Page 2

Alexander nodded. “She will do then,” he said, earning a raised eyebrow from his friend. “How old is she?”

“She’s twenty.”

“She will do, indeed.” He nodded, folding up the parchment. “Drink?”

“You know I never refuse,” James stated, raising his glass. “I would think you’d go for the older sister. She would pretty much stay out of your way and wouldn’t be so picky at her age.”

“While those traits are important, I need someone who will help me secure a deal that will take my investments to the next level,” Alexander answered, topping off their glasses from his favorite brew of whiskey that he saved for celebrations.

“How exactly could the girl help you with that?” James asked incredulously.

Typically, Alexander would never share his deals until he was already reaping the harvest, but he had found time and again that James was to be trusted.

“Remember the deal with the Earl of Frampton?”

“The railway deal?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Every other investor that has gone to propose their ideas to him has been met with a staunch refusal. Do you know why?”

His friend shook his head.

“Because they all have one thing in common.”

“And what is that?”

“They were all single, young, hot-blooded males looking to make a quick pound.”

His friend gave him a confused look. “Isn’t that what you are now?”

“Yes, but not for long.” Alexander smiled. “I took the liberty of studying the man and his past dealings, and they were always with men he deemed family-oriented.”

“Wait… you’re marrying to secure a business deal?” His friend gasped. “That’s downright…”

“Save me a new moniker, my friend,” Alexander groaned. “You now see why I need Miss Helen. I need a wife who can charm the Countess of Frampton.”

“You do realize how impossible a task that would be?”

Indeed, Alexander knew.

Even though the woman had a charming, flowery personality, she had a knack for sniffing out falsehoods and would quickly raise thorns. She was so quick to feel displeasure that many families had given up trying to gain favor with her.

“I expect Miss Helen will have to use her oh-so-famous charm to win Lady Frampton over.”

“You make a dangerous gamble, Blackhill.”

“When have I not?”

“But surely there’s more to this than just the business deal,” James probed, because he never knew when to leave things well enough alone. “I would not think you to be the type to have such a small-minded goal behind the marriage. If you really wanted to, you could charm the Earl and Countess without marrying Honeyfield’s girl.”

Alexander gripped his glass a little tighter, hiding his displeasure at being so well-known by another. Yes, they’d been friends since they’d been in leading strings, but he prided himself on his ability to hide his thoughts from people.

“You can trust me, you know?” James continued, his words striking guilt in Alexander’s heart.

Alexander did trust his friend, considering how much they’d been through together, but he found that bitter finger of fear rearing its ugly head at odd times.

James, as always, was understanding of his friend’s quirks and had rarely expressed displeasure at the distrust he was shown.

“I received a letter from my stepmother,” Alexander announced, rifling through the pile of letters on his desk, stopping when he found it.