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"Of course," said Lord Hyde. She peeked up at him through her lashes, wondering at the tone in his voice. Was he amused by her? Fury pinked her cheeks, but she couldn't say anything because her father had just reached their group. He exchanged greetings with Lord Hyde and asked if Edwin would call on him the next day. Having agreed to do so, Lord Hyde then turned and asked Eleanor for a dance.
With her father watching she couldn't do anything but say yes, as graciously as possible. Once on the dance floor she kept on her smooth social mask, finding it the only defense she had against Lord Hyde's probing eyes and heated glances.
“So how does it feel to be the most beautiful woman in the room?” he murmured as they passed each other, his hand lingering in hers just a moment too long.
“Don’t allow Miss Cuthbert to hear you say that to me or her heart will be quite broken,” she retorted, having seen the way the pretty debutante had sighed before, during and after her dance with Edwin. But he only laughed. Obviously careless of what hearts he might be breaking and so Eleanor hardened hers, knowing that he was a teasing rake. The kind of man her mother had warned her about and the kind of man she already knew she wanted to avoid, not just because of his reputation but because she could tell he would never be malleable in the way she wished her future husband to be.
Yet that didn’t stop her heart from pounding when he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Miss Cuthbert is quite beautiful, but a man always has his preferences.
And his eyes dipped down to observe the creamy swells of her breasts. Beneath the fabric of her dress she could feel her nipples pucker and she found herself suddenly breathless. His words were not inappropriate, but his meaning was quite clear and made her glad, for the first time that evening, that her gown had a modest neckline.
All in all, other than the dance with Lord Hyde, Eleanor's come-out was deemed a success by both her and her parents (although of course both of her parents counted that dance as part of her success). Her mother was happy because everything had gone smoothly, her father was happy because Eleanor had behaved - her mother neglected to inform him of his daughter's rude words to Lord Hyde and the walk on the terrace she'd taken with the Earl of Cawdor, and Eleanor was happy because she'd begun her campaign on two eligible young gentleman who seemed suitably malleable and easily infatuated. She was quite sure that removing herself from her parent’s house and into a pampered marriage, where she could return to the lifestyle she'd formerly led before her father took such an interest in her upbringing, would commence by the end of the Season.
Putting on her most flirtatious smile, she turned her efforts for the night into finding her a malleable husband as soon as possible.
*******
At ten o'clock sharp, Edwin presented himself at Lord Harrington's house. Most of the household was still abed, including Hugh, but Lord Harrington was already up and working in his study, which is where he received Edwin. Ten o'clock was rather early for Edwin when he was in town, but he hadn't wanted to deny Lord Harrington's request. His friend's father had seem rather serious when he'd made it and Edwin wanted to put his best foot forward, since he'd decided last night that Eleanor was eminently suitable to be his wife.
Indeed, he'd gone to bed with visions of her red, dancing bottom in his head. While she put on a remarkable show of being a meek, presentable miss, it was obvious that she still had most of her rough edges and spoiled manners; catching her in those moments would be a delight. The idea of rousing her passions had made him as desirous of her as his craving to have her over his knee. The flare of attraction between them had been impossible to ignore and he’d seen the way she’d responded, despite the sharpness of her tongue.
Yet he’d also been relieved to see evidence that she was the same sweet girl he’d once known. Because he’d kept a close watch on her the entire ball he hadn’t failed to miss when she’d gone amongst the wallflowers, taking her trailing train of gentlemen with her and skillfully setting them to dance with the other young ladies. Some of whom hadn’t danced all evening prior to Eleanor’s efforts. And she’d done it in such a way that the young ladies blossomed under Eleanor’s smiling gaze, drawing them into conversations with the young men. Although he’d also noticed that there had been two or three gentlemen that she hadn’t relinquished from her side, and he’d taken careful note of them, especially the overeager Kilcairn whom she seemed to save her most engaging smiles for. Young puppy.
"Thank you for coming so early, Lord Hyde," Lord Harrington said as he set his work aside. Edwin sat at attention. He'd always respected Lord Harrington and looked to him as a model for behavior, even before he'd known about his methods of discipline. Now he studied the man opposite him, a fine looking gentleman with silvering blonde hair, laugh lines about his mouth and at the corners of his light blue eyes. However, his hair was so light colored already that you could barely tell he was going silver, so he ended up looking much younger than his years. "I know that town hours usually dictate a later start in the day for most young men of your age and I appreciate your promptness."
"Of course my Lord," Edwin said.
"Edwin,” Lord Harrington dropped the formality now that they were past their greetings, “it come to my attention that you are a fine, upstanding young gentleman, and you seem to have moved past the wild ways of many young men rather early in life. I commend you for your maturity, and it is that maturity that has led me to consider putting a proposal forward to you."
Curious now, Edwin leaned forward a little. Lord Harrington seemed almost nervous, his forearms folded in front of him on the desk, a rather anxious expression on my face. "I'm flattered that you hold me in such high esteem, my Lord, as I have always held you. I am happy to hear any proposal that you have for me, please continue."
