Page 31 of A Viscount's Stolen Fortune

* * *

“Alice, you have a visitor.”

Alice looked up from where she had been reading.

“Father?”

“A gentleman has come to call on you, Alice. Adisgracedgentleman, I might add.”

“You mean Lord Foster?” A little surprised that the gentleman had decided to call upon her at her father’s house, Alice rose from her chair. “Thank you for telling me. I shall go to him at once.”

Lord Blackford put out one hand as she made her way to the door.

“You shall never be permitted to take up with such a fellow.” His eyes narrowed as Alice looked up at him, defiance building a fortress in her chest. “He is a gentleman disgraced. Thetonrejects him. You must do the same.”

“I have already accepted his offer, father,” she told him plainly. “I am sure news of it is already spreading through thetonand I have no intention of turning my back on the gentleman.” This was not the entirety of the truth, for as yet, they had not made any plan as to when they might decide to betrothe themselves to each other, but given that it was soon to take place, she had no reason to keep such a thing back from her father. “We are betrothed, and I will marry him.”

Immediately, Lord Blackford’s hand reached out and grasped her arm tightly, tugging her forward. When she looked up at him, her father’s face was dark with anger, but Alice herself felt no fear. No doubt a good deal of her father’s anger came from the fact that he was no longer able to have control over the situation, as he had expected. His attempts to send her to be a companion to his elderly sister would be flouted.

“You cannot have accepted him. I did not give you my permission.”

“You did, Father.” Alice stepped back so that his hand was forced to fall back to his side. “You stated that I should have to find myself a husband by the end of the Season and that is precisely what I have done. Lord Foster fully intends to marry me, and the date will be set soon enough.”

Her father let out a furious exclamation, but he did not appear to know what to say. His eyes were wide as he stared at her, but Alice merely looked back at him. She was not about to be pulled from Lord Foster now.

“Our family will be disgraced.” Lord Blackford’s voice was low. “Your sister will be touched by your disregard for her and her situation. She will not be able to make as good a match, for no one will want to align themselves with you and Lord Foster, given his utter poverty and foolish character.”

“And yet you have not asked her to consider me and my circumstances,” Alice retorted, her hands going to her hips as sudden anger flared. “I have never been a consideration of yours, nor of Mama’s, nor of my sister’s. I shall marry whomever I wish. I shall not be a companion to my aunt, for I wish more than that for myself. I may end up in poverty, but if I do not wed him, then I shall be nothing more than a companion, unable to spend a single moment of my life as my own. Therefore, Father, I will go to Lord Foster, and I will sit with him. And when he suggests a date for our marriage, I shall stand up beside him and take him as my husband, just as you instructed me to do.”

So saying, Alice strode from the dining room and made her way directly to the drawing room, where Lord Foster would be waiting. She did not like having to speak so harshly, but she was not about to permit her father to stand between herself and Lord Foster. Whether or not it would disgrace her family, she did not care. The only thing that mattered at present was her situation and her future with Lord Foster. Her anger began to fade as she approached the drawing room. Taking a moment, she settled her hand on the doorknob, drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and forced a smile to her lips.

“Lord Foster.” Pushing open the door, she stepped inside, closing it behind her when she saw a maid in the corner of the room. “I think you received my note then?”

To her utter surprise, she found herself pulled into Lord Foster’s arms at the next moment. His face was in her neck, his hot breath rushing across her skin as she stood there, frozen in place by the whirling emotions that suddenly captured her. There was no anger anymore. There was only shock, astonishment, wonder… and a slow burning desire for more.

“I have been out of my mind with worry.” Lord Foster did not let her go. “I thought they had taken you.” Another gentle breath seared her skin and Alice closed her eyes. She had never been this close to a gentleman, had never felt such burning emotions sweeping through her, coursing through her veins, demanding every part of her. “When I returned from searching for you, I discovered your note. You cannot know how much relief I felt.”

Pulling back just a little, Alice quickly realized that Lord Foster was wearing the same clothes that she had seen him in last evening.

“You… you have been looking for me all night?”

Lord Foster nodded, the paleness of his face telling her that he spoke the truth.

“I did not hear you leave. When I came out from my hiding place, I thought you would still be there. The fear that took me when I discovered that you were gone….” One hand lifted to cup her face gently. “Forgive me for coming here. I did not know what else to do. Ihadto see your face.”

“It is quite all right.” Her breathless voice betrayed the swirling desire growing within her. “Only my father is at home, and I believe he is now coming to terms with the fact that his daughter is soon to be wed to a poverty-stricken gentleman.” She smiled, trying to make light of the situation so that she would not betray herself. “He will not be able to refuse.”

“I feel as though I wanted to ask you at this very moment whether or not you will marry me.” Lord Foster smiled and shook his head, his hand dropping from her cheek. “Are we from this moment betrothed? For my own self, I think it would be best.”

Reminding herself that this was nothing but a practical arrangement, Alice smiled at him.

“If you still wish it to be so.”

“I wish for nothing else.” His gentleness of expression brought her almost to tears and the warmth in his smile sent her heart whirling. The very next moment, however, Lord Foster stepped away, put his hands behind his back and looked away from her. “Then we are betrothed.”

“We are.”

“Good.” Clearing his throat, he turned his head to rest his gaze on hers. “You say that you have found something important?”

---