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Chapter One
Jenny dove behind the sofa when she heard the voices grow closer. She’d dismissed the footsteps in the hallway as her friend Daphne’s. That was until she heard a man’s voice. The footsteps advanced, followed by short quick ones that seemingly belonged to a woman. Sucking in her breath, she scooted further behind the sofa, praying she was not about to witness a tryst. Disturbing images flashed in her mind and her cheeks heated.
She had fled the ball with Daphne, to the safety of the library several minutes ago. And just when Daphne had excused herself to the ladies’ retiring room, Jenny had become trapped.
Where in God’s name is Daphne when I need her?
“I don’t know why we are still having this conversation, Grandmother,” the man said, closing the library door.
Jenny released a slow, relieved breath. It was only some nobleman and his grandmother. Then she inwardly berated herself for allowing her imagination to run wild.
“Nicholas,” the grandmother said, causing Jenny’s eyes to widen with recognition, “you will marry that girl and that’s it.”
It was the Dowager Duchess of Seaton and her grandson, Nicholas Brighton. Jenney knew them and shecouldrise from her crouch and reveal her presence… But that would be awkward for many reasons. One: Nicholas had once been her closest friend. Two: The dowager was a curmudgeon. Three: She would look like she was eavesdropping even though she was in the room before them.
She decided to wait them out, listening closely to discern their movements. Strong footsteps approached the sofa she was hiding behind and her stomach lurched.
Please don’t come any closer! Please!
“I am not marrying anyone, Grandmother, and that’s it,” Nicholas returned, his tone matching his grandmother’s commanding one.
“The Hanover girl is right for you.”
Jenny clapped a hand over her mouth.Shewas the Hanover girl. It could only be her because she was the only child of the Earl of Hanover. She bit her bottom lip to keep quiet.
“You keep forgetting that she has a name.” Nicholas sounded bored and Jenny could imagine the expression on his face.
A smack sounded, followed by, “Ow!”
“You have no manners, boy.”
“I am going to burn that damned cane if you hit me with it again. And I am not a boy.”
A gale of laughter bubbled in Jenny’s throat. That was exactly what a boy would say.
“Burn it and one of your legs would follow,” the dowager responded.
“Do that and you will spend the rest of your days in the country. The only reason I allow you some liberty is because you are my grandmother and I still have some manners left in me.” Nicholas’s voice was low, almost threatening.
This conversation is getting very interesting, Jenny thought, an amused smile playing on her lips despite just learning that the dowager was trying to convince Nicholas to marry her.
“Someone has to keep you on the right course,” the dowager said.
“And that person is not you.”
“Lord Hanover is a fool, but occasionally he knows what he is doing,” the dowager said.
Jenny almost stood to defend her father but she remained as she was, clutching the book in her hand and gritting her teeth. She had never liked the dowager and she believed she had more reason to dislike her now. The supercilious woman seemed to think that everything in life had to go in the direction she wanted it to. Her father was no fool. Yes, he had made some not-so-clever choices, especially regarding their finances, but he was no fool.
Nicholas sounded incredulous when he asked, “Do you hear yourself, Grandmother?”
“Every word,” came her smug reply and Jenny shook her head.
“The man has incredible support in the House of Lords, rivaled only by that of the Viscount of Down whose recent scandals are fortunately seeing to the decline of this support.”
“Fortunately?”
“Indeed. It works perfectly for us. Seaton needs Hanover’s backing and we’re acquiring that by uniting our families in matrimony. I have no tolerance for competition, certainly not from a man of ill-repute like Down.”
