Page 5 of Miss Thornfield’s Daring Bargain (The Troublemakers Trilogy #1)

W hen Ada returned to the sitting room, Regina and Elodia were seated together on the sofa. Basil was pacing back and forth. Where would she be if he hadn’t come to warn her? She wanted to believe she would have noticed something was wrong on her own, but she couldn’t be sure. So much was still unknown. When he saw her return, he paused, his arms dropping to his sides. In his face was the concern and anxiety Trent had failed to show.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She walked over to the window overlooking the street and wrapped her arms around her torso. She watched Trent walk down the sidewalk, tipping his hat cordially to passersby, as if he wasn’t at the center of her latest nightmare.

She didn’t want to sit with this strange feeling sparking inside her, didn’t want anyone holding her hand just yet. She wasn’t just anxious anymore or afraid. Something frightening was rising within her chest and until she could name it or control it, she didn’t want to look at anyone. Whatever came, she wanted to hear it on her feet. “Basil. Tell me what you know,” she said.

He let out a short sigh behind her, “Your brother isn’t missing, exactly, Ada.”

“Then why did Mr. Trent say he was snatched off the streets?”

“Because he was. I saw him taken in a carriage with the name of a debtors’ prison on it.”

“My brother is in debtors’ prison?”

“Yes and no. He is currently at Giltspur Common, but there was never a court order to send him there. We believe Trent has used his connection at Giltspur to keep Richard there for the time being.”

Ada couldn’t unlock her jaw to speak. Her brother had been taken to a debtors’ prison and left there for days. Out of the corner of her burning eyes she saw Basil walk up next to her. He didn’t touch her, just stared at her with those same worried eyes. She could feel the heat from his lithe but powerful body, reminding her he was there with her. As if she’d forgotten.

“I have a friend—an actual private investigator—who has been looking into this. His name is Leo Kingston. Richard and I went to school with him.”

She remembered him, warm brown skin, light brown eyes, and a serious face. She nodded in acknowledgement.

“He’s been trying to track down your brother these past few days.”

“What do you know about Mr. Trent?” she finally asked.

“What I know for certain is Mr. Trent never approached the police.”

“He said he engaged a runner.”

A gust of warm breath fluttered past her neck as Basil let out a tired sigh. “Ada, there haven’t been runners for over twenty years now. It’s private investigators or the Metropolitan Police.”

Another lie. Another lie she’d been too ignorant to understand while Trent was biding his time and making his plans. While Zhenyi was waiting. The feeling sparked again but this time she understood it. Rage . She wanted to scream and beat her fists against the wall. She wanted to break something.

“He isn’t looking for your brother. When I told him I thought he was in prison, he didn’t look surprised or concerned in the least.”

“What are you saying?”

“I think you know. Whatever befell your brother, Trent is part of it. I don’t know if you’re aware Ada, but Richard has been taking a stronger stance on social issues like workers’ rights, housing, education, and food safety.”

“Yes, he spoke to me about building a school and the plans for improved housing.”

“He’s hired contractors to build the houses and the school, and Mr. Trent was meant to be in charge of paying them.”

“Do you mean to say he hasn’t been?”

“I have no idea what he’s been doing with the money, Ada, but he has most certainly not been using it as Richard intended. That’s probably why Richard confronted him.”

“I didn’t know they had been at odds. But why would he be involved in something like this? He’s worked for us so loyally for so long,” Ada replied, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose. A headache was brewing behind her eyes.

“Mr. Trent likes to live according to the station he believes he’s entitled to. He’s incurred large debts that he can’t pay now. I think he plans to use Richard to rectify the situation, but—”

“How much?” she interrupted, turning towards him. Money was nothing compared to her brother’s safety.

“Whatever the cost, you don’t have it either, Ada,” he said patiently.

“I have my dowry.”

“Which is inaccessible without a husband. But frankly, we can’t be bothered about that now. Do you know who is listed as your next of kin, Ada? The person most likely to be your legal guardian if your brother isn’t there?”

