Christine Merrill - Paying the Virgin's Price

Stephen had been there as well, of course. Once, they had been as alike as brothers. He forced the thoughts out of his head. With nostalgia would come sympathy and regret. And after that:weakness and fear. He could not afford to feel for the man who wished his destruction. Stephen Hebden had died in a foundling-home fire. And Stephano Beshaley was a bastard Gypsy changeling, who had turned on them the minute he had a chance.

And the man who had once been Nathan Wardale would not let himself be ruled by curses and grudges and superstitious nonsense any more than he had already. The Carlows would be no more happy to see him than he would be to go to them. But he did not wish them a visit from the Gypsy, now that Stephano had taken it into his head to resurrect the past and deliver vengeance where none was deserved.

Nate dressed carefully, as anyone might when visiting the heir to an earldom, and tucked the length of silk rope and its accusing knot into the pocket of his coat.

Diana Price resisted the urge to place her head in her hands and weep in frustration. The Carlow daughters were pleasant, and she viewed them more as friends than a responsibility. But some days her job as their companion was not an easy one. ‘You will have to choose someone, Verity. The whole point of the Season is to find an appropriate match. It makes no sense to reject the entire field of suitors, before the rush is truly underway.’

She would have called the look on Verity’s face a pout, had the girl been prone to such. ‘I know what the point of coming to London was, Diana. But I had hoped that if Honoria would take care of the obligation and find herself a husband, then you would all leave off bothering me. Do you think Marc will force me to marry this year, even when I can see already that none of the available suitors are likely to suit?’

‘Your brother will do nothing of the kind, Verity. But if you claim that none of the gentlemen in London suit you, then you are far too selective.’

‘Only yesterday, Diana, you were criticizing Honoria for not being selective enough.’

‘Because she was not. It does not pay to encourage the advances of every man who shows an interest, Particularly not when you are as lovely as Honoria.’

Verity gave her an arch look. ‘And since I am not, I will be forced to marry a man who I do not love, just because he has offered?’

Diana reached out to hug the girl, who was quite as lovely as her sister, even though she lacked the older girl’s confidence. ‘That is not what I mean at all, dear one. It is simply that I do not wish you to discount gentlemen without giving them a fair hearing. You are young, yet. Though you might think that infatuation is the most important thing, it is not.’

‘And you, Diana, are not so old that you should confuse the words love and infatuation. They sound nothing alike.’

‘In tone, perhaps not. But when they are felt in a young heart, they can be easily confused. I am sure if you are given time, you will discover that there are much more important factors to consider when accepting an offer.’

Verity sighed. ‘Like money, I suppose.’

‘While it is nice, I doubt you will need to concern yourself with the wealth of your suitors.’ Any fortune hunters would have a hard time getting close, as long as Diana watched carefully. ‘I am thinking more of kindness, stability, common sense…’

Verity rolled her eyes. ‘All characteristics that can be gained with advanced age, I am sure.’

‘It is not necessary, or even advisable, for a husband to be quite so young as his wife. In some cases, it might be better for a wiser man to—’

‘Ugh.’Verity put her hands over her ears. ‘Do not talk to me further about the need to find a sensible old man to offset my youth and inexperience.’

‘Not old certainly, but—’

And now, Verity was shaking her head. ‘If that is the sort of man you wish for, then you had best find him for yourself. But as for me, I will choose in my own good time. Even if he is rash or foolish, if he loves me, I will accept him. We will learn moderation together.’

Diana sighed. The conversation was ending as it had several times before, with Verity stubbornly convinced that when it came for her, love would conquer all. In Diana’s experience, love was rarely a successful combatant against an uneven temper or an irregular income. ‘In any case, it is not something we need worry about today. If you find someone this Season who interests you—’

‘Which I shall not.’

‘—we will discuss his qualities before you make a decision. For now, it will please your father to hear that you are dancing and laughing, even if he is too ill to watch you.’

Verity sighed. ‘And there you have me, Diana. You know I will not refuse, if it is so important to the family. As long as I do not have to tie myself to that odious Alexander Veryan, just to make you all content. I swear, he is the biggest bore alive. The last time we danced, he trod on my toes half the night, while making sheep’s eyes.’

Diana smiled in sympathy, thinking of the rather awkward young man and his pitiful attempts to capture Verity’s affection. ‘Your father would welcome a connection to the Veryan family, but respectability is not the only quality to seek in a husband. I am sure, if we put our heads together, we will find you a more suitable beau than young Alex.’

There was a quiet knock upon the door of the dressing room, and a maid entered. ‘Miss Verity, there is a gentleman here. He wishes to speak with your brothers. But neither is home, nor expected. And Miss Honoria is…’ The servant paused respectfully.

‘Indisposed.’Verity looked helplessly in Diana’s direction. They both knew that Honoria, who had none of Verity’s reticence on the subject of marriage, had been up most of the night at a rout, dancing until nearly dawn. It would be quite beyond her to greet a visitor until noon, if then. ‘I am hardly dressed to entertain. But I will come as soon as I am able. In the meantime, Diana, could you?’

Stall, while the girl finished her morning chocolate? It was full on ten o’clock, and Diana Price had been up for hours. She could hardly blame the Carlow girls for sleeping late. But she still found it vaguely annoying when the girls’ suitors chose to arrive before lunch. With the men from the house, it left Diana in the awkward position of disappointing them. Until the girls had shown an attachment to any of the young men they had met, it would do the gentlemen little good to appeal to their older brothers on the subject.

She straightened her rather severe dress and put on her best chaperone’s frown. ‘I will see what it is about, Verity. If it is urgent, I will call for you. But if I do not, you may come down in your own good time. It serves the man right for arriving at this hour.’

Her friend gave her a relieved smile. ‘Thank you, Diana. I don’t know what I would do without you.’

She turned and walked out of the room and down the stairs to the salon. But the man waiting there came as a surprise to her, for he was a stranger. Her first impression was that he was far too old to be the usual post-ball suitor. His hair had not a touch of youthful colour left; It was a striking silver-grey. But on closer inspection, she could see that his back was straight, his skin tanned but smooth, and his green eyes had the clarity, if not of youth, then of a reasonable adulthood.

Physically, he was not much beyond her own twenty-seven years. But there was a quality in those eyes that spoke to her. They had seen much, and not all of it had been pleasant. But whatever hardship he had seen did not seem to have broken him. There was a solidness about him, as though he were made of stronger stuff than most men. With his striking appearance, it seemed to her as though an ordinarily handsome man had been cast as a statue, with burnished metal for hair and skin, and glittering gems for eyes.