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While his confidence was charming, there was little time for levity. “Lord Ravenwood.”
His eyes hardened. “She objects to me for my past, yet she favors one who follows in my shadow, one whose feet tread the very imprint of my boots?”
“She believes I would be better able to tame him than I would you.”
“Meaning the old dog is harder to train to the leash than the young pup,” he said, his good humor returning. “And what will you tell the young pup?”
“I have no intention of encouraging him,” she assured him. “I am required to be polite, but no more.”
He shook his head. “It won’t be enough. You must dissuade him more directly else he will mistake your failure to reject him for acquiescence.”
“I had hoped to avoid any unpleasantness.”
“I fear such a feat will be impossible unless you tell him the truth at the outset,” he insisted. “You must find a way to communicate your ultimate intent to refuse him.”
He made it sound so easy. “That may prove somewhat difficult. My stepmother is unlikely to provide me any opportunity to sabotage her plan. She means for me to marry him.”
“I’ll shoot him before I let that happen.” The look in his eyes was no longer one of amusement.
Oh Lord! A duel fought over her favor was the last thing she wanted. “I cannot openly defy her. Such disrespect would not only earn my father’s censure, but it would almost ensure the hardening of her resolve against you. She would be the first to attribute my rebellion to your influence.”
His lips thinned. “Eden, I know you like not the idea of a scandal, but I’m willing to take you to Gretna Green. I know it seems a drastic measure, but trust me when I say a scandal blows over quickly once the couple in question is married.”
“Not in my family. She would never forgive me, and neither would Papa. And you would never see my dowry. That much is certain.”
“I have no need of your dowry,” he said with a smile to melt stone. “And why do you require their forgiveness? Once you bear my name you will be their concern no longer. Much as I dislike saying it, in terms of our society, might often makes right. As my marchioness you would outrank all your relations.” The smile stretched another increment. “Trust me when I tell you they will change their attitudes after the wedding and do everything possible to remain in your good graces.”
How she wished she could simply not care about the personal injury it would do to her familial relationships. “If I am touched by scandal, it will affect them all, including my brother.”
“Who is but a child,” he countered. “By the time he reaches his majority, your unconventional marriage will have long been forgotten. People will only care that his sister is a marchioness. Indeed, it is a connection that will only benefit him when it comes time for him to find a wife.”
“My stepmother would beg to differ. You must understand she is eager to erase the taint of her decision to marry beneath her rank.” It hurt to say it, for in her opinion Papa was a gentleman whose title was nowhere near as lofty as he deserved. “In her eyes, any scandal attached to me will be an indelible black mark against her. I know you like it not, but I would prefer to have my family’s support—at least my father’s.”
He stared into her eyes for a long moment. “I will speak with Ravenwood. Unless he is a complete fool, he will acknowledge my claim and retreat from the battlefield. Your stepmother will be wroth with me if she finds out, which changes nothing,” he added with a rueful smirk. “But you at least will be spared her ire. If she accuses you, you must pretend ignorance.”
Reaching out, he caressed her cheek, the soft stroke of his fingertips causing her to shiver not with cold, but with desire. She wanted to lean into him, but they were in full view of everyone and God. For him to touch her in such an intimate manner was already beyond the pale. If anyone saw it…
“The music is about to begin,” murmured Percy.
Her ears registered the faint sound of instruments being tuned. Taking the arm he offered, she descended the stair so they could assume position for the dance. Heads turned as they passed, one of them belonging to Ravenwood.
Percy’s hold shifted, bringing her closer. A flicker crossed Ravenwood’s face, and eyes the color of slate narrowed. He’d noticed. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to have Percy talk to him, after all.
Hope flared for a moment in her breast. Then her eye fell on her stepmother’s face, which was devoid of all expression, and the spark fizzled out. There would be trouble aplenty if her complicity were discovered.
A moment later the music swept her away, and the only thing that mattered was the man partnering her.
I should have said yes to Scotland…
Reason told her she’d done the right thing in saying no, but still her heart wouldn’t let it rest. Gretna Green would remain an option of last resort only. Every other means must first be tried.
Chapter Eleven
Percy moved through the steps of the dance and tried not to show his chagrin. Seeing the look in Ravenwood’s eyes had elicited a possessive urge that had been impossible to quell. Everything in him yearned to solidify his claim on Eden.
Her desire for her family’s approval was understandable, but if she truly wanted him would she not have agreed to a Scottish elopement? To realize she didn’t reciprocate his sentiment with equal enthusiasm put an ache in his chest he’d thought—and had wanted—never to experience again.
Sabrina had been “fond” of him, too. No such half measure would suffice when it came to Eden, however. He wanted all of her, including her heart. She desired him. She liked him. It was a start, but he needed to nurture those feelings. And time, it appeared, was not on his side.
