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He blew out a breath and placed a palm on the table. “Miss Hastings, may I trust you to keep something entirely to yourself?”

“Of course.”

He narrowed his gaze at her.

“My lord, if you have not already figured it out, I am no great gossip nor do I spend time with people who enjoy gossip.Believe me, any secret you have will remain with me to my grave.”

Although she hoped, hoped, hoped it was not something horribly sordid that she would regret ever hearing. But she was here now and had offered her help. She could not turn him away.

“I believe you.” He rubbed a hand across his smooth jaw, drawing her attention to the perfect lines of it. “Here’s the thing, Miss Hastings…My grandfather…that is…” He frowned. “It is a little complex to explain.”

“I am perfectly capable of handling complexities, my lord.”

He chuckled lightly. “I have no doubt you are.” He cleared his throat. “My grandfather passed recently…”

“I am so very sorry.”

“Well, anyway, he had no male heirs and a sizeable fortune that is to be divided between my mother and my siblings.”

“I see,” she said non-committedly.

“The issue is, the inheritance will only come to us if we fulfil certain tasks.” He leaned in, making the air around her feel a little hot. “Tasks that we are sworn not to reveal to anyone else.”

“I understand.” She waved to the books. “And this…research is to do with your task.”

“It’s more to do withnotdoing my task.”

Prudence frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My grandfather wants me to be engaged within two months or else I will not receive my inheritance.”

“Oh.” She turned to eye the polished wood desk in front then fixed her attention back on him. “Well, surely a man like yourself has no lack of suitors?”

“But he does have a lack of desire to marry. Particularly to a woman he hardly knows.”

“Right.” Of course he did not wish to marry. A man like Lord Seth Templeton enjoyed the company of women too muchto settle. Though she could not help think… “A lot of men in your position would just marry and continue life as normal…”

His lips tilted. “You are not unaware of my reputation it seems. However, I have witnessed enough of the pain between a man and a woman when lies are told. I may not wish to marry but I also know if I did, it would be to a woman I respected, and I would never be unfaithful to her.” He waved a hand. “But that does not matter. The fact is, I do not wish to be forced into marriage.”

Prudence pursed her lips. “Forgive me for being blunt, but do you really need the money?”

“I do indeed. You see, if I do not fulfil my terms, my siblings also lose out on their inheritance. Not only that, but it would then be given to a man who does not deserve a penny of it. And, alas, my brother is in some debt thanks to his late wife. It would be of great benefit to him if we siblings could live without the need of money from him.”

She nodded. “That is a pickle indeed.”

“So that is why I am here.”

“But I still do not understand why you are here.”

“My sister Minerva suggested it. She is quite the reader and knows of the reputation of Lord Wilson’s library.” He peered around. “She will be rather jealous of me.”

“And what did your sister expect you to find here?”

“A way out,” he said simply.

“A way out?” she echoed.

“A way to ensure that I cannot be forced into marriage. A clause, a precedent, a loophole. Anything in the history of this country’s laws that means I can fight this demand and not have to marry.”