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Authors: Laura Lee Guhrke
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your life. Interested?"
"Who wouldn't be?" Trevor frowned thoughtfully. "Who do I have to kill?"
Henry threw back his head and laughed. "Think it's too good to be true, eh?"
"Let's just say I'm skeptical. Exactly what did you have in mind?"
"It's quite simple." Henry took a long pull on his cigar and blew the smoke out slowly. "I want you to marry my daughter."
4
"What?" Trevor straightened in his chair, uncertain he had heard correctly.
"I want you to marry my daughter."
"You must be joking."
"On the contrary," Henry replied, smiling. "I'm quite serious."
He was. Beneath that smile, the other man was very much in earnest. Trevor couldn't quite believe that a solution to his problem was being presented to him on a silver platter. Life wasn't that easy. Nonetheless, he stubbed out his cigar and leaned forward, deeming the idea worthy of his full attention, even if it was a colossal joke. "You hardly know me."
"True." Henry took a puff on his cigar. "But, as I said, I'm a good judge of men. And I think you might be the right man for my daughter."
No father had ever expressed that opinion about Trevor before, and he was astonished. "Why?"
"You're titled, for one thing. That's important." Henry swirled the brandy in his glass and took a swallow. "My background isn't quite so illustrious. My parents emigrated to America from Holland. My father-in-law was a chocolate maker, and I built his little candy shop into a million-dollar business, which I have expanded to include many other ventures. It's made me a very wealthy man." His face hardened slightly. "But all the money in the world doesn't matter when you have no background. I want my daughter to have respectability. I want all the best life has to offer for her and her children. If you aren't born with a pedigree, you have to marry one."
"I see. That's where I come in."
"Exactly."
"But why me? I mean, there must be plenty of titled men who would be willing to marry Margaret." He thought of the ridiculous Lord Hymes. "She probably has them standing in line."
"Oh, yes. That is not the problem." Henry gave a sigh of long suffering. "But Margaret does not want to marry any of them. She's a stubborn young woman, and she has some very silly ideas about marriage. Many suitors have offered for her, but she has refused them all."
"And you think I'm the man who can change her mind?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I was at breakfast the morning after you arrived, Lord Ashton. I haven't seen my daughter blush since she was thirteen years old."
Trevor could have told the other man that it wasn't attraction to him that made her blush like that, but he refrained. This might be his golden opportunity, and he had no intention of ruining it. But he also wanted to know exactly what he was getting into. "Why has your daughter refused so many proposals? What exactly are her silly ideas about marriage?"
"She is determined to marry only for love. Practical considerations mean nothing to her."
"There are women like that," Trevor answered dryly, "although I must confess, I've met very few. It's inconvenient for their families, perhaps, but there it is."
"It's a ridiculous notion. She's turned down one suitor after another, and it won't be long before she'll be on the shelf. She's twenty-four already, well past marriageable age. She is waiting, she says, for a man who truly loves her. I've told her repeatedly that a woman in her position doesn't marry for love, but she won't listen to me. If she falls in love with someone inappropriate, it could be disastrous. She'd elope with a stableboy if she fell in love with him. I can't let that happen."
Trevor was beginning to see the whole picture. "You want me to make her fall in love with me, so that she'll marry me."
"I'm afraid it's the only way." When Trevor did not reply, he added in surprise, "I wouldn't have thought you the sort of man to be shocked by this."
Trevor wasn't shocked. The girl had to marry someone, after all, and he could
"Who wouldn't be?" Trevor frowned thoughtfully. "Who do I have to kill?"
Henry threw back his head and laughed. "Think it's too good to be true, eh?"
"Let's just say I'm skeptical. Exactly what did you have in mind?"
"It's quite simple." Henry took a long pull on his cigar and blew the smoke out slowly. "I want you to marry my daughter."
4
"What?" Trevor straightened in his chair, uncertain he had heard correctly.
"I want you to marry my daughter."
"You must be joking."
"On the contrary," Henry replied, smiling. "I'm quite serious."
He was. Beneath that smile, the other man was very much in earnest. Trevor couldn't quite believe that a solution to his problem was being presented to him on a silver platter. Life wasn't that easy. Nonetheless, he stubbed out his cigar and leaned forward, deeming the idea worthy of his full attention, even if it was a colossal joke. "You hardly know me."
"True." Henry took a puff on his cigar. "But, as I said, I'm a good judge of men. And I think you might be the right man for my daughter."
No father had ever expressed that opinion about Trevor before, and he was astonished. "Why?"
"You're titled, for one thing. That's important." Henry swirled the brandy in his glass and took a swallow. "My background isn't quite so illustrious. My parents emigrated to America from Holland. My father-in-law was a chocolate maker, and I built his little candy shop into a million-dollar business, which I have expanded to include many other ventures. It's made me a very wealthy man." His face hardened slightly. "But all the money in the world doesn't matter when you have no background. I want my daughter to have respectability. I want all the best life has to offer for her and her children. If you aren't born with a pedigree, you have to marry one."
"I see. That's where I come in."
"Exactly."
"But why me? I mean, there must be plenty of titled men who would be willing to marry Margaret." He thought of the ridiculous Lord Hymes. "She probably has them standing in line."
"Oh, yes. That is not the problem." Henry gave a sigh of long suffering. "But Margaret does not want to marry any of them. She's a stubborn young woman, and she has some very silly ideas about marriage. Many suitors have offered for her, but she has refused them all."
"And you think I'm the man who can change her mind?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I was at breakfast the morning after you arrived, Lord Ashton. I haven't seen my daughter blush since she was thirteen years old."
Trevor could have told the other man that it wasn't attraction to him that made her blush like that, but he refrained. This might be his golden opportunity, and he had no intention of ruining it. But he also wanted to know exactly what he was getting into. "Why has your daughter refused so many proposals? What exactly are her silly ideas about marriage?"
"She is determined to marry only for love. Practical considerations mean nothing to her."
"There are women like that," Trevor answered dryly, "although I must confess, I've met very few. It's inconvenient for their families, perhaps, but there it is."
"It's a ridiculous notion. She's turned down one suitor after another, and it won't be long before she'll be on the shelf. She's twenty-four already, well past marriageable age. She is waiting, she says, for a man who truly loves her. I've told her repeatedly that a woman in her position doesn't marry for love, but she won't listen to me. If she falls in love with someone inappropriate, it could be disastrous. She'd elope with a stableboy if she fell in love with him. I can't let that happen."
Trevor was beginning to see the whole picture. "You want me to make her fall in love with me, so that she'll marry me."
"I'm afraid it's the only way." When Trevor did not reply, he added in surprise, "I wouldn't have thought you the sort of man to be shocked by this."
Trevor wasn't shocked. The girl had to marry someone, after all, and he could
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