Georgie Lee - Mr Fairclough's Inherited Bride

‘Mrs Wilson, have you had the pleasure of meeting Lady Mary?’ The ladies exchanged greetings before Silas continued. ‘She is one of the most renowned whist players in England.’

Mary threw Silas a questioning look he ignored. He had no idea if she played cards, but this was her entrée into a party. It was up to her to take it and she did. ‘Yes, I’m an excellent player.’

‘Then you must come to my card party Thursday night.’ Mrs Wilson trilled her fingers together in delight. ‘We could do with a little cage rattling of my regular attendees, but I must warn you that we play for higher stakes than most ladies are accustomed to.’

‘Good, it makes the game so much more interesting.’

‘Then I’ll send the invitation tomorrow.’

Before Mrs Wilson could say anything more, Silas politely guided Lady Mary away, in search of their next conquest.

‘I’ll have to practise card games with Mrs Parker before Thursday.’

‘Don’t practise too much. You’ll endear yourself to Mrs Wilson more if you lose to her. For a wealthy woman she’s quite the penny-pincher.’

‘I can feel my pin-money purse growing lighter as we speak.’

The rest of the ball passed in much the same way, with Silas leading Mary from one matron or businessman to another and making the introductions. Some introductions were sedate while others were as outlandish as her ability to play whist. She never objected to any of his more creative introductions, but went along with them, not chiding him afterwards, even when he’d boasted of her having a very distant family connection to Queen Victoria. She craved position as much as he and, like him, she’d welcomed each opportunity he offered to increase hers, meeting every expectation he’d set and amazing him as no other woman had before.

‘For someone who didn’t like gaining attention you picked up on the game very quickly,’ Silas complimented as he escorted Lady Mary through the main hall towards the front door, the large clock at the base of the stairs ringing twice to mark the late hour.

‘I’m a fast learner.’

‘With a very full social calendar.’ So much so that he wondered if she would have time to see him again. The musicians were playing the last song and most of the guests were making their way to their carriages and some much-needed rest after what was for Silas the first ball he’d enjoyed in ages.

‘Did you have a good time, Lady Mary?’ Richard asked when they reached the front hall, Mrs Parker beside them. The matron had proved herself a reliable, respectable and discreet shadow throughout the evening.

‘I had a marvellous time.’ Mary’s excitement was the greatest compliment she could have paid to Silas.

A footman stepped forward with her cloak and Silas took if from the man and held it up for her to slip into. She turned, eyeing him over her shoulder, the scintillating look of experience and mischief making Silas’s hand tighten on the velvet. She’d enjoyed tonight as much as he and regretted parting, too. He set the cloak on her shoulders, resisting the urge to caress the bare skin on the back of her neck with his fingertips, to see her full lips part in surprise at the gesture. He’d proven himself a trustworthy partner tonight. He didn’t wish to scare her off by acting like a cad.

She faced him as she tied the laces of the cloak, the black velvet heightening the flush of her cheeks and the sparkle illuminating her eyes. Silas had never noticed how brown they were until this moment. He couldn’t help but think that with a rich bronze-coloured silk cloak trimmed in white fur she would shine brighter than all the debutantes in their white lace and pink ribbons. She was young and pretty, and although he’d never allowed either of those traits to trick him into a decision before, it was a tempting combination tonight. The businessman in him saw the advantage of the union, while the man in him wanted to taste a little more than her investment potential.

Silas offered her his arm and they walked together behind Mrs Parker and Richard to the carriage. Their breath mingled in small clouds over their heads before disappearing into the dark night. They didn’t speak about the evening, but enjoyed the comfortable quiet of each other’s presence until they reached the carriage. They waited together while Richard and Mrs Parker settled inside, the prospect of bidding her goodnight bothering Silas more than his not having visited the game room to woo investors. When it was at last her turn, Silas handed her in, savouring the weight of her small hand in his and the pressure of it against his palm. Reluctantly, he released her and closed the carriage door, but before he could step back and let it drive away she lowered the window. ‘Thank you for a very interesting evening. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.’

‘Am I seeing you tomorrow?’

‘Most definitely.’ She slid him a sly smile that made his fingers itch to trace her full lips, her confidence as enticing as her dictate. ‘At three, we’re having tea together.’

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper English tea.’

‘Until tomorrow, then.’ With a suggestive nod, she sat back from the window, the faint outline of her in the carriage lantern barely visible as the driver urged the horse into a walk and the carriage rolled away.

With Mary gone, the winter chill settled over him, one her presence beside him this evening had kept at bay. If he went through with this, he would be taking on the responsibilities of a wife and family. He wasn’t adverse to the task for there were hundreds of workers already dependent on him and the Baltimore Southern for their livelihoods. He would never knowingly betray their trust or fail to take care of them, yet he’d failed his family once before. With the bank notes not reaching home he was failing them again. The possibility that Lady Mary might come to rely on him for something he wasn’t capable of giving or ask him to be someone he wasn’t the way his parents had done cemented his feet to the cold pavement. It wasn’t until another carriage pulled up to the kerb and a young couple came forward to climb into it that Silas began the slow walk back inside the Pennimans’ house.

There was no need to worry. During their time together tonight Lady Mary had made it clear that she understood the kind of man he was and his ambitions and desires. She would not look down on his pursuit of business and success the way his father had, but do all she could to help him in his efforts to achieve it.

Back inside the warmth of the Pennimans’ house, Silas greeted a number of his investors with enthusiastic words and smiles, his success surrounding him like the chill of the night. These reminders of his success bolstered his faith in himself and he vowed that even though he’d failed as a son, he would not fail as a husband and some day a father.

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