Page 21 of The Truth About Lord Stoneville

She ignored his sarcastic tone. “Speaking of that, we’ll need to send a notice to the papers about your wedding. Not to mention that the Foxmoor ball is next week. You’ll want to announce your engagement there, as well. Or do you mean to have the marriage done before then?”

Oliver’s fingers tensed on Maria’s. “It depends. We may have trouble gaining a special license, since Maria is Catholic.”

Had Mrs. Plumtree actually stumbled on the step?

If so, she recovered quickly, for her blue eyes sparked fire. “Yes, that might present a difficulty. But it can be surmounted.”

“Of course it can,” Oliver said with formidable calm. “A man of my rank can generally do as he pleases. You did say you wanted us married in all haste.”

Mrs. Plumtree’s eyes narrowed. “And Miss Butterfield’s family? Won’t they want to be here for the wedding?”

“Her parents are dead. That’s fortunate for you, since I doubt you’d want a shopkeeper’s daughter and the bastard son of a servant to appear at my wedding.”

Maria squeezed his arm. Though her role was to horrify his grandmother into rescinding her demands, he made her family sound worse than they were. And of course he said nothing of New Bedford Ships, or how Papa had risen to a position of great importance.

Mrs. Plumtree fixed Oliver with a cold gaze and said,“I’m happy to welcome anyone in your future wife’s family to your wedding.”

Judging from his black scowl, that wasn’t the answer he wanted.

“Tell me, Oliver,” the dark-haired brother said. “Where did you meet your lovely fiancée?”

The calculating smile that curved Oliver’s lips set off Maria’s alarms. “Funny you should ask that, Jarret. As it happens, we met in a brothel.”

Chapter Six

When Gran merely blinked, then steadied her shoulders and smoothed her features into nonchalance, it took all Oliver’s self-control not to roar his frustration. Minerva and Celia looked more upset than she did, for God’s sake!

And why weretheyupset, anyway? What had they thought he meant, when he’d said he would betroth himself to someone patently unsuitable in order to bring Gran to her senses? Subtlety never worked on Gran.

Suddenly he became aware of the fingers digging painfully into his arm.

“Excuse me,” Maria bit out from beside him. “I need a word with my fiancé. Is there somewhere we can be private?”

Blast it to hell. He’d forgotten about Maria. Now he’d have to deal with her, too, and she wasn’t going to take kindly to his pronouncement since she was decidedlynota whore.

When Minerva pointed toward the library, Maria stalked off, leaving Oliver no choice but to make his excuses and follow her.

The minute they were on the other side of the door, she whirled on him. “How dare you! You said nothing about making me out to be a whore. That wasnotour bargain.”

“Would you rather I call you a thief?” he shot back, determined not to let her get the upper hand.

Her eyes blazed with indignation. “You know perfectly well I’m no thief. And I refuse to play a whore for you.”

“Even if such a refusal means facing the authorities in London?”

Though she paled, she didn’t waver. “Yes. Clap us in the gaol, if you wish, but I’m not playing your mad game one minute more.”

To his shock, she headed for the door. Deuce take her, the chit actually meant to leave!

He swiftly blocked her exit, grabbing her by the arm to stay her. “We made a bargain, and you’re not getting out of it that easily.”

“This was your plan from the beginning, wasn’t it? Dressmeas a whore and use my situation for your own purposes. Did you think once you got me here, I would just go along because of your threats?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she scowled. “Thatiswhat you intended. I knew it! You’re a low, deceitful—”

A knock sounded on the door. “Oliver, is everything all right?” Gran asked.

“It’s fine,” he snapped, wanting Gran away from thedoor before Maria got loud enough for her to hear. “We’ll be there in a moment.”

“I should be part of this discussion, I believe,” Gran said.