Chapter Eleven
Jack looked momentarily stunned; then a fierce glower descended on his features. Lia couldn’t blame him. After all, introducing her into polite society to find a husband was even more demented than Granny’s idea to make her over into a courtesan.
“I beg your pardon?” he said in a frosty voice to Dominic.
The magistrate gave him a genial smile. “I’d be happy to repeat it if you didn’t hear me the first time.”
Jack set his teacup down with a decided clunk. The amber brew sloshed from the cup into the dish beneath it. “I heard. I merely couldn’t believe my ears.” His narrowed gaze shifted to Lia. “This mad scheme wasn’t your idea, was it?”
His dismissive attitude sent her already volatile emotions careening in the opposite direction. “I suppose you can’t imagine any respectable man wishing to marry me,” she said tartly. “It’s obviously entirely outside the realm of human possibility, given my background and my lurid stage debut.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him.
When Jack’s gaze flickered down to her bodice, she hastily uncrossed her arms and pressed her fists in her lap. When he looked back up, there was a slight flush glazing his high cheekbones.
“Don’t be silly, Lia,” he said in a milder tone. “Your stage appearance was ill-advised and a bit provocative, but there was nothing truly lurid about it.”
“You didn’t seem to think that the other night at the theater.”
He blew out a long breath, as if trying to find patience in some deep well and pull it to the surface. “I’ll grant you I was upset, but it wasn’t your fault. Your mother and stepfather should have known better than to expose you so publicly.”
“They didn’t force me, Jack. I did it willingly.” That wasn’t quite true, at least when it came to the breeches role. But she had done what was necessary and she refused to regret it. “Besides, a dedicated actress must be willing to make sacrifices for her art.”
“Good God, is that what you call it? Now get this through your head right this minute, my girl,” he said, looming close. “Your acting days are over, and that’s that.”
She whipped up a finger and jabbed it toward his nose. “Now, you listen to me, Jack Easton—”
He grabbed her hand. “I would be most grateful if you would cease jabbing me in the nose, the chest, or anywhere else.”
She wrenched her finger from his grip. “I can think of a certain portion of your anatomy I’d like to give a good poke right at this moment.”
Jack’s mouth dropped open and Chloe let out a startled squeak. Dominic’s eyebrows lifted in mild shock.
“For heaven’s sake, I meant his backside,” Lia said as her face heated.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d given him a boot in the posterior. That had been when she was thirteen. Granny had finally allowed her to let her skirts down and put her hair up, mostly because Lia had been pestering her for weeks. Jack had come to take her fishing in the pond at Stonefell, and he’d teased her rather mercilessly about her new, ostensibly grown-up appearance. Though it had all been in fun, she’d been devastated that he still saw her as a little girl. After one flourishing bow too many, she’d dashed behind him, planted her foot, and given him a good shove.
Jack had gone flying into the pond, fishing tackle and all. He’d surfaced a few seconds later, spluttering and stunned. Lia was stunned, too, and horrified that she’d lost her temper. When she started babbling an apology, extending a hand to help pull him out, Jack had burst into laughter. He’d then taken her hand and pulled her into the pond. Lia had been torn between outrage over the destruction of her new coiffure and amusement over the silliness of it all. One look at Jack’s gleeful, sopping face and laughter had won out. They’d dripped their way back to Bluebell Cottage, once more the best of friends.
Jack’s dark eyes sparked with reluctant humor. “It wouldn’t be the first time, would it, old girl? Please accept my abject apology, Lia. I obviously lost my manners.”
She wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive him. “You certainly did,” she grumbled.
“But he seems to have recovered them quite nicely,” Dominic said. “So perhaps we might discuss the situation with just a little less heat.”
“And fewer threats,” Chloe added.
“I’m frequently forced to threaten Jack,” Lia said. “He won’t listen to me unless I do.”
“I do listen to you,” he said, his voice now gone almost somber. “I may not always agree with what you have to say, but I do listen.”
“Blast,” she said. “Now you’re just trying to make me feel like a wretch. It’s too bad of you, Jack. I have enough to worry about without you heaping guilt on my poor head.”
“If I didn’t make you feel guilty, you’d never listen to me.”
“Nicely done,” she said with reluctant admiration. “I think you’ve won this round.”
“It’s not a boxing match,” he said, “and I have no desire to win anything. I simply want you to return to Stonefell to your grandmother. I promise all will be well if you do.”
