Blinded by Grace: Book Five of the Cotillion Ball series (Crimson Romance) (5 page)

“So that’s why he’s given you no new clothing?”

She placed a hand to her cheek as her coloring rose. “You noticed?” Her voice was a squeak.

“No, not me. I have no head for such things. But Mother and I were talking about you the other morning, and she mentioned it to me.”

“You and your mother talked about me?” Her voice broke as she hung her head, embarrassed and surprised that she had been a part of the conversation at the Fitzpatrick breakfast table. “I apologize for being the topic of your discussion. Yes, he’s made certain I have no new attire. And why I’m limited in terms of social engagements. We do as little as possible socially. Simon’s merely concerned with maintaining appearances, but if any suitor should come my way, Simon has already told me, he’ll not give his approval. So, you see, my hands are quite effectively tied. And by sharing a dance with me, and having others following suit, you only infuriated Simon more, and he cut what limited outings I did have scheduled even further.”

“I see, and I’m sorry if I’ve caused you additional distress. I feel obligated now to help assist you out of your situation. Is there anyone you wish to marry?”

Grace took a deep breath, and moistened her lips with her tongue. “Yes, there is.” Her reply was so soft, she was certain he didn’t hear it.

“Well, then, there’s your answer. Marry the man, despite your stepfather’s wishes. You’re above the age of consent, so you don’t need his approval to wed.”

“My thoughts exactly. It’s the only answer to my dilemma. If Simon gets what he wants, my mother’s life will be no less miserable than it is now. If I can gain control of the trust instead, I’d move us into our own house, and leave Simon to twist in the wind.”

“Well, I’m glad we solved your problem, then. You and your mother both deserve a better life. I don’t know Simon well, but from what little dealings with him I have had, I don’t care for the man.”

He was studying her, waiting for her to rise and end their conversation. But the one favor she had to ask remained. She removed her hand from Halwyn’s and plucked at her handkerchief again before she raised her eyes to him. She was counting on the fact that Halwyn was as calculating in his personal life as he was in business. This was the biggest gamble of her life.

“I’ve given this a great deal of thought, and believe I’ve come up with a sensible plan to go forward. I want to present it to you and get your impressions, see if you can spot any deficiencies. Will you listen to my business proposal with an open mind?”

He stared intently into her eyes. Surely he could see the distress in them, couldn’t he? “What business proposal are you talking about?”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, squeezing them tight.

“Will you marry me, Halwyn?”

Halwyn was glad he was sitting, since he’d just had the rug pulled out from beneath his feet.

“I beg your pardon?” His voice sounded high and nasally, even to him. Grace sat demurely next to him, acting as if her question was not the least bit out of line. She raised her eyes to him, and he caught her determined gaze. A sinking feeling developed in his stomach.

Her tongue darted out quickly to moisten her lips again before she replied. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I want to approach this in a strictly business manner, which I feel you would appreciate. You’re the only man I know well enough to ask this of.”

Halwyn leaned back into his chair as he observed her demeanor. She was calm for the first time since entering the room, as if, now that the elephant she came in with was visible, she could relax. She’d even ceased plucking on the poor, infernal excuse for a handkerchief.

He rose from the chair beside her and moved back behind the desk. He needed to put some space between them as he pondered her proposal. He knit his fingers together, steeple-fashion, and propped his elbows on the desk, peering at her over his clean and buffed fingernails. He hoped his calm outward appearance adequately hid his churning insides. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

She actually bounced in her chair as she faced him directly. “You said your mother wants you to marry this year, and keeps lobbing young ladies at you, much to your dismay. So this plan of mine will have benefit to you as well, Halwyn. What I’m proposing is that we marry, before my birthday. It will, of course, be a marriage of convenience between us. Please don’t think otherwise. I’m not the kind of woman who throws herself at a man. I’ll sign whatever papers are necessary to secure such a liaison. All you’ll need to do is make a show of courting me for a respectable enough time for us to declare we know each other well enough to wed. It makes sense for us both. We share a long friendship, we both love Lord Byron, and I will bring quite a nice dowry into the marriage. To anyone observing us, it will seem like the perfect union. We’ll have the ceremony, which can even be done at the city offices, since I know my stepfather won’t be forthcoming with funds enough to see me properly married.”

