Read Online The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries - Free Book Online
Authors: Sabrina Jeffries
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“betrothal,” the more it angered him. “If I were in love with a woman, I’d waste no time in securing her, father or no father.”
“Yes, but you don’t live by the rules, do you?” she snapped.
She had him there. “What happens if Hyatt doesn’t marry you?”
“Then he can buy my half from me. If he chooses not to, Papa’s trustees will find a buyer to sell to. Either way, I will receive the proceeds.”
“So it’s very much to his advantage to marry you, isn’t it?” For some reason, it infuriated him to think of her being bartered off. That never turned out well.
A shadow passed over her face. “I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”
“I find it interesting that you and I share similar situations. Your father tried to force his will on you from beyond the grave, while my grandmother is trying to do it on this side of the grave. And neither wants to give us any choice.”
She swallowed. “You don’t understand, that’s all.”
“I understand better than you think.”
“Your situation is different.” Her eyes narrowed. “Though I’m not sure I entirely grasp it.”
“Then perhaps I should explain it to you.”
“Yes. I wouldn’t want to blunder as your pretend fiancée.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. If this doesn’t have my grandmother changing her demands overnight, nothing will. It’s guaranteed to succeed.”
Chapter Five
After hearing Lord Stoneville explain how his grandmother had dictated that her grandchildren marry within the year, Maria wasn’t sure she agreed with his assessment of the matter. The woman sounded pretty formidable.
“Why are you all so reluctant to accommodate her, anyway?” she asked. “It’s not as if your grandmother is trying to force you to marry any particular person you don’t fancy. And everyone marries eventually.”
“Not everyone.” His voice softened. “Besides, it’s not right that my siblings be forced into anything prematurely. What if they can’t find someone who suits them in a year? Someone for whom they feel genuine affection? Marrying without that is more of a hell than never marrying at all.” He gazed out the window, his eyes suddenly somber.
Had he been married before? Or was he speaking hypothetically? Maria wanted to know more, but she suspected he wouldn’t tell her. Besides, it wasn’t her concern. If he was bent on getting himself and his siblings out of marrying, so be it. As long as he held up his end of their bargain, she didn’t care.
But it did annoy her that he’d been so cynical about her own prospects. Did he think no one would marry her unless Papa “sweetened the pot”?
All right, so sometimes she did wonder about Nathan’s motives, but he’d always insisted that he would have married her without Papa’s offer. He never spoke of love, but she’d never seen him flirt with other women, so he must have genuine feelings for her even if they weren’t the passionate kind she read about in books.
She frowned. The trouble with Lord Stoneville was that he saw the whole world through a heavy black veil. He had no morals, so he assumed everyone else lacked them, too. No wonder his grandmother despaired of him.
“By Jiminy, will you look at that!” Freddy exclaimed.
Maria followed his gaze out the window to a well-lit group of buildings far back from the road. “What’s the name of that village?” she asked Lord Stoneville.
“It’s not a village,” he bit out as the horse turned onto a long drive leading toward the lights. “That’s Halstead Hall. My estate. ”
Her breath died in her throat. “But how . . . there are so many roofs—”
“Yes.” For a moment, she thought he would say nothing more. Then he went on in an oddly detached voice. “It was built at a time when sprawling houses were common for the wealthy. Henry VIII gave it to the first Marquess of Stoneville in thanks for some service he rendered. It’s been in the family ever since.”
He
“Yes, but you don’t live by the rules, do you?” she snapped.
She had him there. “What happens if Hyatt doesn’t marry you?”
“Then he can buy my half from me. If he chooses not to, Papa’s trustees will find a buyer to sell to. Either way, I will receive the proceeds.”
“So it’s very much to his advantage to marry you, isn’t it?” For some reason, it infuriated him to think of her being bartered off. That never turned out well.
A shadow passed over her face. “I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”
“I find it interesting that you and I share similar situations. Your father tried to force his will on you from beyond the grave, while my grandmother is trying to do it on this side of the grave. And neither wants to give us any choice.”
She swallowed. “You don’t understand, that’s all.”
“I understand better than you think.”
“Your situation is different.” Her eyes narrowed. “Though I’m not sure I entirely grasp it.”
“Then perhaps I should explain it to you.”
“Yes. I wouldn’t want to blunder as your pretend fiancée.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. If this doesn’t have my grandmother changing her demands overnight, nothing will. It’s guaranteed to succeed.”
Chapter Five
After hearing Lord Stoneville explain how his grandmother had dictated that her grandchildren marry within the year, Maria wasn’t sure she agreed with his assessment of the matter. The woman sounded pretty formidable.
“Why are you all so reluctant to accommodate her, anyway?” she asked. “It’s not as if your grandmother is trying to force you to marry any particular person you don’t fancy. And everyone marries eventually.”
“Not everyone.” His voice softened. “Besides, it’s not right that my siblings be forced into anything prematurely. What if they can’t find someone who suits them in a year? Someone for whom they feel genuine affection? Marrying without that is more of a hell than never marrying at all.” He gazed out the window, his eyes suddenly somber.
Had he been married before? Or was he speaking hypothetically? Maria wanted to know more, but she suspected he wouldn’t tell her. Besides, it wasn’t her concern. If he was bent on getting himself and his siblings out of marrying, so be it. As long as he held up his end of their bargain, she didn’t care.
But it did annoy her that he’d been so cynical about her own prospects. Did he think no one would marry her unless Papa “sweetened the pot”?
All right, so sometimes she did wonder about Nathan’s motives, but he’d always insisted that he would have married her without Papa’s offer. He never spoke of love, but she’d never seen him flirt with other women, so he must have genuine feelings for her even if they weren’t the passionate kind she read about in books.
She frowned. The trouble with Lord Stoneville was that he saw the whole world through a heavy black veil. He had no morals, so he assumed everyone else lacked them, too. No wonder his grandmother despaired of him.
“By Jiminy, will you look at that!” Freddy exclaimed.
Maria followed his gaze out the window to a well-lit group of buildings far back from the road. “What’s the name of that village?” she asked Lord Stoneville.
“It’s not a village,” he bit out as the horse turned onto a long drive leading toward the lights. “That’s Halstead Hall. My estate. ”
Her breath died in her throat. “But how . . . there are so many roofs—”
“Yes.” For a moment, she thought he would say nothing more. Then he went on in an oddly detached voice. “It was built at a time when sprawling houses were common for the wealthy. Henry VIII gave it to the first Marquess of Stoneville in thanks for some service he rendered. It’s been in the family ever since.”
He
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