She took in the stubborn expression on his handsome face and struggled for patience. He meant well, but she suspected his blasted male pride was now involved, too. It was difficult for him to accept that he couldn’t afford to take care of her. “That’s no solution, Jack. You know the reason for that better than anyone.”
“I don’t,” Dominic said. “Perhaps you could explain it to me.”
Lia had all but forgotten that Dominic and Chloe were in the room. “Well, it’s a bit difficult to explain.” It was also embarrassing.
Jack grimaced. “It’s a rather private conversation, best discussed only with family.”
“But we are Lia’s family now, my lord,” Chloe pointed out. “Or have you forgotten that?”
He gave his hostess a rueful smile. “I walked right into that one. But it doesn’t make me any less responsible for Lia’s welfare.”
“Jack,” Lia said quietly, hating to point out the obvious, “you are my dearest friend, but you are not family.”
“Thank you for the reminder,” he said. “But in every way that matters, I am your family. I cannot believe you would think otherwise.”
He hid it well, but she caught the whisper of hurt in his dry tone. She wrinkled her nose in a silent apology. Still, it was time Jack realized once and for all that he was no longer responsible for her future.
“Lia’s brother now has a greater claim to protecting her,” Dominic said. “Although it’s to your credit that you wish to do so.”
“Captain Endicott is not here, so I hardly think that applies,” Jack said. “The fact remains that the best course of action for Lia is to return to Stonefell, where everything will remain as it always has been.”
“No, no, and no,” Lia said through gritted teeth.
Chloe’s puzzled expression cleared. “You’re worried about what will happen when Lord Lendale brings home a wife, aren’t you?”
Lia nodded, relieved that her aunt had guessed it. “It would be rather awkward, you must admit.”
“Indeed it would,” Chloe said. “The future Lady Lendale would have to be exceedingly tolerant. To have not one but two Notorious Kincaids living down the lane would test any newly married young woman.”
“To repeat, there is nothing at all notorious about Lia,” Jack said, clearly annoyed by Chloe’s blunt assessment. “And Rebecca is in her sixties. Her past is ancient history.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Dominic said. “No one can deny that your uncle installed Rebecca Kincaid as his mistress on his estate. Because of your close association with the family, it seemed natural to you. But no one else will think so, especially not the parents of any respectable young lady you should wish to marry.”
“With someone as pretty as Lia in residence,” Chloe added, “no wife in her right mind would put up with such a state of affairs. She would be bound to think she was your mistress.”
“I’ve been telling Jack that for weeks,” Lia said. “But he refuses to admit to the realities of the situation.”
The high color on Jack’s cheekbones signaled how embarrassed—and annoyed—he was by the frank conversation. “It’s nobody’s business who I allow to live on my estate. And it’s your home, Lia.”
She reached over and took his hand, wriggling her fingers between his. He resisted for a moment, but finally returned her clasp. “Jack, you are the soul of generosity, but you know how important it is for you to marry well, especially given Stonefell’s wretched finances. You can’t afford to have me hanging about like an old piece of fish that’s gone bad. All of the tenant farmers and most of the villagers are depending on you.”
The idea of Jack wed to someone else made her feel positively ill, but she refused to be selfish. He needed to make a good marriage and she could not be an impediment to him achieving that.
He snatched his hand away. “May I just say that this is one of the most awkward conversations I’ve ever had?”
“You may,” Dominic said. “But it is informative for all that. I was aware that your uncle was rather lax in his financial affairs, but I hadn’t realized matters had grown desperate.”
“I’m sure I’ll be able to turn things around in no time,” Jack said stiffly.
Lia nodded. “Certainly, if you find a rich wife. You should be spending your time courting eligible girls on the marriage mart, not worrying about me. I’ll be fine.”
“And that brings us back to our original discussion,” Dominic said. “Our plan to introduce Lia into society. The best thing for her is to find a suitable husband who will value her many fine qualities and—”
“Overlook my many flaws?” Lia finished in a wry tone.
“You have no flaws, my love,” Chloe said. “Only a few minor obstacles to overcome.”
Jack’s eyes all but popped out of his skull. “You’re even more unrealistic than I am if you think Lia can waltz into a ballroom and not be ripped to shreds by the gossips. All the rakes and scoundrels will hunt her like jackals after wounded prey. I will not allow you to subject her to so ugly a fate.”
Lia had been about to object to the scheme on exactly the same horrid grounds before Jack had knocked her off course with his overbearing intervention.
