Barbara Metzger (23 page)

Ian picked up a slice of toast in self-defense. Then he could not decide what to spread on it, so ate the bread plain. “Coffee, that’s what I want. More coffee…and one of those silver dome things.”

Hull moved the coffee pot closer to the earl. “You wish a plate cover for breakfast?”

“Yes, that is precisely what I want, and hurry, man, before Miss Renslow comes down.”

The butler shook his head sadly. This whole marriage business had addled his lordship’s wits. Soon the earl would be banging pots and pans together and marching around the dining room table. He would still be just as obliged to marry, of course. A plea of insanity might rescue a gentleman from the gibbet, but not from parson’s noose.

Hull shortly presented the shining silver lid on a silver tray—surely one of the stranger requests he had fulfilled for his employer. So peculiar was the butler’s errand that two footmen and the pastry cook crowded together just outside the dining room door to watch Lord Marden’s next actions.

Ian set the silver dome next to a plate at his side, where Miss Renslow was used to sitting before the countess and Lady Dorothy had arrived. The plate was decorated with the Maddox coat of arms, which seemed fitting, to him. He removed the small velvet ring box from his pocket and placed it in the center of the plate, then placed the dome over it. One of the footmen sighed and the pastry cook wiped at her eyes. Hull scowled both of them back to their posts.

Oblivious to the witnesses, Ian scowled. He removed the dome, opened the ring box to show the large diamond surrounded by tiny emeralds, and replaced the cover on the plate. He took another bite of toast, staring at the dome. Then he removed it again, took the ring out of its box, set it so the diamond would face Athena when she raised the lid, and put the box back in his pocket.

Hull put the silver cover over the plate, giving it a swipe with a towel so it shone that much brighter. He moved the whole plate, ring, lid, and all, away from Lord Marden’s reach. “Very good, my lord. Very good, indeed. Would you like your breakfast now, or shall you wait for the young lady?”

“I am famished. What do we have? Eggs sound good, and perhaps some bacon. Did you bring the kippers, too?”

*

Athena was not hungry, but she went down to the breakfast parlor anyway. She thought she could find the earl there, for the man always seemed to need sustenance for his large frame. She had spent most of the night rehearsing what she would say, once he had his say, so was as ready for the embarrassing conversation as she would ever be. Any longer wait would leave her stuttering and twitching, if she did not break out in a rash. Now she was calm and collected, with only a few butterflies in her stomach.

He was sitting at his ease, his coat left unbuttoned, his neckcloth a simple, loose knot. He was eating as if they had not had a meal in days, with enough food piled in front of him to feed the residents of that orphanage Lady Dorothy had mentioned last evening, for a week at least.

The sight of all that food plus the smells of fish and frying instantly turned the handful of butterflies in Athena’s stomach into a herd of caterpillars, marching along on hundreds of heavy feet in her innards.

How could he be so hungry at a time like this? she wondered. Most likely, Lord Marden could eat because the subject of marriage meant so little to him, she decided. Just another bit of estate business, some documents to sign, some words to speak, then his life would return to normal, while hers would be turned upside down. The horde of caterpillars were doing somersaults as he rose to greet her when she took another step farther into the room.

Athena hoped her voice did not waver too much as she bade him a good morning, while Hull seated her at the table, all too close to the earl’s side.

Lord Marden went back to his breakfast as if his life depended on finishing every morsel. Athena pushed the covered plate at her setting away. “I’ll just have tea,” she told the butler.

Hull slid the plate back in front of her. “The kitchen went to extra effort this morning, miss.”

She pushed it away again. “Perhaps later. I’ll stop by and thank Cook myself. And share one of her raspberry tarts with Troy. No one makes them better, and they are his favorites, you know.” Athena knew she was babbling but she could not stop herself, not when Lord Marden kept cutting and lifting his fork and chewing and staring at his plate as if it were a better breakfast companion than she was.

Hull brought her a cup of tea, and sighed. “Will that be all, then, miss?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“My lord?”

