“Stepmother,” he amended.
There was a moment’s pause before Charlotte said, “I do not understand. You have just said that you have no wish to be married, so why on Earth would you want to be engaged?”
“There have been some developments of late, and it seems that I am in want of a fiancée. At least, for a time. And you seem to be in need of a fiancé also.” He canted his head towards her.
“I am notin needof a fiancé. I just did not want my stepmother to try and pin my sister to you.” Lady Charlotte shook her head, looking frustrated and embarrassed.
“And why is that?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Well, firstly, you are a rake, and I would never want her to be with someone like you.” She glared at him as though he had done her a personal injury.
Dominic laughed softly. “You are casting rather a lot of aspersions upon my character.”
“Are you telling me that I am wrong?” Lady Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, a challenge in her eyes.
“No. I am not,” Dominic admitted.
“Then they are not aspersions so much as statements of fact.” She looked smug.
“Plenty of rakish gentleman have found themselves a loving wife. Perhaps she would have been a good influence on me,” He couldn’t help but point out.
“I have known men like you, and I doubt that is true. Besides, she is already promised to another.” Lady Charlotte glanced over her shoulder as she said this, clearly checking to see if her stepmother was watching.
“Is she? And yet your stepmother seems unaware of this fact.”And you do not want her to know.Dominic tried to puzzle out what this could mean and how he might use it to his advantage.
“There are… complications with the engagement,” Lady Charlotte admitted. “But I will think of something.”
“Are the complications of a financial nature?” he ventured.
“That is a rather rude question,” she replied, cheeks flushing as her muscles stiffened.
Her answer told him that the complications were indeed financial.Perfect.“You are my fiancée.”
“No, I am not.”
“But perhaps you should be.” He spun her and caught her, his brown eyes meeting her green ones, holding her gaze with his.
“Why? What benefit would it be to be married to someone like you?” she retorted, eyes flashing furiously.
“I said nothing about marrying me, just that you should be my fiancée.” Dominic grinned.
“Does not one usually follow the other? In general, an engagement is made when two people intend to be married,” Lady Charlotte said in an overly patient tone, as though she were a governess explaining something to a particularly obstinate and difficult child..
“In general, yes, but not on this occasion.”
“Are you always so frustratingly opaque in your speech?” she asked, frustration clear in her voice.
“Sometimes. Are you always so impatient?” he countered.
“Yes.” Her candour took him aback.
“Well, that is good to know.” Dominic managed to recover.I must get this situation under control.“Tell me, what do you know of the Dowager Duchess Caverton?”
“That she is a rather eccentric character and that the rumour is she is richer than half the ton combined. And she happens to be some great aunt to my stepmother.” Lady Charlotte glanced towards his grandmother.
“She is also my grandmother. And as you say, she is incredibly wealthy. She has declared that only those of my family who compete and win in her ‘Dowager Dabbles’ will be left any of hervastfortune.” Dominic emphasised the word vast, knowing that it would pique Lady Charlotte’s curiosity.
“And what does this have to do with me?” she asked.
