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“A dowry by any other name would not smell as sweet,” said Father.
Harry tried to act as though their union wouldn’t be completely miserable. “It’s not so bad. She’s young, pretty, accomplished, clever… ”
“Rich,” Father added.
And perhaps most importantly, willing and eager to make a coldhearted trade: a title for a dowry.
Tina wrinkled her nose. “And Bianca? Is she none of those things?”
“She’s… ” Young. Pretty. Accomplished. Clever.
“Not rich,” Father said flatly. “Or a lady.”
Harry cut him an irritated look. “You said yourself that being a lady was the least of our concerns. There was that textiles heiress you thought would make a fine—”
“Pah.” Father flapped his hand in dismissal. “You settle when youhaveto settle. But now there’s no need. Not when you can have the best of both worlds. Besides, even if that orphan had a dowry—”
“That orphan has aname. ‘Miss White.’ I introduced you.”
Tina’s eyes widened. “You paused your seduction to make proper introductions?”
“Even if she had a dowry,” the marquess continued unrepentantly. “You’re dodging a bullet.”
Harry didn’t feel as though he were dodging a bullet. He felt like he’d been struck with an arrow. Cupid’s, specifically.
With Bianca, he shared more than ordinary passion. Much as Harry hated to admit it, he was emotionally invested. His feelings for her went well beyond the physical. He wanted her in his bed, in his home, in his life. Not for one night, but all of them.
It was enough to tempt a man to give up on dowries, and take a chance on his heart instead.
“How about you?” Harry nudged Tina’s slipper. “When are you tying the knot?”
She sent him a withering look. “I can’t even get signatures on my dance card.”
“I could help you to become less shy. We could practice conversations and improvise various scenarios until you feel more comfortable around gentle—”
“My blank dance card isn’t because I’mshy,” Tina ground out with obvious disbelief. “It’s because I don’t have adowry. Lords like you would dance attendance on a dry log if it came with enough gold. I’m not worth the effort.”
Harry’s stomach hollowed as he stared back at Tina in dawning horror. His brain was sluggish to process that his bashful little sister was not actually timid. She simply believed no one would ever want her for herself. Why bother acting out a futile role, and building her hopes up for nothing?
Tina’s biting appraisal of “men like him” stung. In no small part, because it had rung true up until he’d met Bianca… and was going to have to become true once again.
If Harry had married an heiress sooner, Tina could have had a dowry in time for her come-out. She might never have been relegated to the wallflowers if he had done his duty the moment he realized the dire straits his family was in, instead of dragging his feet in the hopes of encountering an heiress with whom hesuited.
Harry didn’t need to suit. He needed to provide for his sister. If one of the siblings deserved a love match, it was sweet Tina, not selfish Harry.
She was counting on him, and he knew just what to do. After all, he was the Huntsman, was he not? A coldhearted fortune-hunter with a fresh fish on the line. If marrying a woman with piles of money was the sacrifice he needed to make for his family, he would need to stop dallying and do it.
Even if it meant walking away from Bianca.
CHAPTER18
Bianca tried to pay close attention to the playing cards in her hands, truly she did, but she couldn’t help but hope Harry would wander into the sitting room at any moment.
She and Tina were seated across from each other at a tea table devoid of any tea, playing their third round of Casino in a row. As an only child, Bianca had not had much opportunity to play cards growing up, but Tina was a splendid instructor. She won every hand, explaining exactly how she did it as she went along, so that Bianca would not fall for the same tricks a second time.
In theory, anyway. The thing was, Bianca hadn’t had a moment alone with Harry since the kiss they’d shared beneath the shooting stars. The last time Bianca had been to Tina’s house, Harry had accompanied Bianca out in the rain to flag a hackney carriage. Today, the sky was stubbornly blue, but she could not help but hope Harry would step out of the shadows as he’d done the time before and claim a moment of her time.
Which Bianca planned to spend with their lips locked in another kiss.
