Page 6 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge (Safely in Scotland #3)

“Perhaps. Though I wasn’t waiting for anyone particular, and it may have been a little more than a few.”

He tilted his head, curiosity taking over.

“How many?” he leaned closer and whispered. She did the same to answer.

“Twenty-six.”

“Twenty-six offers of marriage in your first season?” he all but shouted in surprise. “Whatever could have been wrong with all of them?”

“That’s a fair question. One I have been asking myself again throughout this endeavor. I trusted my brothers to guide me. They assured me they would tell me who would make a proper husband and who would not.”

Reese couldn’t help it. He laughed.

Her eyes narrowed on him. Of course, a woman as fierce as she wouldn’t appreciate his laughing.

“Forgive me, but despite not being a brother myself, I can almost assuredly say that they found no man suitable for their dear sister.”

“I should have seen it sooner, I suppose. You must think me a lackwit.”

He shook his head and offered his most sincere expression.

“Anyone would be a fool to think you so. You have been incredibly clever in your escape and have kept your wits when many of the lords of the ton would have trembled in such circumstances.” Not him, of course.

He’d faced danger and death and lived to tell about it.

Not that he could tell anyone about it because it had been a secret mission.

One he’d never finished, thanks to Captain Merrick.

“The relationships between siblings is quite odd if you consider it,” she said.

“They were quite horrid to me when I was a little girl. Leaving me to play by myself if I didn’t prove myself worthy with impossible feats of loyalty.

But then they are so protective as well.

I imagined now that we are adults they would have put their foolishness aside to see me happy with someone. But they still toy with me.”

He reached out as if to place his hand over hers but pulled back when he remembered it would be inappropriate. Not that his being in the room alone with her wasn’t already greatly improper.

“There is great risk when one embarks on finding a suitable partner. I’m sure they only wished to keep you from being hurt.

Even the noblest of us can still be an insensitive lout occasionally.

” How many of those young misses being forced upon him this season had wished for a happy match with a kind man?

And he’d run in the opposite direction without giving them a second of his interest or time.

“If I’m able to get back to Mayfair with my reputation intact, I plan to find my own match. Without any comments from them. After all, shouldn’t I be responsible for my own happiness?”

“Ye wish to marry?” Reese swallowed, feeling the familiar instinct of flight.

She smiled. “You may relax, my lord. I’m certainly not considering it at the moment. I only meant to say that I have relied too much on others to make decisions for me and my wellbeing. And I plan to put an end to it. I must learn to trust my own judgment.”

“If you determine how one might do that, would you mind sharing it with me?”

“I will certainly keep you apprised.” She smiled, seeming pleased with her plan.

“The strange thing is that my best friends fairly stumbled into the best of matches with their wives. Lily and Thea were both in a bit of a predicament, and Finn and Shay—that is Ellis—stepped up and offered marriage to save them.” He blinked at Harlow who was most assuredly in the same situation.

Perhaps this was his chance to find a bride he would find happiness with. She was certainly beautiful and smart and while her humor was strained at the moment, he’d detected a bit of mirth.

He stepped closer and took her hand.

“Lady Harl—”

“No, please don’t.”

“You don’t even know what I was to say.”

“I do. Or rather, I don’t wish to.”

He let out a breath.

“Did you just sigh in relief?” She frowned. “My, but, I’m glad to have saved you from such a heinous match,” she said with a bit of affront.

Rather than try to put her at ease, he decided to share the truth.

“I’m a gentleman and would have done my duty to protect your honor, but after evading a marriage brought on by honor and duty all season, I guess I am relieved not to be forced into it.”

“I would never want a man to feel forced into marriage with me. And I’ll not marry someone whose proposal is offered simply for duty.”

“You seem angry that I offered and angry that I’m relieved. I’ll remind you, you just said you planned to marry.” It was possible he sounded slightly irritated as well, for he’d tried to do the right thing and she’d not even allowed him to finish.

“Yes, well, I’m rather busy at the moment, my lord. Might we focus on the stopping of my ransom?”

“Yes.” He shook his head. Of course, his question was ill-timed.

Had Finn and Shay been refused at first?

Reese found he was growing rather tired of being rejected.

He decided there and then he’d not ask another woman for her hand in marriage unless he was certain of her response.

Which would mean knowing the woman quite well beforehand so as to know what she was thinking.

How exactly would he get to know a woman that well with a chaperone about? He shook his head. It was a matter for another day.

“Let’s see to the business of a letter to your family to put their minds at ease.”

“Yes.” She settled the lap desk over her legs and set a piece of paper ready to write.

The quill hovered over the page for a few seconds before she lifted her head and looked at him.

“I do thank you for your offer, given in protection. It was quite thoughtful, but when I marry it will be because I want to, not because I’m forced into it by my circumstance. ”

“As you should. Forgive me.”

“I could do worse than you, Lord Breckenridge. You have been an honorable man. Now, what do you know about revenge?”

Reese blinked at the quick change in her demeanor and topic.

“Pardon?”

“I do not wish for my uncle to know his caper his up. Do you think it hideous of me that I am set on revenge? I want him to pay dearly for what he’s done.

To have used me so wretchedly in his scheme.

It is worse than anything this Captain Merrick and his crew could have done to me, for they would have only caused harm to my body, and perhaps my spirit.

But what Uncle Edgar has done… he has shifted the base of everything I had known.

When I’d thought I’d been loved, I had instead been leveraged.

And he must pay for the damage he’s caused to my heart. ”

Her eyes glistened, but like before, this brave woman took a slow breath and sat straight and determined.

Reese had wanted to ask her if she would aid him in the capture of Captain Merrick.

But given everything she’d been through already, he couldn’t bring himself to suggest such a thing and add to her burden.

But this plot of revenge could be used to serve two purposes.

Bring two disreputable traitors to justice at the same time.

He offered a smile. “I have an idea of how we might get you the revenge you seek.”