“Do you truly think I would allow my wife’s niece to be ripped to shreds?” Dominic asked, staring Jack down. “Or that I would allow anyone less than respectable to even talk to her?”
“Of course not,” Jack said tightly. “But you can’t be with her twenty-four hours a day. And even you can’t stop the gossips, Sir Dominic. Not even the king is that powerful.”
“Sadly true,” Chloe said with a sigh. “In fact, the king’s sons generate some of the most salacious gossip in Town, as we are all painfully aware. As much as I hate to admit it, his lordship is not wrong to point out the challenges involved in finding Lia an acceptable husband. It won’t be easy.”
“Especially after my rather unfortunate theatrical debut,” Lia said.
“That regrettable incident aside, I’m confident we can rehabilitate your good name,” Dominic said. “In all other respects, you’ve led an unexceptionable life in the country. No gossip has attached to you personally and your mother has been married these past ten years to a good man who is both respectable and well-regarded.” He smiled at Lia. “Your mother is very popular, my dear. Your relationship with her isn’t all a black mark.”
“It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement either,” Jack said. “You may be able to rehabilitate Lia, though that word should not apply because she doesn’t need rehabilitating.”
She squeezed his hand, silently communicating her gratitude. He flashed her a brief smile.
“But you’re all demented if you think she’s going to catch a wealthy aristocrat or member of the gentry,” he continued. “The chances of a nobleman marrying her—or allowing his heir to marry her—are all but nil. And there would be absolutely no incentive for a younger son to do so either because she has neither a fortune nor a good name to bring to the relationship.”
Lia’s warmer feelings for him disappeared like smoke up a chimney. Unfortunately, she couldn’t argue with his blunt logic.
“Not every man in the Ton needs a wealthy wife,” Chloe pointed out.
“They may not need one, but they usually want one,” Jack bluntly replied. “And they invariably want their wives to come from impeccable backgrounds, usually even better than theirs. We’re all a fat lot of snobs and you know it.”
“Not all of us, but I take your point,” Dominic said. “Lia may do better with the country gentry, especially because she is a country girl herself.”
“Really?” Lia said doubtfully. All the country gentry she knew liked money and status just as much as their counterparts in London.
“Hmm,” Chloe said, resting her chin on the tips of her folded hands. “There are other possibilities we could consider. We know some perfectly respectable families who’ve done very well in trade or made fortunes in India. Who is to say that a wealthy nabob wouldn’t make a fine husband for Lia?”
“You talk about her as if she’s a commodity to be bought and sold,” Jack said in a disgusted tone. “I will not allow Lia to be sold off to the highest bidder like a piece of horseflesh.”
“That’s rather a good description of how the women in my family operate,” Lia said. “We generally have been in the business of buying and selling ourselves.”
Jack looked appalled. “I forbid you to say anything like that ever again, do you hear me? It’s utter nonsense.”
“We’re just exploring options,” Chloe smoothly interjected. “No one will try to force Lia to do anything. We only wish for her happiness.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do,” Lia said. “In fact, you’re all incredibly kind. But I must agree with Jack on this.”
He looked at her with exaggerated surprise. “Wait, I must mark this special occasion in my daybook. Lia Kincaid finally agrees with me.”
“Idiot,” she muttered.
Dominic studied her for a few moments with an uncomfortably penetrating gaze. “I feel confident we can overcome any obstacles of significance, my dear. But only if you truly wish to succeed.”
And that was the crux of the matter. Lia knew enough about the marriage mart to see what a gruesome exercise it would likely be. “I . . . I’m not sure,” she said, hedging. “It sounds as if it won’t be very pleasant, to be honest. I’m not sure I want to bother.”
“Right,” Jack said. “You will return to Stonefell—at least until your brother is back in England,” he added, anticipating her objection. “Then you can decide what you wish to do.”
She chewed that over for a few seconds before glancing at Dominic. “Do you know when Captain Endicott will be returning?”
“It’s rather up in the air, given the situation in Vienna,” he said regretfully. “Probably not for some months.”
Drat. Their proposed solutions contained too many unknown variables. Besides, there was Granny to think of. It would be too much to ask a half brother she’d never met to take on supporting both of them for months, if not years.
The discussion brought her back to the one place she hadn’t wanted to go—the place that now began to seem ordained. She finally let out the weary sigh that had been building up behind her breastbone, seemingly for days. “There is still one other option. It is probably the most realistic one, under the circumstances.”
