Page 51 of In the Prince's Bed

“Good luck. Miss Merivale strikes me as a woman not easily swayed.”

Alec gritted his teeth as his presumptuous ass of a half brother walked off with his self-assured gait. When he reentered the parlor, Katherine was pacing and frowning.

“Byrne wouldn’t say why he was here,” Alec lied, “so I trust that you will.”

She halted, her cheeks flushing. “It’s nothing to concern you.”

“The man isn’t respectable, so if he’s causing trouble for you—”

“You know him?”

He hesitated. He’d avoided outright lies until now. But matters were desperate. “I know of him. From what I’ve heard, your father would never have considered him an associate.”

Would she confide in him? Did she trust him even that much?

She sighed. “Mr. Byrne is one of Papa’s creditors.”

“One of?” His heart sank. If they married, would any of her fortune be left for Edenmore after he had paid her father’s debts?

She stiffened. “There are a few others, but we owe him the most by far.”

He relaxed. “How often does he come to demand his money?”

“This is only the second time that I know of.”

“Too often to suit me,” he growled.

“You mustn’t worry; he was a perfect gentleman. People only say awful things about him because of the circumstances of his birth.”

He went still. “You know about that?”

“That he’s the unacknowledged natural child of His Highness? I’ve heard the rumors, yes.”

He sucked in a breath. “Having such a man in your parlor doesn’t make you nervous?”

“Of course it does. The Prince of Wales is the most debauched man in England. If Mr. Byrne’s anything like him, he probably spends his time chasing after every woman he meets.”

He fought to contain his temper. “Then why did you meet with such a man alone? If your mother was too ill to talk to him, you should have told him to return another day.”

Katherine gave a bitter laugh. “Mama isn’t ill. She only said that so she wouldn’t have to deal with him.”

His temper exploded. “And instead, you would?”

“No!” She sighed. “But Mama thinks if she keeps refusing to see him, he’ll get tired and go away. Unfortunately, that only delays the inevitable. He’ll come again and again until he gets his money.”

“So you thought to talk him out of it? Convince him to forgive the debt?”

She tipped up her chin defensively. “Something like that.”

“Did it work?”

Her chin trembled. “Well…no, but he did agree to give us more time.”

“Time for you to get a wealthy husband,” he snapped.

She glanced away. “My marrying is the only solution to the problem.”

His temper flared once more. “It’s your mother’s problem, not yours. Why do you take the responsibility for your parents’ mistakes on your own shoulders?”