Ada felt dizzy at the implication. She could feel all the blood drain out of her body as she stared at Basil in horror. Her uncle. Uncle Simon. “My uncle, Mr. Simon Thornfield.”

“We need to get you to him.”

Her head was shaking before he finished speaking. “No. No, he won’t try to help Richard or me. He hates us.”

“Wouldn’t he inherit the factory?” Regina said her face more somber than anything Ada had ever seen.

“He would get everything or at the very least he would try to. The factory, the money, the houses. He would sell me off in a moment to the highest bidder and make sure Richard never returned.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” Basil said.

Her throat was growing tighter by the minute. She couldn’t go to that man. It was clear that Trent wanted nothing more than to put her in the hands of the man who would ensure she stayed out of his way. “I know enough to understand that I cannot trust him.”

“We are due back in London within a week,” Regina said. “Whether you go to him or not your uncle is going to come looking for you, Ada. You need a protector.”

“You can stay with my father and me,” Elodia chimed in.

Basil was shaking his head before she could finish. “If what Ada is saying is true, once her uncle knows Richard is missing he will insist on taking custody of Ada. Your father won’t be able to protect her, Miss Hawthorne.”

The idea of being shut away was something Ada couldn’t countenance. What would she do in an ivory tower, where she could safely fret herself into derangement. “We need to find my brother. He is my best protector.”

“Yes, we need to find Richard. But we cannot wait until he is found to ensure your safety, Ada. You need to disappear.”

“That’s hardly a long-term solution. What is to happen to the business while Trent and Simon Thornfield are running amok with no one to restrain them?” Elodia said.

What would happen? Trent and her uncle would erase any trace of her brother or any of the policies he tried to implement. And then Ada would have nothing left of her family but memories. They would make sure she and Zhenyi were forgotten aberrations in the Thornfield family legacy.

The thought made her ill. Her head was spinning.

Shakily, she walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Regina. There was no one left to fight for her family but her. As terrified as she was, she couldn’t give in.

“I can’t hide,” Ada said, her voice sounding weak to her ears. “If my brother is missing, then it all comes to me. I can’t stay hidden, Basil, and let him destroy my family legacy.”

“She must marry,” Regina said with a sigh. “It’s the only way to secure both you and the business. Then at least you would have your husband and a chance to fight and keep control of the business if it came to that.”

“But marry who exactly?” Elodia chimed in. “She barely has a week to find a husband and marry him.”

“There’s you,” Regina said to Basil. The shocked outrage on his face would have been insulting if it didn’t fill Ada with relief. Clearly, that had not been an angle he was looking at. Did it mean she could trust him as much as she would need to before this was all over?

“I beg your pardon?” he asked.

“Gigi, you are a genius. It’s perfect,” Elodia exclaimed before turning to Basil. “You care about Mr. Thornfield enough to ensure to his discovery and release—”

“Of course, but—” he shot Ada a panicked glance and it almost made her smile.

“And you care about Ada enough to marry her and keep her out of her uncle’s clutches to ensure she has a chance to fight back,” Gigi finished.

Basil shook his head sharply, no doubt struggling to understand what he’d gotten himself into. “Yes, but I was thinking more along the lines of hiding Ada somewhere,” he argued.

“Haven’t you been listening? Ada needs more than that,” Elodia continued. “She needs legal protection. If she marries you, she’ll have the protection of your family while you get Mr. Thornfield and prevent Mr. Trent from embezzling more money from the business, or her uncle from ruining her and her brother’s life.”

“Miss Hawthorne—”

“And it’s less of a legal hassle to get a divorce or annulment for a marriage performed in Scotland than it is in England, even if it’s still a bit expensive,” Regina added.

There was a pregnant pause as they all turned to look at her. Honestly, the things she was aware of never ceased to set Ada back on her heels.

“How do you know about marital laws in Scotland?” Ada asked.

