A Lady by Midnight (Spindle Cove #3)(20)

She needed an ally. But him?

“You’re honestly suggesting we pretend to be engaged? You. And me.”

He frowned. “I don’t do playacting, Miss Taylor. There’d be nothing pretend about it. I’m proposing a real betrothal, so that I can offer you real protection. As soon as your situation is more certain, you can release me.”

“Release you,” she echoed.

“From the engagement. A lady can break an engagement at any time, and her reputation suffers no ill effects. If you’re proved to be a Gramercy, no one would expect you to go through with marrying me.”

“And if I’m not proved to be a Gramercy?”

His brow quirked. “No one would expect you to go through with it then, either.”

She supposed they wouldn’t. As all of Spindle Cove knew, she and Thorne were the social equivalent of oil and water. They didn’t mix.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, searching his hard expression for clues. “Why do you care?”

“Why do I—” With a gruff sigh, he released her. “It’s my duty to look out for you, Miss Taylor. In the next fortnight I’ll be seeing Lord Rycliff about my honorable discharge. If I’ve just handed his wife’s closest friend to the custody of questionable strangers, he might not look so favorably on my request.”

“Oh,” she said. “I see. That does make sense.”

Well, at least his stone-hearted, emotionless response was a touch of the familiar.

“I’m sorry,” she said, turning to the Gramercys. “I should have mentioned the engagement earlier.” She reached for Thorne’s hand and tried to gaze affectionately into his eyes. “It’s only so new. We haven’t even had time to tell our friends, have we . . .” Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn’t even know his Christian name.

Use a pet name, she told herself. An endearment. Dear, darling, sweetheart, pet, love. Anything.

“ . . . have we, Cuddles?” she finished, smiling sweetly.

Ah. Now there was a crack in the ice sheeting those blue eyes. His grip tensed around her palm. Kate felt oddly comforted by these overt signs of his annoyance. Somehow, needling him made this all seem normal again.

Lord Drewe stood tall in the center of the room, radiating nobility and command. “Here is what will happen.”

And Kate had sudden, complete confidence that whatever Lord Drewe said next would indeed happen. Even if he announced that spice drops would rain from the sky.

“Miss Taylor, I can see that we’re rushing you. You have this midsummer fair in the offing, personal affairs to attend. And naturally, you’re reluctant to leave when you’re so newly betrothed.”

She leaned into Thorne’s arm. “Yes, of course.”

“Obviously, we can’t ask you to leave Spindle Cove at this time.”

She exhaled with relief. Thank goodness. Lord Drewe was a clear-headed man, and he understood. He would return with his family to Ambervale, undertake his investigations, and notify her of the result. In writing, perhaps, rather than with a midnight visit.

“You’re busy,” Lord Drewe went on, “whereas we are merely on holiday. But there’s no reason we can’t spend our holiday here.”

Kate swallowed hard. “Y-You mean to stay here in Spindle Cove? In the Queen’s Ruby? All of you?”

“Is there some other inn in the village?”

She shook her head. “But this one doesn’t accept male guests.”

Lord Drewe shrugged. “I noticed a tavern across the green. Surely the proprietor has a room or two for let. I don’t require anything special.”

Oh, of course not. You’re only a marquess.

This was an unforeseen complication. It was one thing to tell these people she was engaged to Thorne, and another thing altogether to live so here, in Spindle Cove.

Heavens. No one in the village would believe it.

Drewe said, “I’ll speak with Mrs. Nichols about securing rooms for the ladies, and I’ll send the coaches for our things straightaway.”

“Surely this isn’t necessary,” Kate said.

“Holidays rarely are,” said Aunt Marmoset. “That’s the beauty of them, dear.”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“It’s no inconvenience. Spindle Cove is a seaside resort for unconventional ladies, isn’t it?” Lord Drewe spread his hands, indicating his sisters and aunt. “I happen to have three highly unconventional ladies in tow, all of whom will be glad for the amusement. As for myself, I conduct all my affairs through correspondence. I can do that from anywhere.”

“I’m dying to see the fair,” Lark said.

“A little sea-bathing would set me up nicely,” said Aunt Marmoset.

“I’m quite keen on the idea of a stay in Spinster Cove,” said Harry, tugging her waistcoat straight as she rose from her chair. “It will make Ames deliciously jealous.”

“So you see, Miss Taylor, it’s ideal. This way, we needn’t take you from your friends, but we’ll have ample time to grow acquainted.”

“Yes, about that . . .” Kate bit her lip. “This is a small village. Might I ask that we keep this potential kinship to ourselves? I should hope to keep speculation and gossip to a minimum, in case . . . in case it all comes to naught.”