“Certainly not!” he said with an insulting amount of shock.
“Then I fail to see—”
“I need time,” he answered, “for my investment to come in. And you need a sponsor to meet other gentlemen. Second sons and the like. Ones who would be more than happy to wed you without writing poetry.”
She wished she didn’t feel so stupid around him. “And how does that lead to you on your knee before me?”
“Because we should get engaged. My grandfather will open the coffers, giving me time for my investment to profit. I know of just the person to sponsor you, and so you will be going to rounds, meeting all sorts of eligible men.”
“But as your fiancée!”
“Well, naturally. But Lady Eleanor won’t take you under her wing any other way but as a favor to me.”
She frowned. Lady Eleanor? As in the daughter of the Duke of Bucklynde. Even Mellie had heard of that august personage. It had been in all the papers that her male relations had died of some fever, and a nobody seaman had inherited the title. “But why would she help me?”
“As a favor to me. And because she needs a spot of cash herself. So if we offer to pay her and bring her in on the secret—”
“What secret?” she nearly screamed.
“That you’re going to cry off at the end of the Season. Don’t you see how perfect it is? You and I become engaged. Grandfather allows me enough money to survive until my investments come in. You go round to the parties, meeting all sorts of gentlemen, while I remain completely safe from those nefarious females. And at the end—when my money arrives—you cry off, marry the gentleman of your choice, and I can finally tell the duke to go to the devil. That I’ll marry when and where I choose and not before.”
She understood it now. This had not been a true proposal, he had no wish to marry her, and it was all a trick. That the trick was on his family and not on her made not the least bit of difference to her heart. She didn’t even like the man, and yet she felt humiliated to be used in such a fashion. To receive a proposal and then be gleefully informed that it was a sham. As if she were of no more importance than his horse. Less importance, in fact, because she was simply a tool to evade matchmaking mamas and foil his father’s plans.
“You are an odious man,” she hissed out. “Absolutely odious.”
He reared back, obviously shocked by her disgust. And that, of course, damned him even more in her eyes.
“But…but don’t you see how it works? It is a perfect fitting—you and me.”
“Not as an engaged couple!”
“But you don’t like me and I don’t like you. The two of us will never suit, and we have both said as much to one another. Repeatedly!”
Of course that was true. She had said as much and often. If not out loud, then at least in her thoughts.
“So that makes us the perfect pair for this,” he continued. “I cannot do this with a woman who might develop a tendre for me. That would be too cruel, and I couldn’t be sure that she would cry off at the end of the Season.”
“Well, there is no need to fear. I will certainly not develop any tendre for you. I’d rather kiss a snake.”
“Exactly!” he said as if she finally understood. “There is no fear of softer feelings between us. And as far as the scandal, my family will be in alt when you cry off.”
“In alt!”
“Well, you are a bit of a step down for me. We’ll have to claim a passionate love affair, overcome by our emotions and some such rot, but all they’ll see is the mésalliance. So when you cry off, they will be so relieved as to not care about the scandal.”
“And what about me? What about the scandal attached to my name? I will have cried off from a future duke.”
He shrugged. “And how could a scandal bother you? You don’t travel in the social rounds. Whatever man you choose will be thrilled to have a wealthy bride no matter the scandal. And won’t that be a grand romantic gesture? You throwing off a duke’s heir to marry a second son. Bound to stroke any man’s ego.”
She stared at him, appalled that his words were beginning to make sense. Setting aside the insult, he did have the right of it. She could meet scores of eligible gentlemen, ones that she could never touch any other way. It would allow her to find an alternative to Ronnie. And if they were all useless fribbles as she feared, then she could easily turn her back on Lord Charming and give herself to Ronnie. Her cousin would certainly take her back and likely see it as just the grand romantic gesture that he adored.
Mr. Anaedsley grinned. “You are thinking of it. I can see it in your eyes.”
“You can see nothing but revulsion.” She was speaking too harshly to him, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her heart had been twisted about too much for her to speak civilly just yet.
“Miss Smithson. Mellie…” He reached for her hand again, but she snatched it away. She couldn’t think with his hands on her, so she stood to pace about her parlor. This was her sanctuary, the place where she came to be at peace. And now, as she walked back and forth by the settee, all she could see was Lord Charming sitting there like a veritable prince, his body calm and his expression animated. He was excited and obviously had no doubt as to her agreement to his mad plan.
Well, he was far out on that. She was an honest woman and a deception like this…