“When you’re trying to avoid marrying an ugly baron, you get curious about your options,” Regina replied with a shrug before taking Ada’s hand. “Well, I’m glad that is settled—”

“Wait a bloody minute. Ada and I aren’t going to marry,” Basil interjected, his eyes flitting wildly from girl to girl as if he were a cornered beast.

“Oh, come now,” Elodia remarked, “Surely it isn’t beyond you to marry Ada long enough for both of you to achieve an outcome you both want.”

Basil let out an aggravated breath and closed his eyes, likely praying for patience. “Would you two ladies give Ada and me the room?”

“I beg your pardon!” Elodia rose to her feet to argue but it was clear Basil was no longer in an accommodating mood. When his eyes opened again the irritation and resolve in them told Ada his patience and goodwill were running low.

“Whatever is decided here concerns Ada and me and doesn’t require an audience. Give us the room.”

Ada watched him face down her two friends, knowing that neither party would give in any time soon. Time was running out and they had precious little of it. Perhaps if she ceded this to Basil, he would be more likely to see things her way. “Ellie, Gigi, please.”

They glanced at her, and Regina pouted. “Really?” she asked.

“I’m in no danger from Basil. Please just give us a moment.”

Elodia looked like she wanted to argue as she glanced back and forth between Ada and Basil’s mutinous face. Then she rolled her eyes and hooked her arm with Regina’s. “Let’s go, Gigi.”

Basil waited until they left before he sat down on the sofa beside Ada and let out a sharp breath, rubbing his face roughly with his hands. “Ada, please tell me you are not actually considering this.”

“We could get to Gretna Green and be back in London as husband and wife within a few days, Basil,” she said.

He stared at her in disbelief. “Yes, just in time for your brother to murder me.”

It wasn’t a bad issue to take, but—“It would only be long enough to free him, Basil. After that, we can have it annulled and go our separate ways.”

He shook his head, and his eyes grew wider. “And what exactly do you think he’ll do when we tell him we plan to annul the marriage barely a week later.”

“I know it’s a great imposition on you. I know I am not the sort of person you planned to marry. I don’t want to force you to stay with me, and I don’t want to stop you from finding your own love match.”

“That’s very kind of you, but what about your reputation? Your plan would work short term to secure your family business and help your brother, I grant you, but have you considered that an annulment would not leave you unscathed? Your reputation would be affected by a failed marriage.”

“Annulment is not divorce, Basil.”

“It is close enough. You cannot make this decision rashly. You have to understand the risk of this choice. If you go into hiding, your reputation will still be intact. Choose this and you may not ever find a decent husband when this is over.”

“What good will my reputation be if it is left intact only for me to endure a life of loneliness and humiliation orchestrated by my uncle? The business my family built, the people it employs, what happens to them? Trent has already done so much damage with my brother and father there, what will he be able to do now?”

“Richard would not want you to risk your reputation any more than I do, and I have obligations of my own.”

“Is that your only objection?” she asked. “Your concern for my reputation if we annul this marriage?”

“The elopement would be scandal enough, frankly, but at least you’d be wed. An annulment would destroy it entirely.”

“That’s my business.” She took his hand and he looked at her in surprise, his fingers flexing under her own as if fighting the urge to pull away. “Basil, I’m begging you. He has looked after me for longer than I can remember. He’s the only family I have. I cannot be selfish when I can save him now. You are doing a duty to your friend by trying to keep me safe; I understand that. This is how you keep me safe, how I keep my family legacy safe. This is how we save him.”

She held his gaze, calling on all her resolve, determined not to look away first. He had to say yes. If he walked away, she didn’t know what she would do. He looked down at their intertwined hands, and she nearly pulled hers back. It was presumptuous indeed, especially without gloves, but she didn’t know what else to do. Would he think her shameless?

“What are your terms exactly?”

“Marriage.”

He nodded, a ghost of a smile curving his mouth. “Yes, noted. What else?”

“After we get back, we meet with your investigator, Mr. Kingston, to see if he has located Richard. If he has no leads, then we go to my late father’s solicitor to arrange for my dowry to be signed over to you. I’ll need your help to take over the ownership of the mill. Everything else can be organized as we go. I know it’s not as perfect as Ellie and Gigi claim, but it’s a start. Isn’t it?”

