Read Online Nina Coombs Pykare by A Daring Dilemma - Free Book Online

“Licia had made a good point. Ravenworth has been most kind to your whole family. It would be very unseemly to treat him as you suggest. Scandalous, in fact.”
    Mama digested this in fuming silence for several moments. “Well, since I mean for him to marry Dezzie, I suppose Licia will have to be civil to him. But I still don’t understand why she allowed him to waste his time talking to her when he should have been with Dezzie. She might have known better.”
    It wasn’t a waste to me! Licia wanted to scream. It was the most wonderful evening of my life! But of course she remained silent.
    It was Aunt Hortense who spoke. “Dorothea, stop spouting such nonsense! Ravenworth is not a little boy to be ordered about. He will spend his evenings in the way he wishes.” She chuckled. “And not you or I or anyone else is ever going to convince him otherwise.”
    Dezzie sniffled again, and Licia sent her a warning glance. Dezzie must learn not to openly oppose Mama. It was a useless undertaking. But evidently Dezzie could bear no more. “Mama, please, you must listen to me.”
    “I have heard all I wish to hear,” Mama said sternly.
    But Dezzie was not to be stopped. “You must listen. I shall never marry Ravenworth. He has said he wishes never to marry.”
    “You will change his mind,” Mama said with that awful complacency that allowed for no will but her own.
    “Mama! I do not love him. And he is all wrong for me.”
    Dezzie had been goaded past endurance or she would never have stood up to Mama in this startling fashion.
    “Love has nothing to do with it,” Mama cried. “I say you shall marry the duke. And you shall.”
    “No, I shan’t!” Dezzie wailed. “I cannot marry him. I love someone else!”
    Mama’s face grew an alarming red. “You impertinent girl! How dare you speak to me like that? Love someone else, indeed! I suppose you think you love that boy, that
    Dezzie’s speech had raised in her throat. Dezzie had been foolhardy to face her mother like that. It was better to fight her unobtrusively, as Penelope did her mama. Still, Dezzie had done a very brave thing.
    “Really, Dorothea, you must give it up,” Aunt Hortense was saying. “Obviously the child has no feeling for Ravenworth.”
    “It will develop,” said Mama stubbornly.
    “As yours developed for Mr. Dudley?” inquired Penelope far too sweetly.
    Mama’s frown deepened. “Mr. Dudley was quite a different case. I was much more mature than—”
    Aunt Hortense snorted and was not quite successful at turning it into a cough.
    “I have heard enough,” said Mama, leaping to her feet. “Dezzie will wed the duke.” And she marched from the room in a dudgeon.
    Aunt Hortense cast Licia a sympathetic smile. “I’d forgotten how difficult your mama is to deal with. Still, this escapade does trouble me. Dezzie might, as Penelope suggested, have simply not remembered how many dances she had with young Lockwood. But you, I’m sure, were aware of what you were about. And certainly Ravenworth was.”
    Licia sighed. Aunt Hortense was a sensible person. It seemed wisest to confide in her. “You’re quite right , Aunt. When Ravenworth saw what his nephew was doing, he suggested that we do the same. It was his hope that the gossips would fix on us. I did not think that so possible since I am hardly in the marriage line.” She had to swallow before she could continue. “And then we hit on the idea of the wager. It takes the onus off us ladies and makes it all seem some prank of the gentlemen’s devising.”
    “Very intelligent.” Aunt Hortense smiled. “And whose idea was that?”
    Licia felt herself flushing. “I believe it was mine, Aunt.”
    “ Very good.”
    “Aunt, you will not tell Mama?”
    “Of course not. And you will continue to converse with Ravenworth. It’s apparent that he enjoys your company.”
    “Thank you , Aunt.” The thought made her feel warm inside. If Aunt Hortense believed it true, it must be so. “I suppose