She stopped in her monologue long enough to draw in a deep breath. Halwyn was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. It was as if she had a window to his thoughts. Hadn’t he had the same notion about finding a partner without all the machinations of courtship mere evenings ago, in the library of his parents’ home? And hadn’t he given thought to how well Grace would match up with his ideas?

“The way I see it, we can have the ceremony and then, once the trust has transferred to me, we can have the marriage annulled. Of course, we’ll need to take up lodging outside your parents’ house for a short time, for appearances’ sake. But after the annulment, we will go our separate ways.”

She sat back in her chair, then melted into it, it seemed. Almost as if her plan was what had buoyed her up. Her eyes searched his face, for some clue, he guessed, as to what he was feeling.

If he could put a finger on what he was feeling, he’d happily let her know. Outrage? No, not outrage. Surprise? Most definitely. Shock? Again, a yes. Interest? Possibly. It would get his mother off his back this season. And Grace was not hard on the eyes. Yes, he could see spending the season by her side. But for longer than that? He needed time to process this information, to get a gauge of his feelings.

Grace must have seen the glimmer of interest, since she plunged ahead. “What do you think of my idea, Halwyn? Don’t you think it’s the most sensible approach to solve our mutual dilemmas?”

He sat, and thought about the possibilities for a moment. Presented as such, Grace’s idea did have some merit. It was a sensible business plan and it would at least get his mother to leave him alone for the season. He pondered the ramifications, and tried to find flaws in the idea.

“Well, it is an intelligent and well-developed plan; I’ll give you that, Grace. You have a good head for business. But what if some other gentleman, one who’s truly interested in you, comes along this year? I don’t want to tie you up from making a true love match, Grace.”

She sighed. “Don’t you think if a true love interest was going to happen, it would have by now? I’ve been lingering on the cusp of respectable society for three years now, to no avail. Most of the young ladies from the year I was introduced are long since married and well on their way to becoming solid members of society. I’m the only spinster among them.”

He glanced at her. “I don’t understand why, Grace. You’re a lovely young lady.”

She smiled at him for the first time since entering the room. He took in her dark, almost black hair and pale blue eyes. She resembled a princess in one of Saffron’s fairy tales, almost. Somewhere within his body, warmth began to radiate out to his fingers, and he itched to take her hand again. He was fortunate the large desk was between them, a barrier to him carrying out his wild impulse.

“Thank you, Halwyn, for your sentiment. But my clothes are a disaster, and I’m not permitted to say anything about my trust, since Simon fears a fortune hunter will find out about it and come after me. Much as he did with my mother … ”

Halwyn’s heart went out to her. He could not believe someone would be so cruel to this young woman. He imagined one of his sisters in the same predicament, and, in an instant, his mind was made up.

“I can see a few flaws in your proposal, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. First, let me examine the trust document. Perhaps there’s a way it can be amended without employing such an extreme measure.”

Grace stared at him with those big blue eyes. She blew out a small breath. “What if the wording can’t be changed?”

How could he not help her? “Since the wording is what’s tripping things up, I consider it a fault of the bank. We should have caught the abnormality in the first place. As such, I must find another way to fix it, so I’ll agree to your plan only if you concur with my conditions.”

Her eyes sparkled as she focused on him. “What are your conditions?”

“Let’s take this a step at a time. I’ll start off by courting you, and making a show of being serious about furthering our relationship. That will appease my mother, but it will probably torment Simon. Are you prepared for his wrath?”

“Nothing can be more devastating than the hell he’s put Mother and me through for the past year. The odious bully.”

“Well then, you must be properly attired for our upcoming outings, so I want you to visit my sister’s shop and get some new outfits.”

