The Scandal in Kissing an Heir (6 page)

A warm hand settled over hers, and Rebecca’s head turned toward Mr. Neville. There was kindness to be found in the depths of his eyes, but there was also undeniable pity. How she longed for the heated gazes he’d given her the night of the ball.

“You mustn’t lose hope,” he told her as he gently squeezed her hand. “I’m sure there’s a way out of this for you.”

Pulling her hand away from his, she pasted a happy smile upon her face and rose to her feet, while he did the same. She would not allow anyone to know the depths of her longings or the pain in her heart—not when her fate was all but sealed. She would remain brave and stoic even though she felt helpless. “Perhaps there is, Mr. Neville, but not today. Now, I must ready myself as my aunt has requested and bid you a good day. Thank you so much for calling on me. It was most kind.”

“It was the least I could do,” he said. He paused a moment before saying, “Your aunt does not approve of me, but I have every intention of pressing my suit with your uncle.”

Rebecca froze as the implication of his statement sank in, her heart thumping wildly at the very idea of it. He was going to try to marry her. There was only one question marring the happiness that filled her.
Why?
“Your determination in that regard makes me even more curious about your motive. And please don’t tell me that no other woman will have you, for it is not a good enough reason.”

“I . . . I can honestly tell you that I genuinely like you, Lady Rebecca. I think we would suit quite well.”

His sheepishness attested to his unwillingness to tell her the entire truth. Certainly this was part of it, but it was not the driving force behind his decision. For whatever reason, Mr. Neville
had
to marry. He’d probably decided that she would make a fine candidate—a woman so desperate that she’d likely marry anyone just to escape her aunt and uncle’s care. Now that Mr. Neville knew who her suitors were, he was probably more confident than ever that she would agree to become his wife if her uncle gave his approval. He wasn’t wrong in that regard, but Rebecca wished that there was more to it than that—that he wanted her passionately. She sighed, giving herself a mental kick. She was too romantic by half if she imagined that she would ever be able to inspire such strong feelings in a rake.

But did it really matter? She couldn’t deny the degree with which he drew her and how much she longed to be held by him, kissed by him. . . . Surely if they married, she would have at least that much. He was frowning at her, she noticed, and she became instantly aware that it was taking her too long to respond. Oh bother. “Speak to my uncle,” she said. “And if he gives you his blessing, then I will agree to marry you.”

A smile spread its way across his lips. Reaching for her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed it, his eyes meeting hers as he did so. The effect made her stomach flutter, while an undeniable heat spread its way across her skin. If only she affected him the same way.

“Then by all means, wish me luck,” he said.

She did, without hesitation and with all her heart.

Ten minutes later, Rebecca was still standing in the hallway when the door to her uncle’s office opened and Mr. Neville stepped out, his face completely inscrutable. “Lady Rebecca,” he said, smiling stiffly. “There is some business that I must attend to in London. I will return in two days with the hope of resolving everything then.” Bowing, his eyes met hers. “Fret not, though. I believe everything will work out the way you had hoped.”

And then he was gone, leaving Rebecca speechless.

“H
ow did it go?” Laura asked when Rebecca returned to her room. Taking Rebecca’s bonnet from her, the maid began boxing it away in the wardrobe.

“Topperly was harmless as always, while Grover was his usual, charming self,” she said, her voice turning bitter at the mention of the duke. Tugging at the fingers of her gloves, she went to look out the window.

“And?” her maid inquired. “I sense there’s something more.”

Turning, Rebecca met Laura’s gaze and immediately smiled. “Mr. Neville came to call on me as well.”

“Did he now?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yes. In fact, he has asked Uncle for his blessing.”

“And?” Laura asked, her hands clasped together at her chest and hope brimming in her eyes.

Perching herself on the windowsill, Rebecca returned her attention to the garden below.

“I’ve no idea. When he left, Mr. Neville mentioned something about some business that needed attending to first, though he did reassure me that everything would work out to my advantage.” She met Laura’s gaze. “What do you suppose it means?”

Laura shrugged. “I can’t begin to imagine. Men’s stuff, I suppose.”

Rebecca frowned. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said. She was suddenly terribly worried that Mr. Neville would not succeed in his efforts and that her uncle would turn him away the next time he called. It was an outcome she ought to expect, yet she found herself praying that it would not be so—that she might be allowed some measure of happiness in her life. “It’s just . . . I have a strong feeling that Aunt and Uncle are hoping to gain something from my marriage, though I’ve yet to determine what exactly. Aunt has made it clear to me that she wants me to marry the duke and that Mr. Neville will never do, so I fear that whatever Mr. Neville’s agreement may be with my uncle, it will come to naught.”