“And that is?” Dominic asked with a pleasant smile.
“I could start looking for a protector.”
Dominic’s face went blank.
Lia shrugged. “It is the family business, after all. Both Granny and my mother think I might have better success at it than anything else.”
Jack clamped a large hand around her arm. “We have been over this already and I believe I expressly forbade you to raise the issue again,” he gritted out.
She yanked her arm away, increasingly irritated with his tendency to order her about. “I will do exactly what I want, when I want. And if I wish to take a protector, I will bloody well do it.”
His gaze practically scorched her. “Don’t push me, Lia. I assure you the result will not be pretty.”
Too annoyed to be rational, she did the one thing that used to drive him around the twist when they were children. She stuck her tongue out at him.
He stared at her in disbelief. A moment later, his features went hard with masculine determination. “Right,” he said, standing up. “You and I are going somewhere private to sort this out, and then you’ll be packing your bags for Stonefell.”
“No, I will not.”
“Nor will she be embarking on a mad scheme to become a courtesan,” Dominic said, giving her an intimidating glower. “There will be no more nonsense of that sort from you, niece. I absolutely forbid it.”
Lia gaped at him, surprised at the change in his normally calm behavior.
Chloe put down her teacup and rose, regarding her husband with gentle disappointment. “I forbid you to raise your voice to Lia, my dear. Really, Dominic, what can you be thinking?”
He winced a little. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice, but you must admit—”
“I admit nothing of the sort.” His wife ruthlessly turned her back on him to face Jack. “As for you, Lord Lendale, I expected better from you. Badgering Lia is unacceptable. Why, look how flushed she is. You’ve obviously upset her greatly and I only hope she doesn’t suffer a relapse.”
Lia wouldn’t relapse, though she appreciated her aunt’s tactics.
“Well, confound it, Lady Hunter,” Jack said, looking shamefaced, “someone’s got to talk sense into the girl.”
“Chloe, perhaps you can explain to Lia why her idea is so foolhardy?” Dominic said.
She took Lia’s arm and drew her up. “I will do no such thing. In fact, I think Lia’s idea has a great deal of merit.”
That shocked everyone into silence for several seconds, the men clearly stupefied by Chloe’s assertion.
“Ah, you do?” Lia finally managed.
Her aunt nodded. “As you said, you don’t have many options, so we might as well explore all of them. Why don’t you and I go up to your room and have a nice, rational discussion without any more nonsensical interference from the men?”
She didn’t resist when Chloe led her toward the door, although she threw a glance over her shoulder at Jack. He looked as if someone had dropped a cannonball on his head.
Once they’d left the room and started up the stairs, Lia cleared her throat. “You don’t really believe I should become a courtesan, do you?”
Chloe grinned. “Of course not. Nor will it be necessary.”
“Then why did you say it was a good idea?”
Her aunt stopped on the landing, one step above her. “Because it’s clear to me that Jack Easton is in love with you. It’s also clear he has yet to realize it, the poor man. So we’ve got to make him figure it out, and then we can proceed from there.”
For an alarming moment the stairs seemed to tilt under Lia’s feet and she found herself clutching the banister with both hands.
Jack Easton, in love with me?
How in God’s name had Chloe arrived at such a bizarre conclusion? The notion that Jack might be in love with her was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. After all, he’d all but fainted when she’d kissed him in the library at Stonefell, and he’d been an absolute crab with her ever since arriving in London. His actions certainly didn’t strike her as those of a man in the throes of love or even passion—quite the opposite, in fact.
As Lia marshaled her scattered wits, her aunt regarded her with inimitable calm. One could almost imagine she’d just delivered a casual comment about the latest fashion in bonnets instead of turning the world on its head.
She finally found her voice. “I don’t believe that’s true, Aunt Chloe. Jack’s very fond of me and of course he’s protective, but—”
“He’s in love with you,” Chloe said firmly. She took Lia’s hand and pulled her the rest of the way up the stairs. “But as I said, he’s not fully aware of it yet. So we’ve got to give him a nudge.”
Lia drifted down the hall after her aunt, too dazed to feel the floorboards under her feet. “And pretending to become a courtesan will make Jack realize he’s, ah, in love with me?”
Chloe flashed a brilliant smile as she opened the door to Lia’s room. “We’ve got to start somewhere, dear, don’t we?”