Page 13 of The Allure Of Lord Devlin
When he arrived back at his house and entered the drawing room, his eyes found her across the room without trying. Her beauty drew his eye, but it was her smile that stole his breath. She was busy talking to Rosemary and Hawthorne, and he bit back his frustration.
He wanted to talk to her. Tomorrow night was the Valentine’s Day ball at Lady Elwood’s mansion in the square. For once, he’d been invited. Devlin wanted to ask if he could escort her to the Valentine’s Day ball. If she agreed, he’d know he still had a chance to win her hand in marriage. If she refused…
Like the weak-willed man he was, he’d simply keep trying.
“Devlin, come talk to your mother.”
He stood torn, wanting to ignore her request and make his way to Dharma’s side, but when his mother patted the seat next to her, he could do nothing other than go to her.
She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for a very enjoyable evening. It was nice to get out of the house and not have society sniggering at me.”
“They are still sniggering, mother, just silently because they know I’ve done nothing to further besmirch the Devlin name, yet I could not prove father was not a traitor.”
“But you are slowly restoring our finances. That’s quite the achievement and when you marry, we should have no more money troubles.” At his silence, she asked, “The mine is productive?”
He had been gifted the mine. It clawed deep in his guts, knowing he’d taken charity from his friends. Charlotte had sold the mine to him for a pound, and then Sin had come on as a partner to invest in the machinery they needed to mine the land. Plus, Sin still refused to take any share of the profit until Devlin had cleared his debts.
It fueled his determination to clear his father's name, thus vindicating those who had placed so much faith and trust in him. But his pride was taking a beating. Then to hear his mother talk about marrying for money…
“The mine is more than I’d hoped for.”
“But you think it’s charity?” He sighed and hung his head. “Everyone in life needs help sometimes. Look at your father. If he’d let those of us close to him help, he might have lived a good life. Don’t let pride blind you to those who love and support you. We need each other. Do you think Sin would stand back and let you lose everything? Would you let him, if the situation were reversed?”
“I would help him. It’s still hard to accept such help, and now you are pushing me to marry Lady Dharma for her dowry.”
“Oh, no. Not for her dowry. Her dowry is the bonus. Marrying Dharma is for you. She’s the woman you need by your side and I think, if you’d let go of the past, you’d see that.”
“Please don’t interfere, mother.”
“I’m just trying to help. Any progress there? I heard Fencourt is sniffing around Dharma. She is a beauty, I’ll give you that. Which means, as the daughter of an Earl with a large dowry, she’ll have many admirers. Don’t wait too long.”
He wasn’t about to tell his mother she was not ready to hear his proposal. “So, what do I offer? She already thinks I’m interested because of her dowry.”
“So, prove her wrong by giving her the one thing all women want. Your heart. Don’t let what happened with Marigold Sumner keep you from giving all of yourself. You’re a fine man, and any young lady would be lucky to have you as a husband.”
“You have to say that. You’re my mother.”
“True. But I’ve watched you turn into a fine young man who has wasted too much of his life chasing after your father’s ghost. How do you ever prove a lie? Give it up, my son. Live your life. That’s what your father would have wanted. He would be proud of you.”
He’d told himself that so often, but someone had to have started the rumor. Someone had to be pointing to his father to protect themselves. It had cost his father his life. The family was facing an ongoing scandal, so his father sacrificed himself by letting himself be shot. But it had not saved them, anyway. Society never forgets, and certainly never forgives, it would appear.
His mother sighed and patted his hand. “Rosemary and Hawthorne make a lovely couple and it is an excellent match. However, his father will oppose it. What if he cuts him off? We cannot afford to carry Hawthorne until he comes into his title and lands.”
His mother was correct. It was the biggest concern. Would Hawthorne be prepared to alienate his father, and if it was true love and he did, it would mean another couple to house and feed. Thank God for his tin mine.
But it would also mean he needed to marry for money. Just what Dharma accused him of.
“It’s too early to say what will happen, mother. I’m just worried Rosemary will get hurt.”
“I have hope. Tonight was a sign Hawthorne has a backbone and honor.”
“Honor is sometimes not enough, mother.” If it was, his family would have been forgiven by now.
Before he could gather himself, his mother called across to Dharma. “Come converse with me, my girl. I want to hear all about how our new duchess is faring.”
Could his mother be more obvious? In one command, she’d made it possible for Hawthorne and Rosemary to have a private conversation and she’d brought Dharma to his side. Now was his chance…
Once Dharma had settled in the chair next to his mother, she asked with a sly smile, “I heard Her Grace has been a little unwell, especially in the morning.”
