Page 110 of A Duchess to Fight For
Now, with his timetable dwindling, he couldn’t afford to wait for Louisa. Blackmailing Percy would do him no good if it took over a month to get her to marry him because of her illness.
Inez was an attractive girl with a large dowry. As far as Harold could tell, she had no gentlemen interested in her.
Harold’s only question was how much, if anything, Percy told Cecil and Kent. It could be more difficult to convince Inez of his sincerity if they knew his motivations.
The other gentleman affected by Louisa’s illness was Barton. He still harboured hope to get Louisa to compromise herself with him, but her illness made Barton rethink his plans. Even if she showed up to ton events a month from now, tricking her into being alone with him would probably be impossible if she were recovering from being ill. She would be watched carefully.
Barton couldn’t afford to have the kind of public display he created when he tried to drag Louisa out to the patio doors at a recent ball. He had to choose his prey and work smart. He only had two criteria. She needed to be beautiful, and she needed to have a sizeable dowry.
They didn’t know it, but both Harold and Barton went into the next ball with the sole goal of identifying a handful of beautiful ladies each with a large dowry. Neither cared about her intelligence level or personality.
Both actively sought women who met their criteria. Each danced every dance while chatting with their women of choice. Before the ball was over, each man had chosen his new bride. Inez Rayburn.
“Inez, I’m not sure either man is right for you. They both have questionable backgrounds. I think you should continue to look.”
“Emma, I’ve been here all season. These men are the only ones who have shown any interest in me. You want me to stand around waiting for someone else to come by?”
Emma put a hand on Inez’s arm. “Yes, I do. We all know what Barton tried to do to Louisa. And Cecil told me Harold wants to find someone quick who has a dowry so he can pay off his debts.
“Do you really want to end up with either of those men?”
“Emma, I appreciate what you’re saying, but I don’t want to be alone. The season is almost over, and I have no prospects.”
Emma smiled. “You have another season in front of you to be unhappy.
“Now, tell me what about each man attracts you.”
Inez thought a moment then said, “Both are very attentive to me. Barton has a better title, more holdings, and a lot of money, according to him. He doesn’t need my dowry.”
Emma highly doubted that was true but kept silent.
“Harold is younger and more handsome, his title isn’t as good, his holdings are considered some of the best in the country, but he doesn’t have money.
“He’s honest about my dowry being a draw but, as he says, there are a lot of ladies in the room with large dowries. He considers it only one factor.”
Emma paused. She said, “If you are considering marriage with one of the two of them, and it is obviously a marriage of convenience, which man would you choose to put up with more? They each offer similar lifestyles for you. What would you like better?”
Inez looked at Emma, confusion on her face. “I’m not sure. They are both nice to me.”
Emma smiled. “Then do yourself a favour and spend time talking to both of them. Once you’ve decided which one you like better, you’ll have your answer.”
Cecil came to stand next to Emma. “I see Inez is dancing with Harold again. Does she like that man?”
Emma shook her head. “Pfft. She doesn’t know what she likes. Harold and Barton are both trying to get her to marry. No one has paid any attention to her all season, and now all of a sudden, these two are all over her.”
“I don’t know, Emma. Those two are sharks, and she’s a goldfish. Does she have any idea what she’s getting herself into?”
“No. None. I tried to talk to her about it, but she won’t listen. She’s determined to make her decision on her own.”
Cecil shook his head. “I wish her luck.”
