Page 38 of A Wicked Business

“He did offer me to you, then?” Lady Belinda said, and then laughed. “You must give him points for effort, my lord.”

“Oh, I do, but not so many as to tie up my future to please him.”

“I understand that, believe me, I do. Which is why I am here. May I be frank, Ashburton?”

The earl laughed softly. “You have just proposed to me, Lady Belinda. I believe you are capable of anything, and I have never known you to be anything but frank.”

“I deserved that,” Lady Belinda said ruefully. “But I prefer plain speaking and, the truth is, my father is determined I marry this year. You are the only man of whom he approves that I believe I can stomach.”

“You flatter me,” Ashburton replied, his tone wry.

“Not really, the other options are too ghastly to contemplate,” Lady Belinda said candidly, startling the earl into giving another bark of laughter. “The thing is, I know you don’t want to marry me any more than I wish to marry you, but you must marry, and my father will bully and coerce me to do the same. I thought if I came to you, openly, and suggested that we make a deal, that perhaps marrying me would not be such a terrible idea.”

“A deal?”

Regina felt her heart jolt at the interest in the earl’s voice. Surely, he would not do such a rash thing as to agree?

“Yes, my lord. I believe, if we deal honestly with each other, we might be friends, and we might find a way forward. I know, for example, that your daughter means the world to you. I can give you my solemn promise that I will be a friend to her. I will never seek to dislodge her from your affections, not that I am foolish enough to believe I could. Neither will I interfere in her education or demand she is sent away to school. I do not believe I have the necessary requirements to be a new mama, as perhaps you may wish. I am, as you have remarked, rather too blunt in my manners to be a motherly sort, but I will do all in my power to be a kind and loyal friend and companion, and I will allow no one to make her feel less than she is for the circumstances of her birth.”

There was silence in the room, and Regina had to admit this young woman’s open manner and obvious sincerity impressed her. Would the earl really want such a marriage, though?

“And what about you, my lady?” the earl asked, his voice surprisingly gentle. “What would you want from our union?”

“A safe place to be, with a man who will not interfere in my life or reproach me over the choices I make, as I will so honour his decisions.”

“That’s all?” Ashburton sounded surprised. “I take it you are not plotting treason?”

Lady Belinda laughed. “No, I promise I have nothing of the sort in mind at present. But my money and my life will be my own to lead, as yours will belong to you. I want it in writing.”

“You are indeed to the point, madam.”

“I see no value in being otherwise, my lord.”

“And what of love?”

The question hung in the air and Regina felt the echo of it resound in her own heart, the pain she felt there an exquisite dart of steel through the unprotected softness. She had dreamed of love once, such a long time ago now, but those days were gone and such dreams with them.

“What of it?” Lady Belinda replied, her voice suddenly melancholy. “Such tender emotions are not for the likes of us, my lord.”

“Have you met my parents?” he asked, sounding amused.

The lady laughed again at that. “Everyone knows the story of The Eagle and the Lamb. I have a well-read copy of it myself, but we both know such love stories as theirs are rare, and we don’t all get such happy–ever-afters. Men are rarely so noble as your father and women are seldom so courageous and loyal as your mama.”

“You do yourself a disservice, Lady Belinda. It took a good deal of courage to come here today, and you have offered my daughter your loyalty. I do not take such things lightly.”

“I am sure I am doing you a disservice too, my lord, and perhaps one day we shall find love, but it will not be with each other.”

“Ah, such certainty tells me that your heart is engaged already, my lady. Are you quite sure this arrangement is what you want?”

“What I want?” There was a scathing note to the question. “There speaks a man. Since when does what I want have any bearing upon my life? I am doing what I must to protect myself and my own interests, and I believe I can be what you need me to be. Now it is up to you to decide if you will accept my offer or not.”

Regina and Tilly exchanged a glance, both holding their breath.

“I accept,” the earl said. “I’ll have the papers drawn up at once. If you would be so good as to return this afternoon, you can look them over and we can make whatever changes are necessary. Then I suppose I must return to your father and tell him I have reconsidered his offer.”

“Yes, you must. You promise you will tell him nothing of our arrangement, though?” Lady Belinda said urgently.

“You have my word.”

“Very well. I shall return later today. Thank you, my lord.”

“My friends call me Pip,” he offered.

There was a brief pause. “I cannot call you that,” she said at last. “I think it best we keep things formal. I shall call you Ashburton.”

“As you prefer, my lady.”

The sound of the doors opening and footsteps out in the hall reached them and then receded as the earl returned to the library.

“Oh, Harry! We’re saved!” Tilly said, her lovely face alight with relief. “Did you hear what she said? She won’t interfere, and she won’t send you away, and she’ll be my friend too! Isn’t that marvellous?”

“Marvellous,” Regina replied with a smile that was not as easy to find as she would have liked.

Would Lady Belinda really keep her word and not interfere, and would the earl be happy with a loveless marriage? She thought not, for she had met his parents and knew their relationship for something rare and beautiful. Surely a man brought up by such parents could not be satisfied with such an arrangement? The notion that he would live to regret his hasty decision troubled her. Yet she was only his daughter’s governess and in no position to advise him, so there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it.