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She groaned, tapping her cane on his legs. “I did not mean for you to marry someone of a tarnished reputation. You are obliged to marry but not in this way!”
“Most marriages of London are not rooted in love, Grandmother. Matches are made because of titles, connections, and alliances,” Theodore replied. “Rarely is a true love match ever found. This is not a love match, but it is born out of necessity.”
“You —”
“I wish to marry her, Grandmother. If someone had done the same to Isadora, she would be hale and hearty. A ruined reputation is deadly to a woman, Grandmother. I am just trying to save her life. I will never love her anyway, but this works for both of us. You want an heir, and she shall help provide it.”
Before his grandmother could spit out any more words, he left her presence. He tried so hard to hide the elation in his voice when he went inside the study.
“I want you to see this as a respite from the scandal, Lady Helen. With me by your side, thetonwill stop troubling you with their gossip, and you can finally live out your life in peace,” he explained.
“Why?” she asked, staring at him with large baby-blue eyes.
“We will form an attachment of sorts. Something to quell the rumors around your supposed scandal.”
“An attachment? What is that even supposed to mean?”
“By entering this engagement, Lady Helen, you will be pursued by many suitors all around London. Your wish is to marry a boring gentleman, do you not?”
Helen felt her heart race. So he remembered her and the words they exchanged at the first ball of the Season.
“I do. But —”
“When the gentlemen of London find out that a certain duke is interested in you, they will come rushing like carp towards bread crumbs.”
“That is a bad analogy, Your Grace.”
“Nevertheless, your reputation is repaired, and your wish is granted. By entering into this agreement, that is what you stand to gain.”
She looked at him, pulse roaring in her ears. “But, Your Grace, what do you stand to gain in all of this? There is so much for me, and you say little about yourself.”
He sighed, shooting her a beleaguered look. “You know my intentions, Lady Helen. I wish not to marry, and this engagement will get my grandmother off my back. This engagement will remain a ruse until you find a suitable husband for yourself, and my intentions are attained.”
Helen felt the opportunity call out to her, but she was still skeptical about the whole arrangement. The Duke gained very little, and she gained a whole lot — a restored reputation and a husband that would make her father happy. It was everything she ever wanted. She pushed the raging desire to embrace the Duke and let them continue what they started before the Dowager Duchess walked in.
She forced herself to smile, thinking of everything she stood to gain.
“So, Lady Helen, will you do it? For both our sakes?”
Helen sighed. “You are a rather conceited person, but somehow, I see nothing wrong with this arrangement. Since I stand to gain so much, I hope you will not later regret this in the future.”
He laughed, and Helen felt her heart and body quiver in response. “I will not, seeing as it will stop the hordes of hell from coming after me.”
“Hordes of hell?”
“The naive debutantes and their bold mamas, I mean. They trouble me so much that I have grown rather tired of life in earnest.”
She laughed, caressing her ankle. “It might be hard to keep them away, Your Grace. If you are not married, they will still come after you.”
“This attachment at least spares me from their chatter because they will think I already have someone in mind.”
“Which is me.”
He nodded, agreeing. “While entangled in this agreement, I become yours — until you take your vows with another man. Only then will I return to the country.”
“Return to the country?” she asked, raising her eyebrows haughtily.
“Yes. We leave for London after your ankle heals completely. By then, we will have gone to your aunt and told her that I wish to court you.”