He looked away and heaved a sigh, the muscle in his jaw working restlessly. She couldn’t tell if he was annoyed with her or not. Nothing on his face indicated that he was appeased, but he hadn’t moved his hand from hers yet. “Is it truly a bad plan, Basil? Can you not help me?”

He let out a short, frustrated breath and buried his face in his hands, pressing his fingertips into his eyes. It was strange how lonely her hand felt when his was no longer in it. Was it because it belonged to him? She’d never held hands with a man other than Zhenyi before. Did she merely miss the security her brother had given?

Then Basil’s voice came, tired and resigned. “There’s a train for London that leaves tomorrow morning at ten sharp. Can you be on it?”

The tears of relief caught Ada by surprise. “Thank you, Basil,” she whispered past her burning throat.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he snapped, glaring at her. “This could still endanger Richard, you realize? We don’t know if it’s Trent or his money lenders who have taken Richard and you can be sure neither will take this counterattack lightly.”

She wanted to hug him, but considering how irritated he seemed it was probably best not to. “They can’t kill him if they want money. At least this mitigates the harm Trent can do.”

“As far as we can tell at the moment, yes.”

The door burst open and Elodia stood with Regina with wide expectant eyes and almost manic grins. “So do we go to Gretna Green?”

“Apparently,” Basil replied, rising to his feet.

“I can telegraph the housekeeper at Lodge Hall, Mrs. Watson, to send a carriage to the station,” Ada said. She didn’t need to know that they wouldn’t be back for a few days.

“We’ll need to pack a bag,” Elodia added.

“I’ll get my mother to make snacks,” Regina said bouncing on her toes before turning to run out the door. “We’ll need it for our special picnic tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder.

“What are you talking about? You are all coming?” Basil asked, his expression somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

“Absolutely,” Elodia replied archly. “Ada may know you well enough to call you by your Christian name, Mr. Thompson, but we do not.”

*

The Road to Gretna Green

His father was going to kill him.

Especially considering he had it on good authority that his father was in the process of finalizing a marriage for him. Basil had even met the girl, a perfectly fine Miss Felicity Ashwood.

There was a part of Basil that knew he’d find the situation amusing in retrospect. Lord only knew Leo would never let him live it down. The idea of being bundled into a reasonably sized carriage with his impromptu fiancée and her two gutsy friends was not something that he had anticipated when he’d visited Ada. He couldn’t explain how he’d managed to be railroaded into his current situation, even if he saw the logic in it. Ada needed protection and the best protection she could get was with a husband. Only he was never meant to be her husband.

He almost felt sorry for the unfortunate footman who met them at the station once Ada explained to him that he was not returning them to the house in Cheshire, but that he was about to drive them to Gretna Green. He’d ridden in the carriage at first. Ada’s friends were spirited to be sure, but they weren’t bad sorts, and they certainly weren’t as annoying as they could have been in his experience. Miss Hawthorne was exactly as Richard had described her over the years, sharp-minded, loyal, and fierce. Miss Mason was a little less terrifying, but the ease with which she could spin a lie was almost impressive. She didn’t strike him as unafraid of consequences, but rather at peace with a calculated risk.

Ada… Ada was the one he hadn’t anticipated. He’d known her growing up, but that had been a little girl with dark flyaway hair who always found herself tricked by her brother. He remembered an adorable little sprite who whimpered and complained when her brother squeezed her cheeks between his palms and sought comfort shamelessly from anyone available. But the composed ebony-haired beauty with dark, intelligent eyes was new.

The news of her brother had affected her deeply, he’d seen that. The knowledge of Trent’s betrayal had shaken her but instead of tears, she’d started looking for solutions. He hadn’t been prepared for the way his heart started racing while she stared into his eyes with frank appraisal instead of maidenly modesty. He was also positive her clothing had never clung in such a distracting way before, to say nothing of the curves of her mouth.

