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Aside, of course, to their literal outing as man and wife at the Wentworth-Dillingham near-miss of a wedding last year, he added silently.
His words rang out like the peal of cathedral bells—though Hawk and Pia were in actuality getting married in a local parish.
Belinda’s eyes widened.
Colin could tell it hadn’t occurred to her that Pia and Hawk’s wedding was next week, and now that she’d agreed to their bargain, they’d be attending together as husband and wife.
His mother, on the other hand, looked aghast.
He guessed she was thinking that next week didn’t give her enough time to change his mind or do damage control.
Colin took a last bite of his food, satisfied that he’d taken control of matters.
“By God, you’ve done it.” Uncle Hugh smiled, slapped his knee and then grasped the arm of his leather chair.
Belinda regarded her uncle from where she was sitting on the sofa and had to agree. On the other hand, she and Uncle Hugh almost certainly had different ideas about what his words connoted.
“I hope you’re satisfied.” The words were a strange echo of the ones that she’d slapped Colin with.
She was back in Uncle Hugh’s Mayfair town house after a night at Halstead Hall.
Except, of course, it wasn’t her uncle’s town house any longer.
Belinda glanced around the sitting room. Her uncle was looking several shades more robust than he had mere days ago, when he’d declared that all was lost. Her mother was as elegant as ever as she sat sipping tea next to Belinda on the sofa. On the surface, there was nothing to distinguish this gathering from hundreds that they’d had in this house before.
But now Belinda knew Colin owned these walls.
The town house was furnished with a few antiques but certainly nothing that would impress a marquess used to even grander quarters. Without the family history here that the Wentworths had, what possible use could Colin have for this house?
I intend to make a conquest of the Wentworths once and for all.
Colin’s words had become more of a reality than she could possibly have predicted.
When she’d arrived at Halstead Hall two days ago to meet with Colin, she’d immediately been shown to a guest suite, and it had been easy to avoid Colin with the interference of his mother and his sister in the house.
The morning after the stilted family dinner, she’d made her excuses and departed for London and eventually New York to settle her affairs and attend to business, particularly now that she knew she’d be spending more time in England for the foreseeable future.
Colin hadn’t appeared happy about her departure, but if he sensed that her work wasn’t as pressing as she made it seem, he’d said nothing. Besides, she knew he had his own business matters to attend to.
He seemed content to bide his time, but she knew he was intent on seducing her. They were engaged in a game of cat and mouse, really.
Recalling Belinda back from her thoughts, her mother set down her cup and saucer on a nearby table. “When I asked how you planned to quell the scandal du jour, I had no idea that you would do so by staying married to Easterbridge.”
“What did you expect me to do, Mother?” Belinda asked.
She’d always felt as if she had a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t relationship with her mother.
She’d expected her mother to be overjoyed. Uncle Hugh certainly was. But then, her uncle was a lot closer to the family’s bills and financial statements than her mother. He was the gatekeeper, while the idea of being financially responsible was one her mother had never grasped.
Her mother sighed. “What will your life be like?”
What, indeed. Belinda had asked herself the same question numerous times since agreeing to remain married to Colin.
She was having a hard time seeing what their marriage would be like. Perhaps, like most couples, they’d have to make things up as they went along.
Belinda bit her lip. What if she became pregnant with Colin’s child?
She could only imagine what their two families would think about the joining of their bloodlines and what kind of life their child would have caught between the feuding families.
