A Match Made in Scandal by Melody Thomas

Author:Melody Thomas
Language: ron
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

She had not seen Ryan since he’d returned her satchel and changed seats on the train. That morning, she attended church, served punch at the afternoon parish social. Did normal things as if she weren’t dying inside. Pieces of Ryan’s business proposal lay scattered over the floor like huge white flakes of dandruff. Sometime before tomorrow, she would have to decide how she was going to rescue the rest of her life.

“I wish that you would consider going with me to London,” she said.

“Nonsense.” Memaw eased her frame into a chair beside Rachel’s canopied bed. “I would only be in the way.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“This is my home. It’s yours as well, Butterfly.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.” Rachel scraped the hair from her face and immediately regretted the bite of her words. “It’s just that I’m not a little girl, Memaw.”

“Are ye so afraid of a wee bit of softness, Rachel?”

Softness was a luxury she could ill afford, especially now. But Memaw was familiar enough with Rachel’s character to know that no matter how much pressure she’d ever been under, she’d never snapped at Memaw.

“He’s thirty-one years old Memaw,” Rachel whispered. “He’s well educated, respected,” she added, for heaven only knew the power he wielded over people’s lives.

“He controls an international firm that employs thousands worldwide. He’s about to be awarded a knighthood. He’s one of the wealthiest men in England. How do I fight that?”

Her gaze fell on the floor. The London Times still lay where she’d tossed it earlier. His acquisition of Valmonts was yesterday’s business news. Their paths were clearly marked. Futures staked. Both nonnegotiable with the softer side of life. “Taking apart D&B is merely business to him. Just like everything else since Kathleen’s passing. Except for his daughter, Ryan no longer seems to hold an emotional connection to anything.”

“Balderdash, girl.” Memaw waggled her cane at Rachel. “I should take you over my knee.”

Rachel looked at Memaw as if she’d gone mad. “Me?”

“He came to Ireland to see you, didn’t he? And what did you do about it? Were ye pleasant? Sweet-natured?”

“He didn’t come to see me.”

“Ryan Donally could have sent a dozen men in his stead, dear. A man like that doesn’t drop his business for a week without a reason.”

Rachel rejected any idea except the obvious. He needed her cooperation to help make his next business acquisition go forward with as little trouble as possible. Ryan might be capable of passion, but she did not believe him capable of more, and she wanted nothing to do with him. “Truly, Memaw. Your bedside manner is appalling.” She bent and snatched up the broadsheet. “Maybe you should grab your spectacles. His betrothal is even mentioned in the business column.”

“Pah! Since when does society have anything over a Bailey? You’ve the blood of a queen running through your veins.”

A famous pirate queen, Rachel laughed, having heard the old story about Grace O’Malley a hundred times. Rachel’s strained emotions veered from laughter to near tears. She didn’t think her pirate pedigree would count for much in the court of public opinion.

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