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Mr. Walsh glowered. “She needs a husband.”
“And if she does, I suggest you look elsewhere. Also, in case you have forgotten, I am betrothed to a lovely woman, and we are in the process of making our wedding plans. I would never disappoint or hurt her that way. We are quite fond of each other, and I am sure we will have a happy life.”
It surprised him that he felt quite comfortable with those words. Could it be his fake engagement might truly turn into something real?
“I will pay you ten thousand pounds.”
Alex whistled. The man was desperate. But his offer was no temptation for him. He stood and pulled on the cuffs of his shirt. “I suggest you look for a man who is not too fussy about who fathered his wife’s child and needs the blunt. I don’t need it, and I’m afraid there is nothing you can offer me that will change my mind. Now if you will excuse me, my fiancée awaits my return. Have a good day.”
As he left the house to find Natalie, he wondered why Mr. Walsh was so determined to have him marry Mildred. As he said, there were most likely dozens of men who wouldn’t care that she was in a family way. For ten thousand pounds some would sell their mother.
He found Natalie just where he left her, but she was not alone. Several of his aunts, cousins, as well as his own mother and sister, surrounded her. He could tell by the look on her face that she was looking for an escape.
He walked up to them. “Ladies, please, allow my fiancée some room.” He reached for Natalie’s hand. “Come, my dear, we will take a walk in the gardens.” He bowed to the females. “Enjoy the rest of the celebration.”
Whisking her away, they both laughed as he linked their hands together and they strolled off. They had made so many trips through the garden he was certain he could identify every flower. Blindfolded.
* * *
Natalie tookone last look in the mirror. Another of Rayne’s gowns, with a gorgeous gold overskirt, and a soft white underskirt of soft silk. The evening dress made her feel like a queen. Rayne had told her that once she and Sterling had married, he insisted on her having an entirely new wardrobe made, one that was fitting for a noble’s wife.
Mary had done wonders with her hair, and she finished off her ensemble with her pearl necklace and earbobs. Hopefully Sterling didn’t mind her wearing all the gowns he’d bought for his wife, but Rayne had assured her he would not care at all. From the way her brother by marriage stared at his wife, he would more than likely allow her to give away her entire wardrobe and then gladly have new things commissioned for her.
It was the night of the ball which ended the wedding celebration. The bride and groom had already left for their wedding trip that morning and Natalie and Alex had spent most of the day strolling again in the garden and playing chess. They were very evenly matched, so the games were stimulating. He’d been offered numerous opportunities to join some of the men in billiards or card games, but he passed them up. And suffered many chides about being besotted with his fiancée.
Not wanting to see Natalie swallowed up by his female relatives again, he took their chiding, laughing to himself at the ruse that they were so successfully doing. Truth be told, she felt less and less like a fake fiancée each day.
Alex had explained to her what Mr. Walsh wanted, and she was stunned that he offered him ten thousand pounds. A fortune! But she agreed. There would be any number of men who would, for that amount of money, gladly take Mildred to wife.
She turned as Mary placed the lovely gold shawl around her shoulders.
“Mrs. Shaw, you look stunning. When I see you and Lord St. John together, the way he looks at you makes me wonder if he has forgotten this was supposed to be pretend.”
Natalie merely smiled at her maid and left the room.
She found Alex at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her. He was certainly attentive, and, after living with Milton, she delighted in his attention.
He was tall, handsome, and dressed as a nobleman should be. His clothes had obviously been made by the best tailors. His shoes shined, the light from surrounding candles bouncing off them. No one had to pad the shoulders of his jacket, and his black, formal pants clung to his legs in an enticing manner.
She could feel the heat climb to her cheeks and, when she looked up at him, he had a grin on his face, obviously enjoying her admiration. He took her hand and kissed it, then placed it on his arm as they made their way to the ballroom. “Mrs. Shaw, you are by far the most beautiful woman in the room,” Alex said as he handed her a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing footman.
She took a sip of her drink and looked around the large space. “Thank you for your compliment, my lord, but there are many lovely ladies here.”
He grinned. “Ah, but you surpass them all.”
She tilted her head in a manner she had never done before but had witnessed other young ladies doing. “Are you flirting with me, my lord?”
“Yes. Indeed I am.” He placed his empty glass on a small table up against the wall. “I hear the music starting, and I know it’s a waltz.” He bowed and took the glass from her hand. “Will you honor me with this dance, sweeting?”
Feeling like a princess with her prince charming, she melted into Alex’s arms, and they floated around the floor. Her dancing was not up to par, but with Alex as her partner it was not noticeable. He gracefully corrected her missteps and avoided a collision with another couple with ease.
They stared at each other as they made their way around the ballroom, her stomach fluttering and her heart pounding.
I’m in deep trouble.
If the look in her eye matched the one in his there was no one at the ball who would guess their engagement a ruse.
Why did she feel as though it wasn’t faux anymore, either?
