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“What? No, I’m fine.” Ellie sat up, shifting her leg away from North. “You go back to the guests. I’ll just stay here for as long as I can get away with.”
“I can stay with you. I won’t leave your side.” North watched her with a tilt of his head. “Although I think you’re doing well. Far better than I anticipated.”
Ellie snorted. “Don’t patronise me. You know I’m not coping.”
“Ellie…”
“I didn’t want this engagement party, North. I only agreed to it because I wanted to get on your mother’s good side. But I can see that’s going to be pointless.” Ellie stood up, knocking North off-balance so he ended up on the floor. She began to pace. “She clearly doesn’t like me, and she brought all of her friends here to look at me like I’m something on display. They’re trying to make me uncomfortable.”
North got to his feet and dusted himself down. “Mother’s simply putting you to the test. She wants to be sure you can cope with being a countess.”
“She wants to see me crumble and back away. She doesn’t want me marrying you.”
“She’s been asking me to find a wife for a while. I have, so Mother has no leg to stand on.”
“I still think she’s trying to get rid of me to replace me with someone of her choosing.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m a grown man, so I can do what I want. Besides,” North approached her, stopping Ellie’s pacing and taking her hands, “you and I… I think we would cope far better than I would with anyone else. If I have to make this a permanent thing, I believe being married to someone of my choosing, to someone I get along with, would be far better than her choices. And it would be her choice if I turned thirty and I was still unmarried.”
“She was going to choose your wife for you after that?”
“Yes.”
Ellie felt like she was being used. Then she remembered her own predicament. She couldn’t be upset with North’s situation and his reasoning when Ellie was trying to find herself a husband for a specific reason. It just felt like they were as bad as each other.
“Ellie.” North drew her close and kissed her forehead. “This party won’t be for much longer. I’ve already said that I want us to marry as quickly as possible. I’ve ordered a special licence, and that way we can avoid all the other engagements Mother was planning on throwing for us. As soon as we’re married, I’ll take you out of London. You won’t have to worry about anything.”
“Except my own family. My father is still sick.”
“But he won’t have to worry about you anymore, will he? Nor will he have to worry about your sisters.”
“What do you mean?”
North kissed her forehead again. “I’ve got a cottage on my estate that’s currently being cleaned and prepared. They can live with us while having their own independence. I’ve given them servants of their own, and they will have an allowance.”
Ellie stared at him. “Why would you do that?”
“So your father won’t have to be concerned about Regina and Dorothea struggling to find husbands. I can give them the security they need while they look.”
Ellie hadn’t been expecting that. Her mouth was opened as she looked up at him. North chuckled.
“You do look adorable when you’re stunned.”
“But… Regina and Dorothea are only going to be your sisters by marriage. Why would you do that?”
“Because you’re going to be my family, and I look after my family. If that’s something you’re concerned about, I can look out for it. I promise.”
Chapter 13
Derrick could stop himself from smiling at Ellie’s stunned expression. It was adorable. He had given it a lot of thought in the last couple of days, and it was something he couldn’t ignore. Ellie did everything for her family, including getting married. He wanted to do something to help, anything to calm her fears about her financial security.
Ellie’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she was able to respond.
“But… why… why would you do that?”
“Because I want you not to worry so much about it.” Derrick cupped her head in his hands, relieved when Ellie didn’t pull away. “We may not be getting married for love, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. And I want to be sure that your wellbeing is good, along with the wellbeing of your family. I would be a pretty awful husband if I didn’t look out for you as well.”
Ellie still looked rather bewildered. Derrick kissed her, feeling Ellie melt into his embrace as she slipped her arms around his waist. It took everything in him not to grab her or push her onto the settee to feel more of her body against him. It wouldn’t take much to push her skirts up…
