The Honourable Fortune Hunter: A match-making Regency Romance (Scandalous Miss Brightwells Book 5) by Beverley Oakley

Author:Beverley Oakley [Oakley, Beverley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-06T18:30:00+00:00

“Do you suppose we’ve been observed?” Amelia slanted an anxious look up at Theo as they stood at the lakeside.

“I certainly have been.” Theo didn’t trouble to hide the annoyance in his tone. “In fact, I was told so in no uncertain terms last night by Lady Quamby that I was being watched.”

“She said that?” Amelia’s hand went to her mouth, but Theo quickly laid her fears to rest. “She thought I was after another worthy heiress.” He considered this, then amended his words. “You were mentioned also, of course. Do you know, I even overheard the term: the fox in the henhouse.” He gave a short laugh that didn’t disguise his rancour, and she put her hand on his wrist and shook her head. “My poor Theo. Don’t laugh. It’s horrible. And it is all because of me. Truly, I cannot bear to think what you’ve been through.”

“It wasn’t because of you, Amelia. It was an unfortunate series of events.” He had to be sanguine about the situation that had descended upon him like the slow, all-enveloping cloud that followed a massive eruption.

Below them, the water lapped gently at the riverbank. They were in the shelter of the hillside that hid the folly where they’d agreed to meet the day before, and across the lake could be seen the crenelated towers of the twelfth-century castle ruin that visitors to Lord Quamby’s estate were fond of visiting.

“Who was the other heiress?”

Theo turned away in case he betrayed himself. “Miss Scott.” He pretended to study a couple of swans. “Apparently she is to marry Mr Dalgleish.”

“Miss Scott? Her maid is helping me to dress this evening.”

“You’ve met her?”

Amelia shook her head. “Only insofar as to accept her offer of her lady’s maid when she learned that mine was indisposed.”

“Very generous.”

Amelia nodded, but her thoughts were obviously far away. She put her hand on Theo’s forearm. “So, the day after tomorrow? You are sure this is what you want?”

“If it’s what you want, Amelia.”

She worried at her lower lip, and for a long time was silent. Finally, she said, “On our own we are completely at the mercy of forces beyond our control. It is only when we join that we can make something of our futures.”

Since Theo had come up with a version of those words some weeks before, he made no comment. He certainly did not voice the fact that his heart was far less captured by the idea than it had been when he and Amelia had concocted this spontaneous and extraordinary means of solving their individual difficulties.

When she looked up at him, he forced himself to smile. “Don’t look like that,” he said, running his thumbs gently along the planes of her cheeks. “Your sister might still be with us had I not made such a mull of things. Do you imagine I live with that easily?”

“Theo! You tried to save her from…that brute! It was I who sent you after them. Had it not been for you, Catherine would have been forced to marry her…”

Rapist.

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