Page 31 of Love and the Shameless Lady

“Gloriana will freeze me out utterly, and people are likely to follow her lead.”

“Gloriana? Good God.”

“It’s from The Faerie Queene. Gloriana is the character representing Elizabeth I.”

“I’m aware of that, but I’ve never known a woman with that name. Who is she?”

“Miles’s sister. Gloriana takes her name to heart. In spite of the fact that our ancestors are a long line of libertines, cheats, and even a murderer, and that we are known for scandals in the present day as well, she is inordinately proud of the Warren heritage. I haven’t seen her since my disgrace, but Colin tells me she has become insufferably high in the instep, almost as if we are royalty and she is the queen.”

“She sounds dreadful.”

“When we were children, she was my friend, but now, if she really were a queen, she would gladly order my execution.” Daisy drooped. “Maybe her wish is about to be fulfilled.”

“Not if I can help it. I do believe I’ve met her, a woman with auburn hair and a disdainful air. Does she attend philosophical discourses? The sort where the participants argue about the rights of the common people, that sort of thing?”

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Daisy said. “As a girl, she was enraptured by the concept of noblesse oblige. I imagine her father’s heedless life, which ended in a gaming hell brawl, made her all the more determined to prove that the ruling class can and should rule well.”

“Yes, I remember her.” He attended that sort of meeting to ferret out seditionists. “She gets everyone’s hackles up. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone wanted to murder her.”

Daisy sighed. “I suppose you mean well. Very well, I’ll stay here. Go ahead and tell the servants and the squire and anyone else you choose. I hate it here, but the servants treat me decently because of Colin, and I’m long past caring what the local gentry think.”

She sounded utterly defeated.

“I’d really rather not,” he said. “If you stay here, I shall have the devil of a time protecting you. I’ll have to stay at an inn and creep about the grounds at night, watching for intruders.”

She blinked at him, her expression a mix of fatigue and disbelief. “I thought you intended to entrust me to the servants and the squire.”

“I never said that. I merely intended to enlist their support. They will notice any strangers in the area far better than I.”

“Then we are at a standstill, for I shan’t go to Garrison House.” Listlessly, she stirred her tea.

He studied her, wondering how she might react to an abduction, admitting to himself that although it might be rather fun for him, it would upset her no end, and she would most likely never forgive him. For some reason, that mattered.

What a pity, since taking her to Lord Garrison’s estate would kill two birds with one stone, as long as he could wangle an invitation to stay. He would protect her while at the same time continuing his investigation of the Marquis de Bellechasse.

Daisy sniffled, almost pouting, her expression wistful. She would probably enjoy a house party, if only she could be respectable again.

A brilliant notion came to him. An utterly insane notion which he was sure to regret, so he blurted it out before he could change his mind.

“Yes, you will. You’ll come as my betrothed.”

Daisy dropped her spoon with a clatter, and tea spilt onto the saucer. “What?”

“It’s the perfect solution. I’m from a tediously respectable family, so by association you will become respectable, too.”

She dabbed at the tea with her napkin. Damn, she was trembling. She concentrated hard on drying the saucer. When she knew she could control her voice, she said, “There’s just one small difficulty with your perfect solution, Sir Julian. We are not betrothed.”

“That’s easily mended.” He stood, came around the table, went down on one knee, and took her free hand between his. “Darling Daisy, will you marry me?”

The man was mad. Either that, or he was tormenting her on purpose. No one would ever marry her. She’d accepted that long ago.

She snatched her hand away. “You don’t want to marry me.”

“Nor do you wish to marry me. Come on now, say yes.”

She’d calmed down enough to think clearly now. “To a false betrothal?”

He resumed his seat and picked up his fork again. “As long as we put on a good act, no one need know the truth.”