“Besides”—Eunice’s already wide smile broadened—“I’ll be with you acting as your companion. It will be such a lark.”
Mary stifled a groan. All the cousins had heard about Eunice’s larks. She’d been the youngest and wildest of Grandmamma’s children, and had apparently not outgrown her previous tendencies. Mary had to find a way out of this harebrained scheme. “Won’t your children wonder where you are?”
“Oh, after a while, I suppose.” Eunice shrugged lightly. “But they’ll think I’m with Mama and probably be happy I’m not around to corrupt their children.” She took a sip of wine. “How Roger—the greatest rake in England and on the Continent, before our marriage of course—and I ever managed to produce such dullards, I shall never know.”
Those were also tales Mary and her brothers had grown up hearing, at least the ones mild enough to tell children. She never had understood how her aunt had been allowed to wed Uncle Roger. “I think that type of thing skips a generation.”
“One can only pray it is not gone forever.” Eunice sighed.
“So then.” Grandmamma tapped her cane for at least the fourth time. Mary’s fingers itched to grab the thing away and throw it in the fireplace. “It’s decided. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”
“That soon!” Mary had to stall them. Given just a little more time, she might be able to think of a better scheme. “It seems a little precipitous.”
“Better to get it done before you have a chance to change your mind.” Eunice rose, smoothing out her skirts. “I must see to my packing.”
Mary suppressed her frustration. It was as if she were bashing her head against a stone wall. That actually might be more productive than conversing with her aunt and grandmother.
She considered denying she had agreed to anything. Not that it would matter. The problem was they’d want an alternative, and she couldn’t think of another course of action. Yet she wasn’t stupid; certainly something would come to her before she and her aunt actually reached wherever they were going and the deception began. If anything went wrong her life would be ruined. If only Grandmamma would see reason.
CHAPTER TWO
Mr. Gawain Tolliver, not even anhonorableto use in correspondence, stood impatiently in the woods and scowled at the moderate-sized dower house. If life had been fair, his sickly uncle would have succumbed before fathering so many children, including the necessary heir and numerous spares. Who knew he’d had it in him to keep going for so long?
There was certainly no counting on the current Earl of Barham dying young. He’d been blessed with the same rude health as his mother. Not that it mattered. Barham had already fathered two sturdy boys. No, the only way for Gawain to get what he wanted and what was rightfully his, was to somehow wed his cousin Mary. She would be the very devil of a wife, but sixty thousand could make up for an awful lot, and by God, he’d not be cheated out of that. The only other option was to hope she fell in love and married without his father’s permission, but he couldn’t see her family allowing that to happen. Once he got her alone, all it would take was a few minutes to tie her up, keep her alone with him for a day or two, long enough that even her bloody brother would insist she marry him, and her money would be his. Not that he wanted an unwilling wife, but needs must, and at least consummation wasn’t required for the marriage to be legal.
Masking his unhappiness with a smile for Sally Athey, the young maid who’d just arrived from Barham’s dower house, he asked, using a gentle tone, “Do you have news for me, sweetheart?”
She fluttered her pale lashes at him. “I might, but if I tell you I could lose my position here.”
Gawain brushed the backs of his knuckles gently over her rounded cheek. “Don’t you remember my promise, sweet? I told you I’ll setyou up as soon as I’m married. You’ll never have to worry about working again.”
At least not on her feet.
“Well in that case . . .”
Thank the devil for gullible women. “Come now, I cannot stay here for long. Someone may discover me . . . and you.”
She glanced hastily over her shoulder. “Her ladyship and Lady Mary are going to Bath to-morrow.”
Bath! Who goes to Bath this time of year?“Is Lady Eunice going as well?” If he could get rid of Mary’s meddling aunt, he’d be half-way there. As old as the dowager was, she couldn’t possibly accompany his cousin everywhere.
“I heard her lady’s maid say she was going to visit one of her sons in Suffolk.”
He took Sally’s hand, raising it to his lips. “You’ve done well, my lovely.”
A pretty blush rose in her face. Perhaps he’d keep her as his mistress longer than he’d originally planned. A man needed someone to keep him warm, and it wouldn’t be his hellcat of a cousin.
Sally snatched her hand away. “I must go. The housekeeper will miss me.” She hiked her skirts and dashed hurriedly toward the house.
Gawain stared after her until she was out of sight, then mounted his horse and rode to the small lane not far from the dower house where his groom waited. “Whitely, let’s go back to the tavern. The old lady and my cousin are departing for Bath.”
“When do ye want to leave?”
“In the morning after breakfast. We’re paid up with board until then.” When they arrived at the inn, Gawain handed his reins to a stable boy, went into the common room and ordered an ale.
It wouldn’t be hard to find his cousin in Bath. They were bound to register at the assembly rooms. He’d bide his time until Mary and the dowager arrived. After all, he still had almost a year to secure her as his wife. When he did, he’d never have to worry about money again.
Sally slowed as she reached a side door leading from the small formal garden into the back hall.