There was so much of her brother in her, but Richard’s steady gaze had never elicited a response like that from him. Sitting in the carriage with her two friends had seemed safe enough until she fell asleep. She was a cuddler when she slept. He hadn’t known that little detail when he’d elected to sit beside her in the carriage. Waking up to her slender body pressed against his side and her cheek on his chest had been alarming. Partly because it was highly improper, and partly because he wanted to pull her closer. It had seemed so harmless to lean his head against hers and drift off. No one would have blamed him for doing it. Then the arm she’d flung around his stomach in a hug fell and her hand landed heavily on his hip. Well, mostly his hip, and a little bit somewhere else. That was bad enough, but when his immediate response was to hold her hand, and tangle their fingers together he knew he was in trouble.

At that point he’d elected to ride with the footman. The stated reason he gave was to allow the poor man a chance to rest for an hour or so while he drove the horses. The actual reason was that the cool air as they moved further north calmed his blood and sent it along its regular route instead of decidedly south. The last thing he needed to do was think about Ada as a woman, let alone his woman. This scheme was meant to save Richard and, outside of the very real possibility of Richard killing him the moment he was free, it was a solid plan.

As her husband, he’d be able to protect her until her brother was able to do so again. She wasn’t a child and her affectionate nature was not something he could take advantage of, or confuse with something more. He couldn’t afford to consider what it would be like to have those embraces readily available, or see himself as a true suitor for her hand.

He couldn’t imagine the shame his family would face over what he was about to do, even though he had no intention of backtracking now. He doubted Miss Ashwood would be so forgiving as to overlook his elopement with a friend’s sister followed by a divorce. The shame it would bring her would be almost insurmountable. No doubt his parents would have to make huge concessions to smooth over that slight, and Basil could forget about their help with anything moving forward. Finding a wife would be even more difficult for him once Richard was found and Ada was free.

Ada… he’d been ready to turn her down a third time but there had been something in her eyes that stilled his tongue. She didn’t realize how he was ruining himself and hurting an innocent woman to help her. He’d always prided himself on his logical, practical nature. He didn’t act or spend money if he could avoid it. There wasn’t anything Basil hated so much as injustice or a change of plans. Until roughly twenty-four hours ago, there wasn’t a person alive who had managed to make him deviate from a decided course of action, even as a child. Then Ada had taken his hand in both of hers and begged him to agree to her plan and in a moment he’d upended his life for the sake of those glistening dark eyes. She’d seemed so strong up until then, but in that moment with the terrified girl holding onto him he’d known that refusing her would break not only her but himself. He had a horrible feeling it wouldn’t be the last time he acquiesced to her will before this was all over.

Now he’d have to go to France or, heaven forbid, America to find a woman who wouldn’t have heard about his unsteady and reckless character. So why didn’t he mind? Miss Felicity Ashwood would never have been able to influence him as he now knew Ada could. He would never have to worry about his careful plans being upended by her cheerful blue eyes. Why didn’t the ominous road ahead fill him with dread or resentment?

He didn’t even have a place to put Ada once they returned. She couldn’t stay at his home could she? He tried not to think too much about his limited lodgings in the city. In London, he had purchased an unfinished three-bedroom terrace in dire need of decoration on the edge of the fashionable part of town. The building itself was structurally sound and complete but the original owner had run out of money before finishing the inside. They were respectable, thanks to a few clever investments on his part, but they were nothing compared to what she was used to. He’d expected to have more time to finish it during a four-month engagement period.

As the second son, Basil had received an allowance all his life, but he’d never intended to live off his family’s purse strings forever. Before he graduated from Cambridge, he’d begun investing, first on small ventures and then as he gained more familiarity, bolder schemes. He lived well within his means, saved the rest, and invested what he could afford to lose. It had allowed him a measure of independence and the opportunity to purchase his own properties without strings attached from his father or brother. His home in the country was certainly a work in progress, but it was coming along nicely.

