Page 33 of My Hellion, My Heart
Irina knew well the reason they, in addition to the handful of unfamiliar gentlemen who had avidly noted her arrival, sought to meet her. She blinked, but nodded gracefully as they each took her hand. “A pleasure,” she murmured and then practically shoved Max in front of her. “Are you acquainted with Lord Remi?”
The rest of the introductions and pleasantries faded into background noise as Irina sensed rather than saw Henry’s approach. It was odd how aware she was of him, but then again, it had always been that way. She’d always known the minute he arrived at Marsden Hall in Cumbria as if they’d been somehow tethered to each other. She drew in a harassed breath, her fingers tightening on her fan as they stopped to greet the two gentlemen she’d just met.
Irina wished to press backward, against the wall. Into the wallpaper, even. But she could not avoid the crescendo of voices that heralded the couple’s arrival. And so she stood, her back ramrod straight, and looked Lord Langlevit and Lady Carmichael straight in the eye to offer her congratulations. Though Henry was unsmiling and his face unreadable, the force of his presence was magnetic. And Gwen was right—Lady Carmichael was as she expected. Beautiful and poised. Perfect in every way.
As greetings were made and felicitations exchanged, Irina heard none of it, even though she smiled and nodded at all the right places. When they moved past to greet the other arrivals, she felt Henry’s gaze linger on her for a prolonged moment, but Irina refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she laughed brightly at something Gwen said, her body aching slightly as he drew away.
Good. That’s over and done with, she told herself firmly, draining the contents of her champagne glass. Ignoring Lords Loftham and Moveton who kept darting hopeful glances in her direction, she linked her hand into Max’s and smiled brightly. “Shall we dance?”
“But of course,” he replied with a jaunty wink. “I am at my lady’s disposal.”
Irina smirked at her friend, her sadness fading. “Is that the line that usually works for you?”
“No, darling, I usually add ‘in the bedchamber’ at the end. Never fails.”
She chucked him in the arm. “You are incorrigible.”
As they strolled toward the ballroom, stopping to greet people they knew, several other young gentlemen surrounded them, each vying for a space on her dance card. Irina knew her catapulting popularity was only because of the wagers, but she vowed to make the most of the rest of the season. She would wear the mask and play the part of the lofty, untouchable princess, and then she would return to St. Petersburg to nurse her wounds in private. But first, she would laugh and flirt, and teach these unprincipled, betting gentlemen a lesson.
In hindsight, Max’s idea was brilliant.
Grinning, she tugged on Max’s sleeve and drew him off to the side. “How much is the pot for this Quest for the Queen up to?”
He eyed her. “Nearly forty thousand pounds.”
She stifled a gasp. It was an absurd amount of money. Why, men of solid fortune lived on a fraction of that sum for an entire year. Forty thousand pounds would afford a man a lavish lifestyle for a decade. And the pot was not even yet at its peak.
“How does it work exactly?” she asked, her mind beginning to spin in a new direction.
“A gentleman nominates himself as a contender and places his wager of two thousand pounds. If he wins your hand, he wins the entire pot.” Max lifted an amused eyebrow. “The two bucks falling at your feet a moment ago, Moveton and Loftham, are the latest entrants.”
Two thousand pounds, just for the chance to win her hand. She laughed softly. No. For the chance to win an unrivaled fortune. Irina herself truly had nothing to do with it. No man who entered the competition had done so because they cared for her.
“What is so amusing?” Max asked.
“I will not accept any of them. They must know this,” she said.
There was but one man she wanted to kneel before her, a proposal spilling from his lips. But that proposal, those words she yearned for with a physical ache, had been said to another.
“Why should they know?” Max replied. “Look around us. Every young woman in this room is on the hunt for a husband. The men of this society expect nothing less from a woman.” He lowered his lips closer to her ear so that he could whisper. “They are arrogant enough to believetheyareyourprize, Irina.”
She wanted to laugh at the idea, but couldn’t muster the energy. He was right. The self-important men of thetonwere perfectly content treating marriage as if it were a game to be won. The thought of them cheering for the victor made her cringe. Irina glanced at Max. He’d joked about entering the pot earlier and dashing off to Italy or Greece with the winnings.
“Put your name in,” she said.
Max pulled back and stared at her. “What?”
“There is no one for me,” she went on.Not anymore.“And there is a fortune to be had.”
He stiffened under her hands. “What makes you think I need money?”
Irina shook her head, flustered, and hoping she hadn’t insulted him. “Of course I didn’t mean you need the money, Max. When we win, we’ll donate it to one of the Duke of Bradburne’s children’s hospitals.”
His shoulders softened as he visibly relaxed. “My darling princess, winning involves more than just a betrothal announcement that we can break at a later date. It means taking real vows.”
She stumbled on the next step as a stab of panic hit her in the chest. Marriage vows with Max. Well. She didn’t love him the way she’d thought she loved Henry, and she certainly didn’t have the same attraction to him. He was a friend. The very best of friends. And though he was technically a cousin, they were removed enough to be legally married without contest. As Max righted her step and they continued to dance, Irina realized she would much rather be married to her friend, someone she trusted and liked and could laugh with, than a man who was only out for money and bragging rights.
“It wouldn’t have to be atruemarriage,” she whispered, widening her eyes to make her point without blatantly stating that they would not have to share a marriage bed.
