Page 10 of Betting on a Baron
“You know of his promise to me to never force me to marry?”
“Of course; every gentleman knows.”
She wasn’t certain how to respond to Ambrose’s comment. A wave of confusion washed over her as he placed her in the forward-facing seat of her father’s carriage. Had her father’s promise in some way dissuaded suitors?
CHAPTERFIVE
One kiss.
One kiss from the innocent Lady Daphne and his entire scheme for the Season was in shambles. Ambrose paced the length of the private room at his club awaiting the arrival of Daphne’s father, his mentor, Viscount Sumnerson.
The door creaked open. “Harlowe.” The man who had been his role model for several years walked in and sank into the wing-back chair next to the fire. “Stop worrying and come sit.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Explain why Daphne believes you are in financial trouble.”
If Ambrose shared it was all part of his insane plan to find a wife this Season, the man whose approval he sought the most would certainly laugh at him. However, Ambrose also knew the man hated wasting time. “As a baron, many ladies are beyond my reach and I’d rather not marry a fortune hunter.”
“Are you suffering from a fever?”
“No.”
“A title does not define a man.” He glanced at Ambrose and then focused upon the roaring fire in front of them. “Our club, the members of Masters are proof of that.”
It was fact. There was no discrimination within the exclusive twenty-member club. Membership was not based on if you were titled or not, a gentleman or a bastard. Having spent many an hour with his fellow Masters, whose backgrounds and motivations were varied, Ambrose came to appreciate that the comradery of those that were not born into wealth. He wanted a wife who valued him for his abilities, not his title or his wealth.
He summoned the courage and looked Sumnerson directly in the eyes. “What if I were to ask your permission to marry your daughter?” After the scene at the Hadfield soiree, he wanted to protect Daphne from scandal. That and the fact he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman.
“Prior to your hare-brained scheme, I wouldn’t have hesitated and would have been honored to welcome you as part of our family.”
Hare brained or not, his scheme had worked. Not a single matron paid him any notice on his arrival at the Hadfield soiree. Without a gaggle of ladies following him about, he was able to focus his attentions on Daphne. Their kiss in the park had awakened something within him, a peculiar mix of emotions that he couldn’t readily name. What did one call a mix of familiarity, frustration, exhilaration, and longing all rolled into one? Whatever it was, it was the driving force for his meeting with Sumnerson.
Ambrose looked at the man that might become his future father-in-law and with his nerves tangled, he asked, “And now? Would you give me your blessing?”
Sumnerson let out a sigh. “I’m a man of my word. And you already know I’ve promised Daphne, I shall not force her to marry, nor will I stop her if she chooses you. However, I’d advise you to seriously contemplate your reasoning for concocting such a plan. Address those concerns with candidness and you shall avoid disappointment and heartache.”
Ambrose stared at Sumnerson for a moment as the man’s words soaked into his mind.Disappointment and heartache.Neither were foreign to Ambrose.
Refocusing on the discussion at hand, Ambrose openly shared, “I fear it won’t be easy to convince Daphne to accept my suit.”
“You’ve got the right of it. She can be rather stubborn.” Sumnerson leaned forward and faced the roaring fire. “I’m curious… why marry? But more importantly, why Daphne?”
“I wanted to wait until I amassed enough funds to ensure that my wife and children would not have to endure the anxiety of the Harlowe coffers mimicking the motions of a swing as I did.” Ambrose debated as to how much to disclose about his encounter with Daphne in the park. The encounter that had opened his eyes to see Daphne was a mature passionate woman, and made him feel comfortable in his own body in a way he had only dreamed of before. The brief glimpse had him wanting more. “Lady Daphne is divine. The gentleman she chooses for a husband will be the luckiest man alive.”
“Bah! I view Daphne with the distorted lens of a parent. Of course I think she is perfect, but in reality I know the girl is a handful and I wish you luck if you intend to make her the Baroness of Harlowe.”
It was an endorsement he never really believed possible. He had been studious at school but not the top classman, a solid team player but never the captain, and he was more than happy to tap his toe on the sidelines at a ball rather than twirl a lady about the dance floor.
Ambrose looked over at the viscount. “Aside from wishing me luck, do you by chance have any words of wisdom as how exactly I should go about winning Lady Daphne’s hand?”
“Like me, she possesses a logical mindset. Like her mama, Daphne has the heart of gold. Treasure her uniqueness and you should succeed.”
“Lord Sumnerson, as you know, detailed plans suit me best.”
“Ah, but when it comes to the matter of love, there rarely is a right or a wrong way to go about things.” Daphne’s father stood and rolled his shoulders. “It’s been an extremely long and trying day, my boy, yet I’m eager to return home and enjoy the best part of my day.”
Ambrose looked up at the man. With a simple shrug and a smile, Lord Sumnerson shed five years. Apparently, the thought of returning to his family reinvigorated his spirits.