Now, he supposed he would be left with all the time in the world to finish it. Provided Richard didn’t shoot him dead in the near future. As he drove further and further north, he forced himself to think about his modest country estate and the improvements he’d make to it, instead of the bright, deep eyes of his best friend’s younger sister, the scent of violets that seemed to always surround her or the strange feeling taking residence behind his ribs that was too inconvenient to name.

*

Gretna Green

Scotland, May 1851

There had been many times in her life when Ada had been extremely grateful to have her friends. She knew that they were rare people all on their own to say nothing of their shared ‘otherness’. It wasn’t usual to have people who would drop everything to accompany you on an emergency jaunt to another country. Now, however, she wanted to wring their necks. What had seemed like a very slapdash social convention upon their arrival was morphing into something real. Flowers and a white dress and lord knew what else.

It was building anticipation in her as if this were her real wedding, and Basil was going to be her husband for the rest of her life instead of the next month or however long it took to rescue her brother and family business from ruin.

“I have to say, Ada, I’m surprised at you,” Elodia said as she styled Ada’s long dark hair. They had set themselves up in one of the two rooms Basil had been able to procure once they reached Gretna Green. Only two had been available when they arrived at midday. Ada was doing her best not to think about what that would mean come nightfall.

“At me?”

“How is it that we haven’t heard anything about this Mr. Thompson? Where have you been hiding him?” Regina asked.

“Hiding him?” She’d barely seen him since her parents’ funeral and then it was always in passing. How could she have known how blue his eyes were, how deep and soft his voice was? She’d already found herself staring when he wasn’t looking at her. Her eyes seemed fascinated with the height of his cheekbones, the steep slope of his nose, the shape of his hands. His hands were another issue. His fingers were long and slender but she’d felt the strength of them when he’d gripped her arms.

“We haven’t even met him or heard of him,” Elodia commented as she finished a sleek braid and pinned it to crown around Ada’s head.

“And you are familiar enough with each other to be on a first-name basis,” Regina added as she skillfully arranged a group of wildflowers into a modest bouquet.

“He’s my brother’s friend from school. He’s one of his only friends, really.”

“Say more.”

“That’s all there is to say. He was always around. My mother liked him,” Ada said, remembering how at home he had been whenever he visited them in the country. He’d always sat on the floor to make sure her mother could sit in a chair, and she always remembered he couldn’t eat strawberries when she arranged fruit for him and Richard.

“What’s not to like?” Regina replied, winking at Ada in the mirror.

“He’s a bit slender but he can certainly handle himself based on how he managed Harris the other day. And he’s very handsome and intelligent,” Elodia commented.

“And honorable by all accounts and with excellent posture and manners,” Regina added.

“And that voice!”

That voice was deep, smooth, and crisp. She could listen to him talk for hours on end about absolutely anything. Ada kept her eyes on the vanity table before her. If she looked them in the eye she’d blush and they’d never leave her alone.

“Not a bad prospect at all, unless he isn’t well off financially.” Regina held up the bouquet for a critical examination.

“He isn’t fabulously wealthy, but I don’t believe that he is without prospects,” Ada murmured, hideously embarrassed by the turn the conversation had taken. Why had she answered them?

“A fine catch to be sure.” Regina smirked and picked up a red ribbon to tie around the stems.

“Are you trying to catch him, Gigi?” Ada asked, desperate to turn their attention away from her.

Regina tied off a perfect bow and held up the bouquet again. “I’m always looking for reasonable alternatives to the dreaded baron my mother is trying to sell me off to. If you could put in a word for me, Ada, when you’re finished with Mr. Thompson.”

“I’ll do that, Gigi.” Ada couldn’t help but roll her eyes. When she was finished with him, as though he were a book or a bonnet she could lend out for convenience. She didn’t know why, but it annoyed her to hear Regina speak of him in such a way. Perhaps it was out of loyalty. He was helping her and her brother. He didn’t deserve to be reduced in such a manner, even if their description of him echoed her own thoughts. It couldn’t be out of possessiveness, could it?

