Her opinion of him seemed to be as low as his of her. Her regard toward him was not deserved, and left a rancid taste in his mouth. “I was under the impression your uncle was responsible for her.”
“He has the means to introduce her into Society which I do not. He and I are in agreement, however, that when it comes to her suitors, my opinion alone matters. He acts when called upon but in truth he has very little interest in either of us.”
So the man was striving to get this duty out of the way. Rexton couldn’t fault him when he, himself, found balls and the social games that went along with them rather tedious.
“I am not naïve, my lord. I realize my divorce created quite the scandal, and I do not wish for Gina to pay the price. No doubt I should have waited until she was properly situated.” She glanced away then, and he wondered what she was thinking. She brought her gaze back to bear on him. “But I didn’t. Selfish on my part. But there you have it. I hadn’t really thought things through—”
“I am given to understand you kissed a footman in front of guests.” He couldn’t believe he’d said it. To her face. His mother would be appalled.
Lady Landsdowne simply smiled, without joy but with triumph. “Yes. He now serves as my butler.”
The one who had opened the door to him? The servant wasn’t particularly handsome. Rexton found himself wondering at the size of the man’s cock for surely he had to have offered her something worth her ruination. Or perhaps she simply enjoyed a bit of the rough. She wouldn’t be the first well-placed woman to be attracted to those of the lower class. Still, he recognized he was behaving as though he came from the gutter. “My apologies. My words were uncalled for.”
She took another sip of her whisky. “No apologies needed. I know I’m an object of curiosity and shame. However, I do not want my choices reflected upon my sister. I must know your intentions regarding her are honorable. To be quite honest”—she finished off her whisky, set her glass aside, and captured his gaze as though she intended to tame it—“I will kill any man who causes her any sort of hurt, no matter how mild or seemingly insignificant. I do not want her to shed so much as a single tear because of a man’s heartless behavior.”
Had she shed tears? He couldn’t quite envision it. She was ice surrounded by cold steel.
“Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
The sharpness to her words, the challenge glistening in her sapphire eyes spoke loudly that she would indeed slay him if he did not rise to the occasion and meet her standards. He didn’t particularly like the way his heart sped up and his chest tightened. He didn’t like that he wondered what she would do if he got up, crossed over to her, caged her between his arms, and claimed her mouth. Good Lord, she was so much more appealing than the sister. She was spit and fire and unbreakable. Nothing about her was innocent. Something in her past, possibly her marriage, had honed her to a fine edge. He was fascinated, he was intrigued, he was—
“Apologies for keeping you waiting, my lord.” Miss Hammersley fairly skipped into the room and suddenly she seemed more a child than ever. He could see her frolicking through fields of daisies. He doubted Lady Landsdowne had ever frolicked.
He shot to his feet and fought to keep his attention on Miss Hammersley rather than the woman he could see out of the corner of his eye. The contrast between the two was incredible. Woman... girl. Worldly... innocent. Tart... sweet.