"As Hugh may have told you, preparing Eleanor for presentation to Society has not been... the easiest task. I noticed your interest in my daughter last night and I also know from Hugh that you run a disciplined household, and that you know and approve of my methods for curbing the worst of Eleanor’s excesses. She needs a firm hand and traditional methods. Despite the progress that I have made with her in the past few years I am convinced that she means to marry some wilting dandy who will let her have her head and she will end up shaming us all. That’s if she doesn’t ruin herself first, which seems all too likely base on her behavior last night.” Lord Harrington winced as if remembering something particularly bad and Edwin wondered what on earth Eleanor had done last night. He had left by the time Eleanor had taken her walk on the terrace with Lord Cawdor, a walk that she hadn't hidden as well from her father as she'd thought. “If you are amenable, I would like you to consider taking Eleanor as your wife."
Edwin's heart pounded in his chest with excitement. How strange and unusual that Lord Harrington should offer him the very thing he'd been hoping to one day present to the Lord! Still, perhaps it wouldn't do to seem over eager. This was very sudden after all, were there circumstances he was unaware of?
"My Lord, I am honored that you thought of me, but this is very sudden is it not? Is Eleanor ah..." he paused, unsure of how to delicately phrase the question. Not that he truly cared if she was ruined, as long as there were no consequences that would have repercussions for his family, but he would like to know what he was getting into.
"She's not ruined," Lord Harrington said bluntly, and Edwin coughed. "No, I'm not angry, I can understand your concern. The problem is that I'm worried she'll attract some young buck who won't be able to handle her and convince him to elope to Gretna Green with her. I'd like to get her married off to a suitable man before that happens. Despite her progress in manners, none of the young men she surrounded herself with last night are what I would consider suitable and if I don’t intervene now she’ll either convince one of them to marry her or someone will ruin her. I don't want her to be unhappy. You're a young and attractive man, you’ve known her and the family since you were a boy and I know I can trust you to take care of her. The only other men who might be able to handle her are much older and I think she would object to that. There seemed to be something between the two of you last night when you spoke and then danced. I think once she realizes that she has a husband who won’t take any of her nonsense that she’ll prove herself to be an asset as your lady wife and you two will be as happy as your parents or my wife and I."
Now leaning forward, Lord Harrington’s body language communicated his earnestness clearly. He truly was concerned about his daughter, as well as his family’s name, and he wanted to be able to trust Edwin to take care of her. But he also needed Edwin to keep her from disgracing herself, if they were to marry.
"I would certainly like to make her happy," said Edwin truthfully, although his ideas on how to do so were much more closely aligned with her father's than with the lady's own. "However, I'm not quite sure you've made as much progress as you think." And he described Eleanor's rude behavior from the night before as Lord Harrington's face darkened, ending with a request that she not be punished as he'd rather not have her feeling any more antagonistic towards him than necessary at this juncture.
"Thank you for telling me," Lord Harrington said. "I will allow you to handle it as you see fit. Please rest assured that her mother will be suitably chastened for not informing me of our daughter's antics." Edwin shot him a look of surprise and Lord Harrington smiled. "Ah, you thought the Lady is exempt from the discipline of the house? Absolutely not. In fact, I rather believe that she's come to enjoy it. You will find that disciplining a wife is altogether a different thing from disciplining a daughter."
"I see, my Lord," said Edwin feeling rather stunned. The idea of the demure and graceful Lady Harrington bent over the arm chair - which happened to be the one he was sitting in - to receive a spanking from her husband was both shocking and rather arousing itself as he realized how many delightful years he would have ahead of him with Eleanor. "Well, I should be very happy to marry Eleanor. Last night I actually had the thought that she would make an ideal wife for me, although I had planned on courting her properly."
Lord Harrington waved his hand dismissively. "No time for that, she'd just use to get into more trouble. The sooner I shackle you two together, the happier I'll be."
They hammered out the marriage agreement rather quickly after the solicitors were called to join them, with Lord Harrington looking extremely relieved now that he knew his daughter would be in good hands, assured that she would have no chance to dishonor or shame their family with a stalwart and responsible husband like Lord Hyde. Promising to return that afternoon to propose, Edwin left to secure a special license so that he and Eleanor could marry on the morrow.
Chapter 2
"What?!" Eleanor asked her father, staring at him completely aghast. Her hands clenched in the skirt of her father-approved modest beige morning gown, she felt faint for the first time in her life. This could not be happening.
"You will marry Lord Hyde tomorrow," her father said calmly, before continuing to new information as if he hadn't just announced the most awful fate imaginable. "It's quite a good match, I believe." He was smiling, so obviously proud of himself for arranging her marriage that she wanted to scream.
"But it's too soon! I just came out yesterday!" she protested, her mind racing. The fact that he had made her insides quiver last night didn't make a basis for a good marriage, and Lord Hyde's strong personality certainly didn't make for the kind of marriage Eleanor wanted. Somehow she instinctively knew that he wouldn't be at all malleable or inclined to give her whatever she wanted. After all, heated glances and seductive words or not, he'd known her for too long, had heard her waspish tongue. There would be no honeying her way with sweet words and promises when it came to him. After all her hard work attracting an acceptable court of suitors and her father was going to cut her off from them before she could even attempt to bring one up to snuff!