“Unless, of course, you were considering keeping him for yourself,” Elodia commented.

“What are you talking about?” Ada asked, as her cheeks caught fire, her hands jerking in her lap.

“I’m talking about the handsome, dashing, gentleman you are about to marry. The one who is about to help you save your brother,” Regina said, handing Ada the small bouquet.

“Mr. Thompson is my brother’s friend. He’s helping me and then he is going to annul our marriage, return my dowry, and marry someone else. And I will also be free to marry someone else.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know, and I’d rather not discuss it right now.” Or at all .

Ada rose to her feet and caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked somewhat like a bride, between her white, muslin evening gown, and the bouquet in her hands. But now she kept wishing that she had her mother’s red coral hairpins. No. That should be saved for her true wedding. The one with the husband she kept. She’d all but bamboozled poor Basil into this arrangement and even though he’d agreed and had behaved with good humor, she knew he’d be all too grateful to get out of it as soon as possible. His kindness and honor should be met in kind. It was how she had been raised and it was no less than he deserved.

Elodia fastened a pair of sapphire earbobs to Ada’s earlobes. “There’s your old, borrowed, and blue.” She said, “They used to belong to my mother.”

Ada fought back a sudden onslaught of tears. It wasn’t the same as her mother’s hairpins, but it was something warmed with maternal love. “Ellie, you shouldn’t have brought them here for me.”

“Nonsense,” she kissed Ada’s temple and then smoothed her hair, “It’s simply a loan for one of my two dearest friends, the first of us to marry.”

“It’s not even a real wedding,” Ada murmured in a watery voice. It couldn’t be. It didn’t matter how well he suited her or how safe he made her feel. He was a beautiful thing on loan for a short period of time. Like Elodia’s mother’s earrings.

“If it needs a real divorce, then it’s a real wedding,” Regina replied walking up to the other side to squeeze her between them in a warm embrace. “Now stop crying. The red ribbons are for happiness and prosperity, not bloodshot eyes.”

Ada gave a laugh and accepted the comfort they offered her. It wasn’t a hug from her mother, but it was full of love, just as they were. A knock sounded on the door, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping her courage didn’t fail her.

“It’s just as well,” Elodia said. “Time’s up.”

The ceremony, if it could be called that, was an odd arrangement. She’d always heard of Gretna Green weddings over an anvil, but the actual experience was truly strange. Only she would manage to have a marriage of convenience at Gretna Green.

She’d walked into The Blacksmith’s Shop flanked by Elodia and Regina to where Basil stood waiting, and her heart began racing. All through the ceremony, she couldn’t help noticing the things that Elodia and Regina had mentioned. The lean angles of his face, his height, the rich timbre of his voice, his kind crystalline blue eyes. Like her brother, he wasn’t a particularly large man, but there was a power and a presence about him that gave an impression of safety. That steadiness was bewitching when her world kept tilting the way it had over the past week. It made her wish she hadn’t promised to annul their marriage.

He repeated his vows in his resonant voice, his eyes as steady as his hands, and she hoped he couldn’t feel how her fingers were trembling. What if he thought she was having second thoughts? He’d probably be offended seeing as he was only here at her behest to begin with.

When he produced a ring her breath caught in her throat. Had he purchased it here? Had he brought it from London? It was such a sweet thing for him to have thought of for a fake wedding he had been opposed to. What did it mean? The cool band of gold sliding onto her finger sent a shock through her system. She felt weak from an odd mix of exhilaration and anxiety as her eyes stung from tears. It made everything real.

There was no way for her to deny the gravity of the step she was taking, however warranted it was. It made her think about other things that would be happening tonight if she were truly his bride. It made her heart ache when she remembered this was only a temporary means to an end. They were doing this to save her brother. No matter what Elodia and Regina said, no matter what the circle of metal on her finger signified, none of this was truly hers. He leaned down and brushed his soft lips against her cheek, the shadow of his slight beard scraping across her tender skin. By the time she’d recovered from the shivers racing all over her body, he’d already pulled away.

It was done.