Loving the Marquess (7 page)

“Perhaps you should be seated for this.”

She stiffened. “That is quite all right. I am comfortable
here.”

She threw a hasty glance at the door, wondering at her
chances for escape, but realized she was being foolish. This man had spent a
considerable amount of time under her roof and he’d had several opportunities
to make unwanted advances. Other than the one kiss they had shared when he’d
woken and mistaken their relationship, an action for which he had later
apologized, he had been circumspect in his attentions.

Nevertheless, she shivered when he approached her. His
movements were smooth, almost predatory. There was no hint of the caution with
which he had moved on that other occasion.

He stopped a few feet from her. She couldn’t make out what
thoughts lurked behind his dark, intent gaze, but she sensed he was coming to a
decision. She didn’t have to wait long for him to reach it.

“You require my assistance and I am inclined to offer it to
you, but I have something to ask of you first. Without your agreement, I fear I
will be unable to help you.”

Louisa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was about
to make her the same offer Edward had made. She was disappointed. For some
reason she’d expected better of him.

He was silent for a moment, as if he were choosing his words
carefully. When he finally spoke, they were the last she expected to hear.

“I need a wife.”

He’d shocked her. He didn’t need to
see the color drain from her face to know that a proposal of marriage was the
last thing Louisa Evans expected, or wanted, from him.

Damn his cousin Edward for being an unscrupulous bastard,
and damn him for using Miss Evans’s distressed circumstances to his own
advantage. He knew that in her eyes he was little better than his cousin. Once
she became aware of the full terms of their marriage that opinion would
solidify, but for now it would be best to keep those terms to himself. He just
needed her to accept his proposal. He would deal with the matter of his heirs
later.

“You require my protection and I require a marchioness. It
is the perfect solution.”

She looked at him as though he had grown two heads. It
wasn’t an expression he was accustomed to seeing. Even though he was aware of
the justified animosity her family had always held toward his, he felt the
sting to his male pride. Any other woman would have leapt at his offer of
marriage, and not just for his title. While he was now pursued relentlessly
since becoming the Marquess of Overlea, he had never wanted for female
companionship.

He could have chosen from among any number of women, but for
some reason Louisa Evans was the one he wanted. It wasn’t just that she was
attractive, though she was that, with her slim figure, her long, pale blond
hair, now worn up, her wide gray eyes and that full mouth. A mouth meant for
kissing, as he had discovered.

He was attracted to her, more than he should be for the type
of union he had in mind. However, that attraction wasn’t the reason he wanted
her for his wife. In fact, he was sure it would prove to be a major
inconvenience. No, he had proposed to her because Louisa Evans was an
intelligent and practical woman. She was a breath of fresh air after all the
simpering, marriage-minded females of London. Most important, however, was the
fact that she was also a desperate woman. One whom he was certain would
ultimately agree to his terms.

She remained silent and he watched the play of emotions that
crossed her face. The shock had faded quickly enough, only to be replaced by
confusion and uncertainty. Then she turned away from him again, her back ramrod
straight.

He waited patiently. He knew what her answer would be. She
had no other choice.

Finally she turned, chin held high. Nicholas felt relief,
and to be honest, a sense of admiration. There would be no histrionics here, no
pleading. She would deal with him plainly.

“Why me?”

“Why not you?”

His equanimity gave her pause. “We both know you are the
catch of the Season. Any number of women would agree to be your wife, most of
them, no doubt, better suited to the duties such a position entails than I.
So,” she continued after a brief pause, “I ask you again. Why me?”

“I can think of no one better suited to be my marchioness,”
he said, glad he could be honest with her on that score.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him intently. “You’re not
telling me something.”

A quick stab of guilt pricked him, but he quickly suppressed
it. He had no choice. Both their hands had already been dealt.

“Becoming my marchioness is the only way I can guarantee you
are safe from my cousin’s whims.”

He could see her weighing his words and pressed his
advantage.

“Of course,” he continued, “I realize your responsibilities
to your family and I am willing to provide for them. They will live here, with
us. Catherine will have a Season in London and John…?”

“John would like to attend Oxford.”

Nicholas smiled. “Then he shall.”

He could see the indecision vanish from her eyes.

“Very well, I accept your proposal.”

She was trying so hard to be brave, but Nicholas could tell
she was feeling overwhelmed. Life had dealt her more than her share of
hardship. He was willing to relieve her of at least a few of those burdens. She
wouldn’t thank him once she knew all of it, but for now he could help her.

The strength of his desire to take care of her caught him
off guard.

“Congratulate yourself,” he said, striving for levity. “You
are about to become the Marchioness of Overlea. Women everywhere will hate you
on sight.”

The ghost of a smile touched her lips before she sobered.

 “Your aunt will not be pleased when she hears of this.”

He frowned. “Why would she care?”

 “Was there not an understanding that your brother was to wed
Mary? The betrothal was never formalized and I’d assumed…”

He couldn’t hide his stab of annoyance at her words, and her
voice trailed off when she saw it. First Grandmother had suggested he marry his
cousin, and now Louisa Evans, a stranger to the complicated intricacies of the
Manning family dynamics, was intimating as much. It made him wonder how many
others also assumed he would be marrying his cousin.

“I am not my brother.”

“But surely the reasons such a union was proposed in the
first place still exist.”

“My brother was willing to sacrifice himself to make peace
within our family, but as you know, I was not raised the heir. I am not nearly
so noble.”

She tilted her head and gazed at him, an odd expression on
her face.

“I am not so sure about that.”

Her comment pleased him more than it should have. It was too
bad he didn’t deserve it.

