Read Online The Hidden Heiress by Juliet Moore - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Juliet Moore
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Would you mind terribly if it were just the two of us?"
Marshall frowned, hoping she hadn't poisoned her own mother. "I don't mind at all."
"Wonderful!" Jane clapped her hands together with glee. "You can leave just as soon as Miss Norcross finishes her tea."
"I'm finished," Sarah replied.
Marshall watced the door. Perhaps if he escaped through the back door and--
No. There was no evading it. He bowed to Sarah. "Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Norcross. I need to have a word with my brother."
Behind Sarah's back, Jane winked again. "I must also . . . speak to Mr. Templeton."
Marshall tried not to run into the study too quickly. He yanked open the door. Even though he still hadn't forgiven Edward for his outburst in the garden, the desk's empty chair filled him with dismay. He turned in time to see Jane barreling through the door.
She hurried inside and shut the door behind her.
He glared at her as he paced. "Jane, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"A little matchmaking," she replied with a confident air. "Miss Norcross has been waiting for your invitation for months. I think you should know, her first season is nearly at its end and she's received many impressive offers."
He laughed hysterically and asked, "How many of them were for marriage?"
A look of bewilderment clouding her eyes. "I don't understand, Marshall. Are you angry I've arranged this outing with Miss Norcross?"
Marshall paced faster. "Yes, but as we both know, neither you nor Edward care about my feelings on the subject."
"Of course we care! I just didn't think you'd pursue this on your own."
"Then perhaps it's not worthy of pursuit!"
"Keep your voice down!" she hissed, hurrying forward.
"I am well within an acceptable range of volume, Jane. Obviously, I wouldn't want her to hear us. The only damn reason I'm going along with this charade is so I don't hurt her feelings. It's not her fault you belong in an asylum."
"How dare you?" She poked his chest with one long, skinny finger. "I'm merely looking out for you."
He crossed his arms in front of his body. "Did you borrow that phrase from Edward?"
Jane sighed. "Well, Marshall, if you'd rather turn her down, I'm sure she'd understand."
"Yes, that's just what I'll do. I'll bow out and blame the entire fiasco on you . . ."
"Marshall!"
"How could you do this to me? It's absurd! I don't even like the girl," he asked.
"Why not? She's pretty, wealthy, and cultured."
He shook his head. "She's also a hoyden!"
"What a reprehensible thing to say." Jane narrowed her eyes and gave him the kind of look he'd seen her give the maids when they snuck out back to dally with the grooms. "I thought you were raised better than that."
"Jane, you look nothing like my mother, so please don't attempt to emulate her."
She shook her head, an expression of exaggerated awe distorted her face. "I can understand why Edward is so frustrated with you."
"He's frustrated with me?" Marshall almost yanked a cigar from his brother's humidor, even though he detested the noxious habit. "Why don't you let him know I am just as frustrated? I'm tired of him telling me what to do."
"He's trying to help you, you ungrateful--"
"Having his wife intrude her protégés upon my private time is the exact opposite of helpful."
Jane gazed up at the ceiling. "I caught you on your way upstairs, didn't I? Were you planning a rendezvous with my governess?"
"That's none of your concern." He clenched his fists. "I wish you had a shred of human feeling, at least enough to refer to Miss Balfour by her name. She's more than just the title you bestowed on her."
Jane smiled. "I never suggested otherwise. You've become paranoid over that woman."
He ripped off his hat and squeezed it between his hands. Through clenched teeth, he replied, "This conversation isn't helping. I'll take Miss Norcross out, but only to save her the embarrassment. If you ever do this again . . ."
"You need a suitable bride. Are you going to remain a bachelor
Marshall frowned, hoping she hadn't poisoned her own mother. "I don't mind at all."
"Wonderful!" Jane clapped her hands together with glee. "You can leave just as soon as Miss Norcross finishes her tea."
"I'm finished," Sarah replied.
Marshall watced the door. Perhaps if he escaped through the back door and--
No. There was no evading it. He bowed to Sarah. "Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Norcross. I need to have a word with my brother."
Behind Sarah's back, Jane winked again. "I must also . . . speak to Mr. Templeton."
Marshall tried not to run into the study too quickly. He yanked open the door. Even though he still hadn't forgiven Edward for his outburst in the garden, the desk's empty chair filled him with dismay. He turned in time to see Jane barreling through the door.
She hurried inside and shut the door behind her.
He glared at her as he paced. "Jane, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"A little matchmaking," she replied with a confident air. "Miss Norcross has been waiting for your invitation for months. I think you should know, her first season is nearly at its end and she's received many impressive offers."
He laughed hysterically and asked, "How many of them were for marriage?"
A look of bewilderment clouding her eyes. "I don't understand, Marshall. Are you angry I've arranged this outing with Miss Norcross?"
Marshall paced faster. "Yes, but as we both know, neither you nor Edward care about my feelings on the subject."
"Of course we care! I just didn't think you'd pursue this on your own."
"Then perhaps it's not worthy of pursuit!"
"Keep your voice down!" she hissed, hurrying forward.
"I am well within an acceptable range of volume, Jane. Obviously, I wouldn't want her to hear us. The only damn reason I'm going along with this charade is so I don't hurt her feelings. It's not her fault you belong in an asylum."
"How dare you?" She poked his chest with one long, skinny finger. "I'm merely looking out for you."
He crossed his arms in front of his body. "Did you borrow that phrase from Edward?"
Jane sighed. "Well, Marshall, if you'd rather turn her down, I'm sure she'd understand."
"Yes, that's just what I'll do. I'll bow out and blame the entire fiasco on you . . ."
"Marshall!"
"How could you do this to me? It's absurd! I don't even like the girl," he asked.
"Why not? She's pretty, wealthy, and cultured."
He shook his head. "She's also a hoyden!"
"What a reprehensible thing to say." Jane narrowed her eyes and gave him the kind of look he'd seen her give the maids when they snuck out back to dally with the grooms. "I thought you were raised better than that."
"Jane, you look nothing like my mother, so please don't attempt to emulate her."
She shook her head, an expression of exaggerated awe distorted her face. "I can understand why Edward is so frustrated with you."
"He's frustrated with me?" Marshall almost yanked a cigar from his brother's humidor, even though he detested the noxious habit. "Why don't you let him know I am just as frustrated? I'm tired of him telling me what to do."
"He's trying to help you, you ungrateful--"
"Having his wife intrude her protégés upon my private time is the exact opposite of helpful."
Jane gazed up at the ceiling. "I caught you on your way upstairs, didn't I? Were you planning a rendezvous with my governess?"
"That's none of your concern." He clenched his fists. "I wish you had a shred of human feeling, at least enough to refer to Miss Balfour by her name. She's more than just the title you bestowed on her."
Jane smiled. "I never suggested otherwise. You've become paranoid over that woman."
He ripped off his hat and squeezed it between his hands. Through clenched teeth, he replied, "This conversation isn't helping. I'll take Miss Norcross out, but only to save her the embarrassment. If you ever do this again . . ."
"You need a suitable bride. Are you going to remain a bachelor
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