“You mustn’t distress yourself so much until there is cause to do so. It is clear that Mr. Neville is determined to win your hand. Why not give him a chance to prove himself without doubting his capabilities? Trust him, my lady. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make you his. Come, why don’t you work a bit on your watercolors? They always seem to lift your spirits whenever you’re feeling out of sorts.”

“You are by far the best maid a lady could wish for, Laura.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Walking over to the table, she poured a cup of tea and brought it over to Rebecca. “Two days isn’t so long. He’ll be back soon enough, and then everything will be resolved.”

The thought of seeing Mr. Neville again filled Rebecca’s mind, and she allowed a smile to surface as a warm feeling of anticipation settled over her. She looked forward to his next visit and to discovering what on earth he could possibly have done to change her uncle’s mind.

Chapter 6

T
hirteen thousand pounds. It was an outrageous sum of money by any standard, but Lord Grifton had shown no sign of remorse when he’d mentioned it to Daniel. He had simply spoken the number with a careless abandon as if it had been his due. And Daniel had accepted the challenge. He spurred his horse onward, determined to make it to London before it was too late in the day. How the hell he was going to obtain so much money when his own coffers were practically depleted he couldn’t say. But he knew that he had to at least try, because if he was certain of anything at all, it was that he desperately wanted to make Lady Rebecca his.

Christ! The very thought of her having to share a bed with Topperly or Grover turned his stomach. When they’d walked in the garden at Kingsborough Hall, there had been a spark in her eyes, but that had significantly dwindled between then and today, as if she’d now resigned herself to her fate. Somehow he had to find the means to save her. Never in his life had he seen a woman more beautiful than she. He longed to run his fingers along her smooth skin, skin that looked tanned and healthy rather than pale and sickly, as was customary among the
ton
. And her hair! Lord, he couldn’t ignore his constant urge to pull it free of its fastenings and watch it cascade over her shoulders . . . sleek as rich black satin.

But when he’d complimented her on her looks, she’d looked apprehensive. She’d made an attempt to cover it with a smile, but he’d seen the doubt in the depths of her eyes. For whatever reason, Lady Rebecca had no idea that Mother Nature had blessed her with an abundance of beauty. Her dark brown eyes framed by thick black lashes, high cheekbones, a delicate jawline and full lips that reminded him of rose petals should have been the envy of every woman. And then there was her figure. Daniel winced at the sudden discomfort that overtook him at just thinking about the fullness of her breasts, her slim waistline and the curve of her hips. But none of this would have been enough to inspire the sort of lust he felt for her had it not been for the clever rejoinders and wit that she’d shared with him at the ball. Since then, he’d been unable to get her out of his mind, the most alluring thoughts of her driving him mad with need.

Daniel was not so dishonest that he would lie to himself about his intentions regarding Lady Rebecca. As far as potential wives went, she was sure to make a good companion, but that said, there was absolutely no doubt that he meant to seduce her. To do so, however, he would have to convince her of how lovely she really was, because while she put on a confident front, Daniel sensed a great deal of uncertainty beneath the surface. He wondered what might have caused it and decided that her aunt and uncle were probably to blame—if not entirely, then at least in part. Daniel cursed the pair of them for trying to break a woman who should have been given the chance to shine like a star.

After spending much of the following day discussing the issue with his uncle, Daniel was forced to acknowledge that he’d get no help from that quarter. Burying his pride, he called on a few friends, hoping that one of them might be able to assist, but just as he’d thought, none of them was in possession of that kind of money.

It was early evening when Daniel eventually made his way over to his sister’s residency on Berkeley Square and hurried up the steps of Chilton House.

“You look as though you’ve just raced across the English countryside,” his sister said as she greeted him in the parlor. “But then I don’t suppose I ought to be surprised. You always were a wild one.”

“It’s good to see you too, Audrey,” Daniel said as he went to kiss her on the cheek. “Please forgive the late hour. I hope I’m not disturbing you or the rest of the family.”

“Not at all, Daniel. Michael has yet to return from White’s, and Ralph is in the nursery with his nanny. So you see, I am free to discuss whatever’s on your mind, and besides, it’s been far too long since I last saw you.” Once she was seated, he placed himself in an armchair across from her. Pouring them each a cup of tea, she said, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard of Uncle’s latest request?”

When she shook her head, he began relating everything that had happened over the past two weeks. She didn’t interrupt him once, though her eyes did reflect both surprise and interest at certain parts of the story. “He’s given you quite the challenge,” she said after taking a moment to digest it all. “And given your less than stellar reputation, I’m not sure how on earth you plan to fulfill his wishes. Then again, I suppose it was to be expected with you being the heir—you have to come up to scratch at some point.” She spoke matter-of-factly and without sounding the least bit judgmental, for which Daniel was grateful.