“Unless you have some hemlock handy.”

Athena glanced at the earl, but he ignored her, simply waving the butler out of the room.

“And do close the door behind you,” he said, putting down his fork with seeming regret. He stared at her, making Athena wonder if her hair was coming undone again. Then he stared at the lidded dish Hull had been urging her to sample. He took a deep breath and said, “Open it.”

“But I am not—”

“Just open it.”

Athena took the cover off. “Oh.” The ring was exquisite, the largest diamond she had seen since viewing the royal jewels in the Tower. She reached out one finger and gingerly touched it, turning the stone to catch the morning light through the window. “Oh, my.” Then she pulled her finger back and clenched her fingers in her lap, over her roiling stomach. This could only mean one thing. A gentleman did not offer a lady baubles over breakfast unless his intentions were honorable. She dragged her eyes away from the beautiful ring and looked over at Lord Marden, who was watching her like a hawk watched a mouse. “Oh,” she repeated. “I was afraid of this.”

Chapter Seventeen

In a marriage, love is the frosting on the cake.

—Anonymous

In a marriage, love is the meat and potatoes, the bread and butter, plus dessert.

—Mrs. Anonymous

Spiders and snakes, I might understand, but you are afraid of diamonds? Or is it rings you fear? Devilish things, I know, like manacles, or a hoop through one’s nose.”

“Do not be silly.” Athena put the lid back on the ring’s plate and pushed it in his direction. “We both know what this is.”

“A very fine diamond that has been in the family for centuries, but I could purchase a modern ring if you wish. You seem fond of pearls.”

“This is not a time for levity, my lord. The ring is simply a symbol.”

“A symbol representing my affection? A pledge to look after you and your brother? A promise that you will never want for anything?”

“It is a proposal of marriage.”

“Not a very effective one, it seems. I suppose I should kneel on bended knee. The dog has not been in here, has she?”

Athena ignored his efforts to distract her. She pushed the ring and its plate farther away, as if their sight or smell was offensive. “The ring is a
proposal I was afraid you would make.”

“Ah, and I was beginning to worry that it was me you feared.”

“I feared that your sense of duty would press you to ask for my hand.”

“It did, of course.”

“I will refuse, of course.”

Ian was relieved at first, until he decided that he ought to be offended. “Since the proposal was unspoken, I suppose I cannot complain about your style of rejection, but I did understand that a gentlewoman was taught to thank a gentleman, to claim his offer as an honor.”

“Very well, thank you. I am honored. Now your honor is satisfied. Is that enough?”

“Not quite. You said you would refuse, of course. I see no
of course
about it. A rational female would at least consider the offer carefully, for longer than one blink of an eye, especially when she has no other options.”

“But I do have other choices.”

“Wiggy? I believe he has taken up with Lady Paige. I suppose he thinks that her connections can find him a profitable parish. Either that or he intends to live off her money, the same as he was planning on living off yours.”

“Mr. Wiggs…and Lady Paige?”

“I have seen stranger couples.”

“Yes, like a green as grass country girl and a polished London gentleman.”

Ian had retrieved the ring and turned it this way and that to see the glimmers of light the stone cast. “There is nothing wrong with such a match. A man does not necessarily want a woman of experience for a wife.”

“Can you honestly tell me that you have always wanted a rustic female with no style as your bride?”

“I can honestly swear to you that I have never considered brides at all, except to avoid them.”

“You see? You do not wish to marry.”

He held up the ring. “And yet, I have made the offer. Besides, style can be acquired. Character cannot. Only a fool marries for a pretty face.”

Athena was silent, digesting that.

“Not that yours is not a pretty face,” he quickly added. “But you have a great deal more to offer. Any man, be he duke or drayman, would be proud to call you his wife.”

Athena blushed at the compliment, but she stayed quiet, as if expecting more.

Ian cleared his throat. More? All through the night, he had gone over the speeches that were not good enough. They sounded worse this morning. He supposed a woman deserved a better proposal than a diamond on a dish—or at least a better reason to wed where she was not inclined.

