Page 30 of He's the One

“Oh yes it does. You’re under my tutelage, though I wonder why I bother. You can’t do this job. You know nothing about insurances needed, licenses, permissions required for a listed building. You show no interest in learning. You have a position to uphold. That was a completely unacceptable way to behave in public and your father will be horrified.”

“Oh, will he? Is that what you’re planning to do? Run off and tell my father. Every opportunity you get to make me look bad, you take it.”

“You make yourself look bad. You only have to open your mouth to let yourself and your family down.”

You sanctimonious…“Let’s see what my father says when I tell him what you—”Shut up!

Dastardly narrowed his eyes. “When you tell him what?”

“Nothing.” Theo stormed off. He had to make sure he had enough evidence to hang Dastardly before he said a word, or the noose would be around his own neck.

By the time he joined Edwina in the drawing room, Theo had calmed down. She handed him a pile of programmes and a stack of leaflets about Asquith, and Theo set to work. In his opinion, this was a waste of time and paper. Those at the auction knew about the house. Why did they need a leaflet about the features and opening times? It was all online.

Theo had just finished with his pile when the door opened and his mother and grandmother came in. Edwina jumped to her feet and gave a small bob. “Good morning, Lady Wetherby, Mrs Chambers.”

“Good morning, Edwina. Would you leave us, please.”

Theo stood up, shivers racing down his spine.Oh God, has Dastardly blabbed already?How bad has he made it sound?

Muttley slotted all the leaflets into a box, including the ones done by Theo, carried it out and closed the door.

Theo sat after his mother and grandmother had taken their seats. He could almost hear his heart pounding.

“The Earl of Ashdown…supper tonight…children…you…”

Theo was so relieved not to hear—what on earth were you doing rolling around in the woods with a man—that he’d struggled to take in what his mother had said.

“Are you listening to me? You’ll be joining us for dinner. We’re eating with the Earl of Ashdown and his family after the promises auction.”

“I’m busy.”

His grandmother snorted.

“Don’t be awkward, Theodore,” snapped his mother.

“I’ve already arranged to go out.”Almost.

“Un-arrange it.”

“I don’t want to.”Oh God, how pathetic did that sound?He should just have saidno.

“There is going to be a match between you and Charlotte whether you like it or not,” said his grandmother.

“No there isn’t.”

His mother glared. “You have no choice in this. You can still… pursue your other interests as long as you do so quietly and privately. That has always been the way with the aristocracy. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t continue. Your father needs an heir and this is the only way it can happen. It’s your duty to this family.”

Theo sank his teeth into his cheeks and pushed to his feet. “I’m not prepared to hide what I am. I won’t marry Charlotte.”

“You ungrateful boy,” his grandmother said.

“What am I supposed to be grateful for?”

His mother scoffed. “A roof over your head. Food in your stomach.”

He walked out with them calling him back. They couldn’t make him marry. They’d have to drug him into saying yes. He flinched as that thought came into his head. No way would they go that far, surely? If they did, he’d have the marriage annulled. He couldn’t think of anything they could do that would persuade him to say yes. Stop his allowance? It was so pathetically small, it hardly mattered. Throw him out? He almost wished they would.

I am not marrying Charlotte!

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