Grace began to voice her objections, but he cut her off. “It will be my treat, so you won’t have to go to Simon for money, thereby tipping your hand too early. And a new wardrobe may have hidden benefits, since it might be all that is needed to entice suitors to you.”

“But, Halwyn, I don’t want to add to your expenses. My wardrobe, as pitiful as it is, should not be your concern.”

“But it’s no burden, since I have some plans for using your services, and your new attire will be adequate compensation.”

Her eyes grew wide as she took in what she thought was his meaning. “Wha? What type of services, Halwyn?” Her voice came out as a little squeak.

He almost smiled, and decided not to prolong having her thoughts venture down such a lascivious road. Even if he did enjoy hearing her little squeaking noise, he would not torment her. “I’m in need of a townhouse of my own, and I’m terrible at assessing houses and all the decorating which will ensue once I find a home. I will enlist your help in finding me a house under the guise that it will be ours when we wed.”

She took in a deep breath as he explained himself. “Oh. All right, it seems a fair exchange. But what about my proposal? Will you consent to marry me by July?”

“If no other man comes into your line of focus by then, and it’s the only way for you to gain control of your trust, of course, Grace, I’ll agree to your idea. Strictly business, though, and it will be dissolved as quickly as possible. However, there’s a rather large stumbling block to your idea of annulment.”

Her eyes darted up to his face, and then back down again. “What do you mean?”

“The very word ‘annulment’ means something never happened. Simon and his attorney friend will come after your money so fast you’ll feel that you were run over by a team of wild horses if we annul the bonds right away. I suggest we stay married for an appropriate amount of time and then divorce. Of course, divorce is a problem, too, but you will at least be a wealthy woman, and money makes society forgive abnormalities. I believe a proper time frame would be a year.”

Grace glanced up from her lap and peered at him. “A year? You mean, we’d live together for a year, under the same roof? Or will you banish me to the countryside for that amount of time, such as English gentlemen do with ladies they’re wed to but don’t want to be with?”

Halwyn chuckled. “I see no reason to do that to you. I’ve lived with sisters my whole life, so sharing living space with you will be no burden. And the townhouse you will help me purchase will be large enough, hopefully, for separate quarters for each of us. Yes, I think this plan might work.”

She pressed her hands together, took a deep breath and then leaned across the desk to shake his hand in a most businesslike manner. “Thank you, Halwyn. I will try very hard to make it so you won’t regret this. Where shall we begin?”

“I’ll stop by Jasmine’s shop later today, since I keep the accounting records for her, and tell her to expect you. I’ll let her know the types of outings I have planned for us, but I’ll leave the details up to the two of you. And I’ll escort you to the annual Haversham ball this weekend. It’s always a big affair, so it will be a perfect time for us to show everyone we are courting. Jasmine can probably have a new dress for you in, say, three days. And, let’s keep the real reason for our marriage a secret. We want to sell Simon on the idea we fell in love instantly, and if my mother were to find out our true reason for this sudden attraction, she would let the cat out of the bag at a truly inappropriate moment. I love my mother dearly, but she does tend to let things slip out when they shouldn’t. In addition to making certain Simon believes in the union, I think it would be better for both of us if society was to believe we fell in love in a heartbeat, once I could see you with my new glasses.”

After a few more details were discussed, Halwyn stood and walked Grace to the door. She quickly sped down the hall and into the bank’s lobby, her scent wafting behind her briefly as she walked. Halwyn’s nose twitched as the lilac water reached him before he turned back to his office. He spied something in the chair where Grace had been sitting and moved to retrieve it.

He stared in confusion at the handkerchief in his hands. It had the Yale College insignia on it. His college. Where, in the name of God, had she gotten a handkerchief such as this? His mind raced back to his college days, and he remembered bringing home trinkets for his family on his first holiday, the handkerchiefs included. He had a vague recollection of giving her one as well when he handed them out to Jasmine and Heather. Only because she was in the same room and he didn’t want her to be left out. But why had she held onto it all these years? He folded the worn handkerchief neatly and placed it into his pocket. He’d return it to her this weekend, when he picked her up for the ball.