“I admire your sense of duty,” he began, “which I believe will make you an estimable countess. You rub along well with my mother, which is no small accomplishment, and my employees adore you, which is a better testimony to a person’s character. I have come to believe that we shall suit very well. We already seem to have an understanding, with interests in common.”

“But you would not have offered for me if you did not feel obliged.”

“I would not have met you if your brother was not under my roof, no. But I do have to take a bride, as my mother keeps reminding me. My cousin Nigel is not an acceptable heir to the earldom. Featherbrained, he is, more interested in bird-watching than running an estate. And his sons are unmannered brats.”

Athena was well aware that the first duty of a tided gentleman was to continue his dynasty. Hadn’t her own father taken a young second wife to ensure his succession? “You would have chosen a woman from your own social circle, when you decided to start your nursery.”

“Where else to look for a bride? Seven Dials? I would have picked a young lady from those presented to me, yes. But what is wrong with that? If you were in town, under your uncle’s roof, who knows but that we might have met.”

“Uncle has no
ton
connections.”

“No matter. Your birth is better than that of half of the females who have their noses in the air at Almack’s. Your father was a viscount, for heaven’s sake.”

“But my mother was merely of the gentry. And I have no lands or vast dowry to bring to a marriage.”

“What do I need with more lands or money? Men like Wiggs have to consider such matters when taking a wife. I am fortunate to be able to choose for myself.”

“But that is the point. You did not choose for yourself.”

No, he did not. Ian had no answer. Athena pushed her chair back. “I will not accept a proposal made out of duty, my lord. I have honor, too.”

Which was one of the things Ian liked best about Miss Renslow. She was no flibbertigibbet female only interested in her own best interests. The problem was, she did not know her own best interests. He did.

“What will you do?” he asked. “Go home with your brother to become unpaid nursemaid to your new niece or nephew?”

She shuddered. “No, I shall not do that, even if my sister-in-law were to permit me to go home.”

“Then what? Will you accept Wiggy’s offer, if your brother can raise the ante enough to overcome your sojourn under my tainted roof? You do not even like the man. At least you do not run away from my presence.”

“I had already decided not to wed Mr. Wiggs.”

“Then what? No one will hire you, you know.”

“I can keep house for my uncle.”

“Who is a naval officer, in time of war. What if he does not return? Have you thought of that?”

“I pray for him every night.”

“And that is sure to see him home safely.”

“I could go live with your sister. She invited me.”

“To be what, a permanent guest? What if Doro marries? She still might. Odder things have happened. And would you like being her companion, trekking across the country to visit coal mines and textile mills?”

“I could be doing something useful, the way your sister is. That ought to be satisfying.”

“Cold water is satisfying, but you would not want to drink it every day for the rest of your life. Dash it, Attie, think! You do
not
have any other practical choice, none that I can accept.”

“It is not for you to accept or reject, my lord.”

“For heaven’s sake, could you not ‘my lord’ me to death? I have just issued my first proposal of marriage—well, I put it on a platter, anyway—and I think I deserve to be on a more familiar footing. Ian. Call me Ian, deuce take it.”

She nodded, with a slight lift of her lips. “Ian, who just proved what a tyrant of a husband he would be.”

He slammed his fist onto the table top. “I would not be!” Then he had to get up to retrieve the ring that had rolled off the table. While he was up he pulled his chair closer to hers, sat and took her hand. He liked how it felt in his clasp. “Miss Renslow, Athena, dear Attie, I would be a good husband, I promise. I would respect you, respect your wishes, let you go your own way as long as you were safe from harm. I would not insist on living in London year round if you prefer the country, and I would not force you to attend the tedious social rounds if you chose to live a quieter life. I promise you shall never be in want or in fear, not even from my foolish temper.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. She did not pull away, so he continued: “Everything I have will be yours. You will have all the money you want, even if you spent it on… The devil, I do not know what you would spend my blunt on. Clothes, furs, jewels, carriages?”

“Books. I like books.”