Page 41 of Miss Hawthorne’s Unlikely Husband (The Troublemakers Trilogy #3)

Now, everything seemed to have settled down for the moment with the exception of Elodia’s occasional glance towards the door.

The first time he noticed it, his heart ached for her.

She was such a brave little thing, but every time she glanced towards the entrance, he knew that standing his ground on leaving the bridge between her and her father was the correct one.

She talked a good talk but she wanted that man to show up and prove her wrong more than anything else in her life.

The fifth time he saw her glance over, he set down his glass and crossed over to where she sat with Miss Walsh and Regina. Her attention shifted over to him as soon as she saw him approaching, and she smiled a little too brightly.

“How are we doing?” he asked, laying his hand on her bare shoulder.

“So far so good,” she replied, laying her hand over his.

“Elodia was telling me about her wedding preparations,” Regina commented.

“I trust they are going well.”

“I—” Elodia’s eyes shifted and widened, her hand convulsing slightly on his.

A faint lull in the conversation gave him a clue as to what had happened.

When he turned, he was gratified and then horrified at what he saw.

Lord Melbroke had finally arrived to be sure, but with him was the absolute last person Richard had ever expected to see.

Rachel.

His mouth went dry, and for a moment he couldn’t hear anything at all.

What the fuck was she doing here? He noted the way her arm was linked with Lord Melbroke’s and a horrible notion took root.

She wouldn’t. There was no way she would do such a thing.

Elodia’s small hand tightened convulsively on his arm and he looked down to see her apprehensive expression.

Her father was here, which anyone would take as an endorsement, albeit a lukewarm one. He had to focus on her.

“Lord Melbroke, you’re here,” she said as her father came to a stop in front of them with his guest.

“I received an invitation,” he replied.

“So you did. You’ve missed the first round of entertainment, but you are in time for the second half of the evening.”

“Good.”

She shifted her attention to the woman on her father’s arm. “Lady Tremaine, what an unexpected delight.”

“Am I?” She glanced at Lord Melbroke.

“Yes, I brought her as my guest. I’ve been meaning to inform you of it, but now is as good a time as any. If you have a moment.”

Elodia glanced at him and he nodded even as his stomach sank to his shoes. She took her father’s arm and followed him to a more remote corner of the room. It was childish, but part of him hoped that when he turned around, she would be gone.

She wasn’t.

“Aren’t you going to lead me in?”

“What are you doing here, Rachel?” he murmured.

“Lord Melbroke and I are courting.”

His jaw locked against a torrent of angry words.

She knew what she was doing. While Elodia’s father was certainly still considered in his prime, and was by all accounts the most eligible gentleman on the market, he doubted her intentions were honorable.

This was her making good on her promise to make him miserable.

“Are you going to congratulate me?”

He shot her a scathing glance. “I’ll hold off on that.”

“You think I’m not up to the task of securing him?”

“I don’t think anything is beyond you.” Or beneath you.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

She was so unbearably smug, he didn’t know whether to be angry or terrified. What was her ultimate intention? Would Lord Melbroke be enough? “He is a good man. If you are playing a game, you have no right to play it with him.”

“On the contrary. I am very serious about this match.”

For some reason, in some way, he believed her. “Are you indeed? Here I was thinking you had some demented idea of maintaining access to me through my father-in-law.”

“Now that you mention it, once more for the road couldn’t hurt.”

He pulled his arm away from her. “I’m going to find you something to drink.” Something with arsenic.

“Oh, don’t be such a prude. Don’t you think it could be fun?”

“What exactly?”

“You and me, behind the backs of the little miss and dear papa.”

The idea of her touch made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, to say nothing of the idea of sleeping with her. He’d rather seduce a rabid bear. “You and I differ on the definition of ‘fun’. Either way, I don’t believe we have anything further to discuss.”

“I did warn you. I am not a woman who can be cast aside on a whim. You owe me. You owe me this.”

Owed her? He owed her nothing but discretion and he had managed that despite her best efforts. “I owe you nothing. What exactly do you imagine you could do? If you think my silence is for my benefit alone, you are sorely mistaken.”

She smirked and tilted her head. “We’ll see. She’s pretty, for what she is. I’ll grant you that. But she won’t be able to satisfy you as I can. You may be able to lie to yourself now, but in time, you’ll see I was right. I give you a month. Two at most.”