“I believe we will get on very well together,” he said.
“There are a few matters I need to attend to before we can discuss the details
of our arrangement. Can I call on you tomorrow afternoon?”

She inclined her head. Turning, she made her way toward the
room’s exit.

“Believe it or not,” he said, his voice causing her steps to
falter, “I had not thought of asking you until I saw you here.”

She didn’t turn to face him.

“If it weren’t for your cousin I wouldn’t need to be here.
And I would not have accepted.”

Then she was gone.

* * *
* *

As Louisa finished setting the table for dinner she couldn’t
keep her gaze from moving to the chair closest to the door, where Overlea had
sat on the morning he’d had breakfast with them. She found it impossible to
believe that had only been two days ago. So much had changed in such a short
time.

She still found it almost impossible to believe that Overlea
had proposed to her and that she had actually accepted. Of course, given the
alternative presented by Edward Manning, marriage to the marquess was the
better option. The only option. And marrying Overlea would secure Catherine and
John’s futures. John would not need to wait to see if he could secure a
scholarship to attend Oxford. And with Overlea’s backing, she was certain
Catherine would be considered quite a catch. She would be able to choose a
husband from any number of candidates.

She was not unaware of the irony of their situation. One
Manning had stripped away almost everything from their family, leaving them
only their dignity. Then that man’s son had threatened to take even that from
them. It seemed strangely fitting, then, that another Manning would return
everything they had lost.

Somehow she would have to convince John of that. She wasn’t
looking forward to telling him her news. She knew Catherine would go along with
her decision once she’d gotten over her initial surprise. Her sister had no
memory of what their life had been before, so the loss of everything they’d
once had was not so devastating to her. John, though only a year older, seemed
to remember all too clearly.

Louisa looked about the small dining room with its simple
furnishings. Soon they would leave here, the cottage to which they’d been
exiled all those years ago that was now their home. Tomorrow, when Overlea
arrived to discuss the details of their arrangement, she’d learn just how long
it would be before their circumstances changed yet again. This time, however,
it would be for the better. She had to hold onto that belief.

She pushed back the suspicion that Overlea was hiding
something from her. For her own peace of mind it was better not to waste time
worrying about what it might possibly be before she had to.

Giving herself a mental shake, she brought herself back to
the task at hand. Catherine would be downstairs soon and John home from his
lessons. She had just enough time to clean up before dinner. She was starting
up the stairs to do so when John burst through the front door.

“Louisa,” he called, halting her progress. “I need to speak
to you and Catherine.”

“Can this wait until dinner?”

The expression on his face gave her pause. He looked both
guilty and determined, and it made her uneasy.

“We need to talk,” he said. His gaze went to the top of the
stairs. “Good, Catherine is here. We can settle this at once.”

Unease swept through her. Somehow her brother must have
found out about her visit to Overlea Manor. Either that or he’d learned of
Edward’s proposition. Neither alternative boded well.

“Let me explain—” she started, but John cut her off.

“You won’t dissuade me this time, Louisa. My mind is made up
and I have already spoken to Reverend Harnick.”

She looked at Catherine who was now standing, silent, beside
her, but it was clear she, too, had no idea what their brother wanted to
discuss.

“I told Reverend Harnick that I will not be applying for a
scholarship to Oxford, but hope, instead, to find some way of supporting us. He
knows of some families that he believes would be willing to hire me to tutor
their children in Latin and Greek.”

It she still had doubts about her decision to accept
Overlea’s proposal, they were gone in that moment. She’d hoped to put off
telling her siblings about that decision until she’d spoken to Overlea again
and they had settled the details, but time was no longer a luxury.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Yes, it is,” John cut in. “I’m the man of this family now
and it’s time I started acting like it.”

“Listen to me, John—”

“I’m done listening. I should have done this a long time
ago, but I let you convince me that Father would be upset if I gave up my
studies.” He paced to the door and back, his young body filled with a vibrant
energy. He swept a hand through his blond hair. “You were probably right about
that. But you have sacrificed for too long, Louisa. It is now my turn to take
care of the family.”

Louisa placed a hand on her brother’s arm.

“I don’t mind,” she said. “You cannot give up your studies.
I know how much going to Oxford means to you.”

“I think everyone here knows that will never happen. How
could I leave you two here, alone, without any income? What kind of man would
that make me?”

The bleakness in his eyes further strengthened her resolve.

“John is right,” Catherine said. “We can’t allow you to
continue taking sole responsibility of caring for the family. Surely I can find
a position as a lady’s companion or a governess.”

“No.” The vehemence in her tone surprised her siblings. “I
am to be married and my future husband has assured me your futures are secure.”

Her words dropped into the room with deafening finality. It
was Catherine who found her voice first.

“Who?”

“The Marquess of Overlea.”

If she weren’t so worried about her brother’s reaction, the
expression on his face would have been comical. She knew, however, that this
was no laughing matter.

“What are you saying? How could this have happened?”

Louisa knew that, above all else, John must never learn of
Edward Manning’s proposition, nor of her visit to Overlea that afternoon. Her
siblings would never believe that her upcoming nuptials were the result of a
love match, and she had no doubt John would not accept the marriage if he
thought she was sacrificing herself for them. She would have to give them
enough of the truth to satisfy their disbelief.

“Overlea has decided he is of an age when he must marry and
secure the future of his title. He has proposed and I have accepted.”

Her brother swore and she flinched at his vehemence.

“The decision has been made,” she continued. “He will be
here tomorrow to discuss the details.”

John’s scowl deepened. “I do not consent.”

“I don’t require your approval. I am old enough to marry
where I will.”

“You would give yourself to a Manning?” His disgust was
palpable. “They stole everything from our family. They are the reason we’ve had
to live hand to mouth for years.”