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“If it isn’t too much trouble, I’d like to ask you to stay. Long enough so that my mother thinks I gave this match an actual chance before I declared myself a spinster. I have money enough to support myself, you see. A little cottage. A decent income. And I’d be free from the duties of wife and mother that might hold me back.”
All the words penetrated his numb brain. Tillie was never going to marry him. For the slightest moment, a different hope rose in his chest.
Millie.
The woman who stole his breath every time he looked at her. But he’d heard Tillie’s words. The marchioness would never consider him for Millie.
“Try to understand,” he whispered back. “I’ve left my lands during prime farming season to come here. If we’re not to marry, I really should return. That crop is the only thing keeping me afloat.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. I do see. But…” and then she bit at her lip, “I didn’t realize you were so committed to your own pursuits. You gave the impression…” Then she twisted her hands together. “What if I could find a way to make staying worth your time?”
“How could you?” He looked down at her as her sharp gaze stared off into the fields beyond.
“Give me one day to see if I can come up with a plan. You’ve only just arrived this morning. You can’t leave tonight anyway.”
That was true.
And Tillie was nothing if not intelligent. What might she do to help him?
His gaze strayed back to Millie. He’d never hated his impoverished status more. If he had the resources he should as an earl, he’d be free to court the younger sister. The one who, after knowing her for an hour, made him ache with a longing he’d not experienced in years.
“A day,” he answered. “And then I should go.” He drew in a deep breath. “But thank you for your honesty, Tillie. It’s a great help to know that I am not on the right path. I’ve so little resources, it’s detrimental for me to waste them.”
But Tillie stared back at him, her head cocking to the side. “You’re not the man I thought.”
“What does that mean?”
“At Lady Greenburg’s garden party, you were all fun and games.”
He shrugged. “I will confess that I used to be that way. And most women enjoy that man.”
Her head tilted to the other side. “So you took up that mantle to attract a bride. But that’s not who you are really?”
“No. I suppose I’m not.” He raked a hand down his cheek. “I can be. I enjoyed that side of me. But right now, I must do whatever I can to save my earldom.”
Tillie gave him a lovely smile. The sort that actually showed her teeth. Had she changed her mind?
“I like you a great deal more than I thought.”
“Does that mean…”
“No. Sorry. I still don’t want to marry. I’ll put myself on the shelf for Millie’s sake but I’ll not wed.” Then she leaned in closer. “I’ll do what I can to help you. I’ve got an idea actually, I simply need to think it through a bit more. Just give me that day.” Her voice dropped even lower. “And please don’t tell anyone in my family my plans. I need all the details in place before I share my future with them.”
He gave a tentative nod, not sure why he was agreeing to all this. He liked Tillie, he guessed. Not romantically. But he admired her. And he was curious to know what she might be able to do to help him.
And if he were being honest with himself, he was relieved not to marry Tillie. He would have done it for the good of his earldom but he’d much rather just be Tillie’s friend. “I agree.”
She flashed him a glowing smile. “Thank you.”
Parker hoped he’d just made the right choice. He’d come a long way to leave empty-handed.
* * *
Millie followedthe group back toward the house, guilt pulling at her insides. She’d had real flutterings for Lord Rangeley. Both her body and her emotions responded to him. And just when her knees had grown so weak she thought they wouldn’t hold her…she’d had to watch him have an intimate conversation with her sister. Their heads had been bent together, their voices hushed, her sister’s hand had been on his arm.
Was he going to marry Tillie?
She covered her mouth, her other hand coming to her stomach. Was he going to be her brother-in-law? She’d have to spend Christmastide with him.
