Maman digested that a moment. “That is very generous of him. It will probably save us a great deal of money, will it not?”
“Of course. Bath is quite dear, and the more of these trips we do not have to fund ourselves, the more of them we can make.”
Her mother searched her face. “But why does he want us there? I mean, I know that you are his fiancée, but it seems very unnecessary.”
I am not his fiancée, Maman! It is a ruse we are perpetuating so that he could gain his brothers, and now that he has …
No, she could not say that to Maman. Because now that hehadgained his brothers, there was less need for the ruse. Now that he had, he need not ask her to stay at Longmead.
So why had he? Simply because he did not know how to handle his brothers? Or for some more substantial reason?
She was grasping at straws, of course. She wanted him to need her, but as his wife. Not as a possible mistress. Not as a sort of pretend mother to his brothers … or whatever he saw her as at present.
She wantedmore.And yearning for more had always landed her in trouble. She had wanted a deeper relationship with family, so she’d run off to be with the father she’d never known. She had wanted to know her half sister, so she’d convinced Maman to let them get forged passports when the French government had refused passports to them.
And she had wanted to be around Heath, so when he had asked her to be his fake fiancée, she had agreed. Had that been a mistake?
“I think he wants us at Longmead because he needs help with his brothers,” she told Maman. “He has not been around them in twelve years. It makes sense that matters might be awkward between them.”
Maman sniffed. “Well, I don’t see howyoucan help. What do you know about taking care of boys?”
“Apparently more than he does,” she said with a shrug.
Her mother digested that in silence. Finally, she said, “I need to ask you about what happened in court yesterday. Who were those women?”
No reason to hide it from her. “The earl’s former paramours.”
“So many?”
“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “I told you from the beginning that he is …wasa libertine.”
“Then why are you marrying him? Your father was such a one, and you never liked that.”
“Heath claims to have reformed. And I believe him.” Shewantedto believe him, anyway.
Her mother leaned forward to lay her hand on Giselle’s knee. “Do be careful, daughter. Such men can be wily. They cannot always be trusted.”
“Yes, Maman, I realize that. But Heath … He is like a tuning fork, do you know? Someone strikes him, and I hear his reaction singing through me. I-I do not know how to explain it. We understand each other.” Sometimes. “But I promise to be careful.”
“Good. Because I would hate to see you follow in your mother’s path.”
“Your path was not so awful. Without it, I would never have been born.”
A ghost of a smile tipped up her mother’s lips. “And that would have been a great loss.”
Her mother’s words warmed the cold, dark part of her soul that always craved such kindnesses from her mother. Maman did not bestow them often—or easily—but when she did, it was always lovely.
“So, what do you wish me to tell him about our staying at Longmead?” Giselle asked. “Do you want to stay there or no?”
“I suppose it cannot hurt.” Her mother stared her down. “As long as you observe the proprieties and do not let him persuade you to misbehave.”
Yes, God forbid she misbehave and have some enjoyment for a change.
Knowing better than to say something like that, she murmured, “Of course I will observe the proprieties. I always do, do I not?”
“As far as I know,” Maman said, sounding faintly suspicious.
Oh, dear. She would have to proceed more carefully from now on. Because if her mother ever realized just how often she responded to Heath’s fervent attentions, he would find himself being treated to the rougher side of Maman’s tongue.