public. You cannot make them send her invitations or come to call on us.”
“Surely they would not dare offend you so, ma’am,” Damaris protested.
“Society is unforgiving. Few would snub me, of course, but am I to go where my granddaughter is not invited? I think not.” The old lady stood fiercely straight.
“I have brought scandal on the whole family.” Genevieve’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. “I am so sorry, Grandmama.”
“I know, dear.” The countess sighed. “But I fear nothing could save your reputation now but marriage.”
“She has to marry that maggot Langdon?” Alec thundered.
“No!” Myles exclaimed, shocked.
“I will not,” Genevieve declared. “I’d rather be a pariah the rest of my life than marry that swine. And don’t say you will force Dursbury to give me his ring again, Alec. I refuse to marry him, either.”
“Then the only thing for you to do is retire to Castle Cleyre,” their grandmother said.
“Surely not,” Damaris said in dismay.
“Lord Turnbury married a bird of paradise,” Myles argued. “They didn’t flee to his estate.”
“Oh, him,” the countess said witheringly. “It’s not as if the woman was received . Anyway, no matter how outrageous it was, it remains that they were wed. Marriage cures a multitude of sins. It covers a woman with the cloak of a gentleman’s good name. It gives one respectability, just as marrying a scoundrel colors one with his misdeeds.”
“She’s right,” Genevieve said colorlessly as she sank back down into her chair. Silent tears spilled from her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks, but she kept her lips clamped together, refusing to break down into sobs.
“Genny, no . . .” Myles turned to Genevieve’s grandmother.“It doesn’t have to be Langdon or Dursbury, surely. If Genevieve marries another man, it would save her reputation, would it not?”
“Of course.” Lady Rawdon nodded.
“But that is just the point, ” Genevieve burst out, dashing the tears from her cheeks and glaring at Myles. “No man will marry me now.”
Myles crossed to Genevieve and went down on a knee beside her. “You’re wrong, Genny. I will.”
Five
W hat?” Genevieve jumped to her feet, staring at him.
“I am asking you to marry me,” Myles told her, annoyance tingeing his voice.
“Don’t be a fool, Myles!” Scarlet flamed in Genevieve’s cheeks. She was suddenly, acutely aware of how she must look—Myles’s jacket thrown over her torn dress, her hair straggling down about her face like a slattern’s. She was receiving her second proposal of marriage; the first one had been rather colorless, but this one was even worse. “I’m not marrying you.”
Myles gaped at her. “Well, if that isn’t just like you! I am trying to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. I don’t want it.”
“You were willing enough to take it before,” he shot back, his own color rising.
“Of course you are going to throw that weakness up at me.”
“Good gad, Genevieve—you are the most contrary creature I have ever had the misfortune to know. Are you actually lumping me in with Dursbury and Langdon?Am I so bad that you would rather spend the rest of your days stuck away in Northumberland than be my wife?”
“Genevieve,” the dowager countess said sharply, rising to her feet. “Hold your tongue. For heaven’s sake, think before you speak.” She went to her granddaughter and took her arm, but Genevieve twisted away.
“No! I can’t. I won’t.” Tears started in Genevieve’s eyes, and she clapped her hand over her mouth, smothering the wail that threatened to rise from her throat. Turning, she fled the room.
Behind her, she heard her grandmother say, “She is distraught, Sir Myles. Please do not take her words to heart. I will talk to her; Genevieve will come around.”
Genevieve could not hold back her sobs as she ran up the stairs to her room.
His anger carried Myles all the way
“Surely they would not dare offend you so, ma’am,” Damaris protested.
“Society is unforgiving. Few would snub me, of course, but am I to go where my granddaughter is not invited? I think not.” The old lady stood fiercely straight.
“I have brought scandal on the whole family.” Genevieve’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. “I am so sorry, Grandmama.”
“I know, dear.” The countess sighed. “But I fear nothing could save your reputation now but marriage.”
“She has to marry that maggot Langdon?” Alec thundered.
“No!” Myles exclaimed, shocked.
“I will not,” Genevieve declared. “I’d rather be a pariah the rest of my life than marry that swine. And don’t say you will force Dursbury to give me his ring again, Alec. I refuse to marry him, either.”
“Then the only thing for you to do is retire to Castle Cleyre,” their grandmother said.
“Surely not,” Damaris said in dismay.
“Lord Turnbury married a bird of paradise,” Myles argued. “They didn’t flee to his estate.”
“Oh, him,” the countess said witheringly. “It’s not as if the woman was received . Anyway, no matter how outrageous it was, it remains that they were wed. Marriage cures a multitude of sins. It covers a woman with the cloak of a gentleman’s good name. It gives one respectability, just as marrying a scoundrel colors one with his misdeeds.”
“She’s right,” Genevieve said colorlessly as she sank back down into her chair. Silent tears spilled from her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks, but she kept her lips clamped together, refusing to break down into sobs.
“Genny, no . . .” Myles turned to Genevieve’s grandmother.“It doesn’t have to be Langdon or Dursbury, surely. If Genevieve marries another man, it would save her reputation, would it not?”
“Of course.” Lady Rawdon nodded.
“But that is just the point, ” Genevieve burst out, dashing the tears from her cheeks and glaring at Myles. “No man will marry me now.”
Myles crossed to Genevieve and went down on a knee beside her. “You’re wrong, Genny. I will.”
Five
W hat?” Genevieve jumped to her feet, staring at him.
“I am asking you to marry me,” Myles told her, annoyance tingeing his voice.
“Don’t be a fool, Myles!” Scarlet flamed in Genevieve’s cheeks. She was suddenly, acutely aware of how she must look—Myles’s jacket thrown over her torn dress, her hair straggling down about her face like a slattern’s. She was receiving her second proposal of marriage; the first one had been rather colorless, but this one was even worse. “I’m not marrying you.”
Myles gaped at her. “Well, if that isn’t just like you! I am trying to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. I don’t want it.”
“You were willing enough to take it before,” he shot back, his own color rising.
“Of course you are going to throw that weakness up at me.”
“Good gad, Genevieve—you are the most contrary creature I have ever had the misfortune to know. Are you actually lumping me in with Dursbury and Langdon?Am I so bad that you would rather spend the rest of your days stuck away in Northumberland than be my wife?”
“Genevieve,” the dowager countess said sharply, rising to her feet. “Hold your tongue. For heaven’s sake, think before you speak.” She went to her granddaughter and took her arm, but Genevieve twisted away.
“No! I can’t. I won’t.” Tears started in Genevieve’s eyes, and she clapped her hand over her mouth, smothering the wail that threatened to rise from her throat. Turning, she fled the room.
Behind her, she heard her grandmother say, “She is distraught, Sir Myles. Please do not take her words to heart. I will talk to her; Genevieve will come around.”
Genevieve could not hold back her sobs as she ran up the stairs to her room.
His anger carried Myles all the way
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