complaints and looked at her, his expression miserable. “I didn’t expect to lose it all, Tess. I thought I was doing what was best for you.”
Standing, she crossed over to him. “Where is this man, Neil? Perhaps we should talk to him.”
“He’s gone. I’ve looked for months now. He’s disappeared with the money, probably back to Italy.”
Slowly, the import of his words sank in. “I am not an heiress.”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“Because I’d hoped to work my way out of it. I believed that I would be able to cover the money I lost.”
“But you couldn’t.”
He lowered his head. “I’d ask Christopher, if I thought he would advance the sum, but the amount I lost is so big and he’d refuse me, Tess, I know he would.”
Tess slowly walked around his desk, tracing her path with the tips of her fingers on its polished surface.
Only the ticking of the clock over the cold hearth broke the silence.
“Does Stella know?”
Neil shook his head. “I can’t tell her, especially now that she is with child.”
“Oh, Neil.” She felt the hot sting of tears and choked them back.
Together. “What is the solution?”
He came to his feet. Reaching out, he touched her hair. “You are so pretty. Much like Mother, but prettier.” He dropped his hand. “I can’t let anyone know what I did. I have a reputation; I have connections. If this comes out, I will be ruined.”
“What do you want me to do then?” She knew the answer before he’d even said the words.
“I want you to marry this Welsh earl. Leave London. Build a life with him and no one will be the wiser about my, ah, my mistake.”
“But what about the money?”
“He has funds. I overheard at my club that his estate in Wales is quite ancient and very grand.”
“Neil, is there no other way?”
“No.”
“And if I don’t?”
Neil shrugged and then spoke as if the words were hard to say. “We will see our good name ruined. And your chance to marry anyone will be gone.”
For one horrifying second, Tess could imagine the laughter and snide comments of those who would take pleasure in her downfall. Like Neil, she didn’t know if she could live with the public embarrassment. Fear rose up inside her, choking her. She swallowed it back, but still it lingered in her throat, making it ache.
She whispered, barely able to talk, “Will you tell Merton the truth? You mustn’t lie to him.”
“I won’t lie, but I don’t have to tell him everything,” her brother said quickly. “Or else he’ll cry off. Then the rumors would fly.”
Tess didn’t like this. “But he will find out sooner or later.”
“Yes, but by then you must make sure he is willing to forgive you.”
“How?”
“You are asking me how? Women get men to forgive their sins every day. Make him fall in love with you.
Men in love will do anything.”
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door. At Neil’s call, Nestor, the butler, said, “Mr. Hamlin, the earl of Merton is here to see you. Are you at home?”
Neil turned to Tess. “Am I?”
She stood rooted to the floor, feeling as if her head had turned into one of those flying balloons while her body was a chunk of ice. Her brother waited. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, yes, you are at home.”
“You’ll marry him?”
Tess opened her mouth but it took a moment until she could say the words. “Yes. Yes, I will marry him.”
Chapter Four
What the bloody hell had he done?
That thought had first struck Brenn as he’d stood shaving the razor to his throat. His predawn philosophizing had given way to stone cold reality after a good night’s sleep.
Now, as he cooled his heels in the magnificent opulence of the Hamlin sitting room, he realized what Sir Charles had been trying to tell him—especially once he saw how wealthy Hamlin really was. Not only was the house located at London’s most fashionable address, but the furnishings were fresh, new…expensive.
For the first
Standing, she crossed over to him. “Where is this man, Neil? Perhaps we should talk to him.”
“He’s gone. I’ve looked for months now. He’s disappeared with the money, probably back to Italy.”
Slowly, the import of his words sank in. “I am not an heiress.”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“Because I’d hoped to work my way out of it. I believed that I would be able to cover the money I lost.”
“But you couldn’t.”
He lowered his head. “I’d ask Christopher, if I thought he would advance the sum, but the amount I lost is so big and he’d refuse me, Tess, I know he would.”
Tess slowly walked around his desk, tracing her path with the tips of her fingers on its polished surface.
Only the ticking of the clock over the cold hearth broke the silence.
“Does Stella know?”
Neil shook his head. “I can’t tell her, especially now that she is with child.”
“Oh, Neil.” She felt the hot sting of tears and choked them back.
Together. “What is the solution?”
He came to his feet. Reaching out, he touched her hair. “You are so pretty. Much like Mother, but prettier.” He dropped his hand. “I can’t let anyone know what I did. I have a reputation; I have connections. If this comes out, I will be ruined.”
“What do you want me to do then?” She knew the answer before he’d even said the words.
“I want you to marry this Welsh earl. Leave London. Build a life with him and no one will be the wiser about my, ah, my mistake.”
“But what about the money?”
“He has funds. I overheard at my club that his estate in Wales is quite ancient and very grand.”
“Neil, is there no other way?”
“No.”
“And if I don’t?”
Neil shrugged and then spoke as if the words were hard to say. “We will see our good name ruined. And your chance to marry anyone will be gone.”
For one horrifying second, Tess could imagine the laughter and snide comments of those who would take pleasure in her downfall. Like Neil, she didn’t know if she could live with the public embarrassment. Fear rose up inside her, choking her. She swallowed it back, but still it lingered in her throat, making it ache.
She whispered, barely able to talk, “Will you tell Merton the truth? You mustn’t lie to him.”
“I won’t lie, but I don’t have to tell him everything,” her brother said quickly. “Or else he’ll cry off. Then the rumors would fly.”
Tess didn’t like this. “But he will find out sooner or later.”
“Yes, but by then you must make sure he is willing to forgive you.”
“How?”
“You are asking me how? Women get men to forgive their sins every day. Make him fall in love with you.
Men in love will do anything.”
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door. At Neil’s call, Nestor, the butler, said, “Mr. Hamlin, the earl of Merton is here to see you. Are you at home?”
Neil turned to Tess. “Am I?”
She stood rooted to the floor, feeling as if her head had turned into one of those flying balloons while her body was a chunk of ice. Her brother waited. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, yes, you are at home.”
“You’ll marry him?”
Tess opened her mouth but it took a moment until she could say the words. “Yes. Yes, I will marry him.”
Chapter Four
What the bloody hell had he done?
That thought had first struck Brenn as he’d stood shaving the razor to his throat. His predawn philosophizing had given way to stone cold reality after a good night’s sleep.
Now, as he cooled his heels in the magnificent opulence of the Hamlin sitting room, he realized what Sir Charles had been trying to tell him—especially once he saw how wealthy Hamlin really was. Not only was the house located at London’s most fashionable address, but the furnishings were fresh, new…expensive.
For the first
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