Before he could respond, Leo arrived with Regina on his arm.

“I see we have a last minute arrival,” Leo said, clasping Richard’s tense shoulder and shocking him out of his livid trance.

“Yes, Lady Tremaine arrived with Lord Melbroke.” He glanced at Leo who nodded and patted his shoulder roughly enough to send a message. Calm down.

“How interesting.” Regina’s eyes flicked from Richard’s face to where Rachel still had a hold on his arm. “Where is Miss Hawthorne?”

“With her father,” Richard replied.

“Ah, well then.” Regina’s smile was almost predatory. “Mr. Thornfield, your sister was looking for you. Let me introduce Lady Tremaine to our guests on your behalf.”

“You are too kind, Lady Starkley,” Richard replied, taking the clear exit she was providing.

Leo raised his eyebrows and Richard shook his head slightly before walking away in search of Elodia.

Whatever Rachel was here for, it couldn’t be good, but whatever it was, Richard wasn’t going to let Elodia face it without him.

*

Elodia followed her father into the sitting room and seated herself across from him, her hands folded in her lap.

She had no idea what to say. Seeing him arrive with another white noble on his arm, as if it had all been decided already.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket.

It looked new; she’d never seen it before.

“So you are to marry this season after all,” she said.

He nodded but didn’t meet her eyes. “I told you that was the plan.”

“I remember. I suppose I’m surprised, that’s all.”

He scoffed. “Not pleasant, is it?”

Elodia shook her head and looked away briefly, trying to get a handle on her temper. “It’s not the same thing.”

“How exactly, pray tell?”

“You’ve known Richard for years in one capacity or another. He has dined at our home. I’ve only just met Lady Tremaine and so have you.”

“Not quite,” he replied, again glancing away from her. “I have known her before this.”

“You mean before she was a widow.”

“Yes.”

Well, that was something she supposed, although the fact that he refused to meet her eyes was making her doubt that report. “I didn’t realize you liked her quite so much.”

“I do not like her very much at all,” he replied with an insincere smile. “But she suits my purpose.”

She didn’t know if she was happy to know he hadn’t fallen in love with someone else, or sad that he was so resigned to spending his life with someone he disliked. For the sake of money. “Does she love you?”

“Not that I can tell,” he replied, his tone light and nonchalant.

“Why is she marrying you then?” she asked. It made no sense at all. Her father needed to marry but as far as Elodia was aware, Lady Tremaine did not.

“Not everyone finds my company so disagreeable,” he replied, shooting her a glare.

Elodia let out a frustrated sigh and squeezed her hands in her lap to keep from slamming her fist down on the table beside her.

“It is not that,” she gritted through her teeth.

“I understand why you have to marry but I do not understand why a woman of means and status, who has already been married once before, would seek to do so again without any real inducement.”

“Some women want children.”

“Yes. And they don’t tend to wait until they are nearly forty to pursue that goal. It would be dangerous for her to try to have children now. Why take the risk if there is nothing to be gained from it?”

He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He could have been amused or contemptuous. “It seems that you have decided to follow in my footsteps after all.”

“What?” What on earth was he talking about?

“Either way, I did not seek or require your blessing.”

Ah. Again, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Was there no age limit on the childishness of men? “Why would you? You are an adult after all.”

“I only accepted your no doubt begrudging invitation to give you the news before you found out from others.”

That hurt more than she’d expected. It hadn’t been begrudging. But she’d be damned if she said it now. “Suit yourself.”

He nodded then stood, turned sharply on his heel and left. She sank back into the sofa and buried her face into her hands. What a mess. Was every conversation between the two of them going to be like this for the rest of their lives?

The footsteps in the hallway didn’t draw her attention but the clicking of the lock did.

She didn’t recognize the footsteps. She lifted her head and found herself alone in the salon with none other than Simon Thornfield, Richard’s devious uncle.

Cool shock poured over her as she straightened her spine.

“What are you doing here?” The words burst past her lips before she could think of a more polite way to state the question.

“I was invited,” he replied evenly.

She shot to her feet as he walked further into the room. “No, I mean in here with me. You need to leave.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”