“She was.” Gabriel had always intended to confide in his friends about this—it was the reason he had asked them to join him at the club today. “But not for the reason you’re thinking, Nathaniel, so take that smug smile off your face.”
“For what reason, then?” Jonathan asked.
Gabriel pressed his lips together. “She wanted to see my library.”
It was a half-truth, of course. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t telling them about Lady Agnes’ List of Improper Ideas. It felt like a personal thing, of course, one she wouldn’t want him to go talking to people about. But he wasn’t sure why he was letting that stop him. It wasn’t as if she would ever know if he confided in his friends about her. He could have done it whether she liked it or not.
“I don’t understand,” Nathaniel admitted. “You invited a lady over unchaperoned tolook at your library? You must admit that sounds like there was a tryst, Gabriel.”
“I didn’t invite anybody anywhere,” Gabriel said firmly. “I told you I wouldn’t welcome her into my home with Helena there, and I meant it. Whether you believe anything else I say or not, you do know I wouldn’t lie about the care I have for my niece.”
Nathaniel nodded, conceding the point.
“But then what was she doing there?” Jonathan asked.
“She came of her own accord. Snuck in.” Gabriel shook his head. “To tell the truth, it doesn’t even seem that surprising when you think about it. Of course Lady Agnes, the well-known spinster, would not play by any rules when it comes to getting what she wants. Of course she would be the sort to break into a gentleman’s home just to indulge her curiosity.”
“Well, did you call the constables?” Jonathan asked. “That’s what I would have done. It’s a clear violation of law.”
“You’re always so quick to jump to that sort of thing,” Nathaniel chided him. “Call the constables—on a lady? What an overreaction that would have been. You didn’t, did you?” he asked Gabriel.
“No,” Gabriel said. He paused. How could he possibly explain this next part? “I’m going to be courting her.”
His friends stared at him.
“No you’re not,” Jonathan said after a moment. “This is a jest.”
“I assure you, it’s true,” Gabriel said with a sigh.
“I can’t fathom this. You’re saying you want marriage with the lady who broke into your home? Why?”
“Not marriage,” Gabriel corrected him. “I have no interest in any such thing, and nor does she. Well, of course she doesn’t—after all, she is a spinster by choice. That’s the one thing everyone knows about her.”
“Then why is she courting you?” Nathaniel asked. “Out of all the gentlemen in London, you’d be the one most likely to win over a dedicated spinster—but you’d also be the least likely to make the attempt in the first place. Why do this?”
“For Helena,” Gabriel said.
The two men looked at one another, confusion written across their faces. They looked back at Gabriel.
“I know you’re not saying you want to provide her a mother,” Jonathan said. “We spoke about that years ago. If you were going to do that, you would have done it when she was young. You wouldn’t have waited until she was on the verge of leaving your home to bring a woman into it.”
“You’re right,” Gabriel said. “That’s not my aim. But you know I have to stay involved in society for her sake. When she makes her debut, I need people to know who I am and that I can be trusted. I want gentlemen to take an interest in her, and I want them to find me approachable enough to ask after her. And that means constant attendance at parties—the kind of parties where people ask aftermyavailability for courtship and refuse to listen when I tell them I have no interest.”
“Ah,” Jonathan said, his eyes widening as understanding dawned on him. “You feel that if you can say you’re engaged in a courtship with someone, you’ll be left alone.”
“And it’s already working, isn't it?” Gabriel said. “You said yourself that no one had troubled me in town, and that’s just because they heard Imighthave been seen with Lady Agnes. They have no firm proof that anything of the kind took place. Once we announce our courtship, the proof will be there. People willhaveto leave me be.”
“But why would Lady Agnes do this?” Nathaniel asked. “What can possibly be to her benefit about this arrangement. She doesn’t think you’re considering marrying her, does she? Because if she does, Gabriel, I must tell you that to mislead a lady in that manner is a kind of cruelty I can’t stand by and let a friend engage in.”
“No, of course that’s not it,” Gabriel said. “She’s well aware of my intentions. We discussed them.”
“And she’s willing? Truly?”
“She’s eccentric,” Gabriel said. “A lady who chooses to be a spinster is an odd one. I suspect she thinks of this courtship as a lark. An interesting adventure. That’s the sort of person she struck me as when I met with her—one who is drawn to doing odd things just for the fun of it. I knew that asking her for this would be taking a risk, but I can’t honestly say that I was very surprised when she agreed to it. I thought she would do just that.”
“Well, this is an odd arrangement,” Jonathan mused. “But I suppose you know what you’re doing—at least, I hope you do. I would hate to see you find yourself in a situation you couldn’t get out of.”
“That won’t happen.” Gabriel was confident. “I’m going into this with open eyes, and so is Lady Agnes. We are agreed on what’s to take place between us and how it’s going to end. Yes, it’s odd, but there isn’t going to be any trouble.”