Page 16 of To Pleasure a Prince

Simon eyed her with suspicion. “You didn’t tell Draker that, did you?”

“What I did was convince him to let you court Louisa for a month.”

He blinked. “You must be joking.”

“No, indeed,” Cicely put in. “Regina’s got a note from him to take to Lady Iversley, asking her to invite you to the soiree at her house tomorrow night.”

Looking flummoxed, Simon fell back against the squabs. “How the devil did you manage that?”

When Cicely started to answer, Regina cast the older woman a warning glance before flashing a smile at her brother. “He’s a perfectly nice man once you make him listen to reason.”

“I doubt that seriously.” Simon gazed out the window with a speculative expression. “So what are the terms of this courtship? Can I call on Louisa at the Iversleys’? And accompany her to balls?”

“Of course.”

“I assume I can take her riding in the phaeton.”

Regina swallowed. “His lordship would probably expect to…er…go along, and short of making him ride behind you, I don’t think—”

His gaze swung to her. “Why would Draker expect to go along?”

“Because that’s his condition for allowing this—that you let him oversee the courtship.”

“I don’t want him overseeing it! What sort of courtship is that?”

“The proper sort, that’s what.”

“But I can’t have him hanging about while I’m with Louisa. It will ruin everything.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How so?”

The veiled look that came over his features gave Regina pause.I think your brother is using my sister.Could that cursed man be right about Simon’s motives, after all?

Her brother caught her staring and stiffened. “Draker will spend his time sniping at me, and I’ll be forced to defend myself, which will surely make Louisa angry. How can I court a woman when her brother is insulting me at every turn?”

She searched Simon’s face, but his words made sense. “Tell me something, why do you want to court Louisa? You met her only a few weeks ago, and you barely know her.”

“I know enough. She’s a fine girl—well-read, interesting, accomplished—”

“So you want to marry her for herself,” she prodded, ignoring the fact that “well-read” was at the top of his list. Thank God Simon didn’t know of her own weakness.

He looked her right in the eye. “Of course. Did Draker say otherwise?”

No point in rousing Simon’s temper by telling him of the viscount’s suspicions. Especially when they were clearly unfounded.

“No, I merely wanted to be sure.”Aha, Lord Draker—I told you that you were wrong about him.“So you truly don’t care that there’s scandal associated with her family. And that she’s not all that sophisticated.”

“Doyoucare?” he countered.

“No. But I’m not considering marrying her.”

Regina was, however, going to be living with any wife Simon chose, since she never intended to marry herself. That’s why she fully intended to have a say in his choice, whether he knew it or not.

She needed Simon to find someone who could help Cicely with her duties, so their poor cousin would not be so overtaxed. And both she and Cicely liked sweet Louisa. Louisa wouldn’t try to change their way of living or put on airs like the saucy females Simon always seemed to fancy. Louisa would be a friend who could be trusted with her secret, and Regina had none of those.

Oh, she had female friends, but they all believed in her carefully cultivated image of sophistication. Take that away, and they would devour her whole. Mama was not the only person in society to demand perfection.

But Louisa wouldn’t. And once the dear girl married Simon, her loyalties would be with the family, thank God.