“I would say that it seems unlikely,” he answered firmly. “Lady Ursula seemed quite repulsed by the man.”
“Hm. But you did not see the beginning of the altercation?”
Graham paused. “I did not.”
“So your testimony is not particularly helpful. While Society does not care much about innocence, I can assure you that I do. Do you believe that my daughter is innocent?”
There was another longer pause after this. Graham inspected the small, fierce woman staring up at him. What was her aim? What did she want from him?
“I do,” he responded at last. “I find it ridiculous that she should be so demonized when she has done nothing wrong.”
Lady Farendale inspected him for a moment, just as closely as he inspected her.
“I agree,” she said at last. “But Society cares little about the truth. It is the look of a thing that matters. The correct thing, of course, would be for Sir Roderick to offer for her. He won’t do that, and I am not sure that I could countenance my daughter entering into matrimony with a man of his lies.”
“It’s certainly a predicament,” Graham agreed. Suddenly tired of standing like a supplicant in his own drawing room, he settled himself in an armchair and folded one leg over the other.
Any minute now, she’ll get to the point of why she is here.
Lady Farendale, however, seemed in no rush. She watched him for a long moment, her eyes narrowed.
“If my daughter is to be saved,” she said at last, “she’ll need to arrange a matrimony. And quickly.”
“I imagine that would do the trick,” Graham agreed.
The silence stretched out a little further, and in a rush, he understood why Lady Farendale had come.
“Now, wait a moment…” Graham began again, leaning forward.
Lady Farendale neatly interrupted him. “If only a gentleman could be found to rescue her. One who knew she was truly innocent.”
“Do you expect me to wed your daughter, Lady Farendale? A woman I barely know?”
No matter how pretty and intriguing she may be, I won’t throw away my freedom like that. Even if shedoesread Frankenstein.
Lady Farendale spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness.
“I cannot compel you to do anything, Lord Sinclair. I am only appealing to your better nature.”
Groaning to himself, Graham rose to his feet and crossed to the window. Outside, a group of under-gardeners were occupied in raking the gravel. His mother insisted that the gravel be raked daily, even though she herself lived in the Dower House these days. She would doubtless walk herself down to his home later today, to scold him for involving himself in a scandal. He hadn’t danced with Lady Annabella last night, apparently offending her and her entire family, and his mother had complained extensively about it in her morning letter.
If I were wedded, she’d have to stop forcing me into situations with Lady Annabella and her ilk.
A cold, prickling feeling washed over him, like being drenched from head to toe in invisible cold water.
Could this be my way out?
The Season stretched ahead of him, full of endless parties and social engagements, all of them full of hopeful young women, all would-be viscountesses, flanked by their severe and ambitious mammas. He could already feel the tension sweeping through his body, the fear of being somehow caught by one of these unscrupulous ladies. Women had to wed, of course, and the penalties for remaining unattached were harsh. Some ladies would do whatever was necessary to secure a man and avoid that hellish, shameful title ofspinster.
But if I were wedded, Mother would be forced to leave me alone. I wouldn’t have to participate in the Season unless I wanted to. There’d be no worry of being caught. No worry about my legacy fading out. Once I am wedded, the question of an heir will probably resolve itself sooner or later.
As well as this, a matrimony of convenience is something I can control. I never imagined I would fall in love, anyway.
He turned slowly back from the window to find Lady Farendale watching him shrewdly.
“Matrimonies of convenience are very… well,convenient,” she said blandly. “Many powerful men have found their wives elsewhere than through the marriage mart.”
Graham found that he was speaking before he even knew what he wanted to say.
