Page 64 of Vanquished By A Viscount
A murmur went through the room as the two women left. Lady Winifred and Miss Martin departed after Lady Eudora, hopefully to talk some sense into the woman. The majority of the male house guests sent Pettigrew sympathetic looks. A few shook their heads, as if it was Pettigrew’s fault for falling into the trap.
“I do not know what I will do,” Pettigrew sighed, turning to form a tight circle with Gray, Charlie, and Robert. “I cannot marry that woman. I cannot marry any woman.”
“But that woman in particular would make your life a misery,” Robert agreed.
“More like her mother would,” Charlie said.
Gray huffed in agreement, feeling desperately sorry for his friend.
Until a dazzling idea came to him.
“You could always run away,” he said.
Charlie glanced askance at him. “Is that truly the best solution when faced with difficulty?”
Gray felt the censure in those words for what it was, but he was too excited by his idea to let it dent his spirits. “Would you consider fleeing to Australia?” he asked.
Pettigrew wasn’t the only one who blinked in surprise at the suggestion. “Anything to prevent me from that marriage,” he said, stunned but considering.
“You would give up your passage to Australia to Pettigrew?” Charlie asked, his voice dropping to a thin, expectant whisper.
Gray turned to him with a bright smile. “I suddenly have no wish to explore the world,” he said. “At least, I have no desire to explore it alone.”
“But the expense,” Charlie said. “The effort you have put into securing passage.”
“I will reimburse you a dozen times over,” Pettigrew said, eyes wide.
Gray shook his head and reached subtly for Charlie’s hand. “I do not care about any of that anymore. It suddenly occurs to me that my life is right here, standing before me.”
Charlie slipped his hand into Gray’s. “You would give up your life of excitement to throw your lot in with a stubborn old viscount with a dozen responsibilities on his shoulders?”
Gray laughed. “How many times must I tell you that you are not even close to being old?”
“It feels as though I am,” Charlie murmured.
“Then I shall make you feel differently,” Gray said, squeezing his hand. “My next adventure will be returning excitement to your life and introducing you to new experiences.”
“Was it not the other way around when we first met?” Charlie asked, his smile growing as confidence in his future and everything it would hold settled on him.
Grayson laughed. “Time changes every man,” he said. “I am certain there are thing you can still teach me as well.”
Charlie’s smile blossomed into a laugh. Gray was completely certain that if they had been alone, his lover would have taken him into his arms for a searing kiss.
He was about to suggest they go upstairs when Pettigrew interrupted with, “If you are truly offering me your passage to Australia I would take it in an instant. I will leave here tomorrow, speak to my solicitor in London about transferring some or all of my estate into your name, and be halfway across the world and away from Lady Eudora and her mother’s machinations within a month.”
Gray dragged his eyes away from Charlie and said, “Consider it my gift. I only hope that a fortnight is long enough for you to arrange your affairs well enough so that you can leave England behind you.”
“I shall endeavor to do my best,” Pettigrew said, determination in his expression. “Now, if you will excuse me, Iwill return to my room to pack my things at once so that I might leave Hawthorne House with all due haste. Give my apologies to Lady Felcourt,” he said to Robert.
“She will understand,” Robert said with a nod.
Pettigrew hurried off.
“I must go to my wife and tell her this whole, mad tale,” Robert laughed, leaving as well.
Gray was left standing there in the conservatory with Charlie, holding hands.
“So you will not be departing for Australia?” Charlie asked.
