Page 41 of Oddity of the Ton
“You oughtn’t speak of Juliette in such a manner,” Miss Howard said. “I often behave a little…eccentrically. Juliette’s merely concerned for how my behavior might reflect on the family.”
“You mean how it might affectherprospects.”
“Please don’t speak of her so unjustly, Your Grace.”
Ye gods—even after the behavior he’d witnessed on the part of Miss Howard’s sister, she still rose to defend her! The maid was right. Miss Howard deserved to be loved—even if he wasn’t the man to do the loving.
More’s the pity.
Ignoring the voice in his head, he took her hand.
“Would you be averse to remaining engaged until the end of the Season?” he asked. “I’ll behave properly, of course.”
“Behave properly?”
Devil’s toes—must he spell it out?
“I’ll”—he hesitated—“remain faithful. It’s the only way to convince my circle of the authenticity of the betrothal.”
“You mean you’ll not ask anyone else to marry you while we’re betrothed?”
Bugger.Hewouldhave to spell it out.
“What I mean is I’ll not lie with another woman until our betrothal is at an end.”
“Oh.” She blushed and lowered her gaze. Her lack of understanding of the world and its euphemisms reminded him of a child. Yet he could see in her eyes a sharp intelligence.
She was the most contradictory woman. Plain and uninteresting from a distance, but up close, she intrigued him with her intense expression. She seemed shy to the point of agony, but the brief moments when she’d looked into his eyes, the directness of her gaze threatened to tear away the armor he’d secured around his soul.
“I have no right to ask,” he said, “but I would like you to consider my request.”
“No,” she said, and his heart sank.
But he’d acted like an utter cad—what else could he have expected?
“You have no right to ask,” she continued. “But I’ll help you nonetheless.”
He took her hands. “Miss Howard—you’ll have no cause to regret it. And when our agreement comes to an end, I’ll make sure you emerge with your reputation enhanced. The world will believe thatIhave wrongedyou.”
“Very well.”
He kissed her hands, and caught his breath at the tiny pulse of need.
“What can I do in return?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You needn’t trouble yourself.”
“Is therenothingyou wish for?”
She opened her mouth as if to reply, then closed it again.
“Eleanor?” Improper it might be, but he relished the feel of her name on his lips. “There must besomething, even if you don’t believe I can give it to you.”
“There are many things I wish for,” she said, “but nobody can give them to me.”
“Give me leave to try.”
“Very well,” she said. “For one thing, I’d like to fit in.”