“Yes, but to give me only a month is unreasonable, don’t you think?”

At this she nodded. “Although I have to say that Lady Rebecca sounds like a lovely woman and just the sort who’d make you an excellent wife.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said, “which is part of the reason why I’m here.”

Audrey smiled. “I knew it wasn’t merely because you missed me.”

They’d never been very close, their lack of shared interests building rarely overlapping paths. Where Daniel had gotten into scrapes, his arm broken twice and his leg once, Audrey had always been the obedient daughter who’d sat quietly in a corner doing needlework, reading poetry or working on her watercolors. She played the pianoforte and the violin as well as any well-bred young lady ought to, and her manners were impeccable.

Daniel, on the other hand, had always been a bit rough around the edges—not that he didn’t know how to behave, for he could be just as suave and elegant as the rest of them, perhaps more so when he set his mind to it. But when the chance to race or gamble or, heaven forbid, accept a dare to swim naked in the Serpentine after nightfall had presented itself, he’d always found it hard to resist.

And then of course there had been the women. He was young though and refused to apologize for his appetite in that department, particularly when he hadn’t deflowered anyone and the women themselves had practically begged him to take them to bed. Yes, he’d flirted with a few young innocents, but it had only been for show, a bit of a kick in the shin for the
ton
that he so despised. When would they learn that they weren’t in the least bit superior when it came to morality, gossiping about each other the way they did, committing adultery behind closed doors, snubbing anyone who didn’t dress with just the right amount of flair or wore a color that had said
adieu
to fashion the previous week?

Never
would be the answer to that question.

“The Griftons will only allow me to marry her if I am able to pay them thirteen thousand pounds.”

At this, Audrey leaned back in her chair, her eyes fixed on Daniel. She took a deep breath, then exhaled it. “That is a rather exorbitant amount.”

“I know. Naturally, I would never even think to ask you if I knew that I would be able to seek help elsewhere, but there is none other than you and Uncle who might be able to lend me such a large sum. I went to Uncle first, hoping that he would assist, since I’m trying to do as he asked, but he refused. He wants me to find a way to resolve the issue on my own, even if that means abandoning all hope of marrying Lady Rebecca, which I cannot.”

“She has clearly affected you greatly,” Audrey said, her words softly spoken and pensive.

“More than you can possibly know. Indeed, I cannot think of anything but her.”

“And this eagerness of yours to make her your bride, is it for her benefit as much as it is yours?”

“Of course it is,” Daniel said. “She’ll be free from the Griftons and from having to marry Topperly or Grover.”

“What I am asking, Daniel, is whether you have her best interests at heart and are doing this partly because you wish to rescue her, or if your only motivation is to maintain your allowance.”

“I . . .” Daniel began. “I don’t enjoy seeing her distressed and ill-treated. While it will not be a love match, her happiness is important to me, and I believe that I will make her happier than either Topperly or Grover.”

Audrey nodded but said nothing further. Instead, she rose to her feet and walked across to her escritoire, took a seat, placed a piece of paper in front of her and dipped her quill in the ink pot. “Michael will never give you such a large sum,” she said as she began to write. “He thinks you too untrustworthy, given your spending habits.”

Daniel’s heart fell. He liked his brother-in-law well enough and even admired the ease with which he seemed to run his estates. His sister had done well by marrying him, for he was the sort of man who took care of his finances, nurtured them and watched his investments profit.

After scribbling a few more lines, Audrey put her quill aside, folded the piece of paper neatly, then closed it with a seal depicting a bird in flight. She turned in her seat and offered the missive to Daniel. “But I will.”

Dumbfounded by her generosity, Daniel slowly picked the paper from her hand.

“In my letter,” she said, “I have assured the Griftons that if they allow Lady Rebecca to marry you, I will supply them with the funds that they require.”

Daniel stared at her. “I had no idea you were so independently wealthy.”

She tilted her head. “Part of it is from my dowry, which was substantial. When Michael and I married, he and Uncle drew up a settlement that was entirely to my benefit. I was given full access to all of my funds and was granted additional pin money from Michael. Since I’m not a frivolous spender, I’ve set most of that aside with the intention of saving it for the future.”

Daniel frowned. “Surely it is not necessary for you to be so careful.”

Audrey chuckled lightly. “It is no secret that women are at a disadvantage in our day and age, forever under the foot of one man or other. Should Michael and I ever be blessed with a daughter, I would like to leave her with something that belongs to nobody but her—to do with as she pleases. Which is why you must promise that you will repay this loan to me one day.”

Daniel stared down at the folded piece of paper. He swallowed hard, his chest tightening with the understanding of the sacrifice his sister was making on his behalf, and the extraordinary level of trust she was placing in him. “I will not fail you,” he said. “You have my word on it.”