Chapter 1 #2
“Alright.” Giles shrugged. “Perhaps it is what it looks like, then. But I swear I’m not stealing. I have every intention of paying this back. It’s just a bit of an emergency.”
Ash merely raised a brow and waited.
Giles blew out a defeated sigh. He was going to have to share the whole story.
So much for having enough time to get back.
“I went to a masquerade in search of some… company. Unfortunately, the woman who lured me away from the ballroom, wasn’t a widow, as I had assumed.
And to make things worse, her father walked in on us. ”
“In flagrante?”
“No. No!” Giles shook his head for emphasis. “I wouldn’t do that, Ash. I might be a fool, but I’m not a debaucher. You wouldn’t have me here if I was.”
Ash inclined his head. “And what do you need the money for?”
“The father is demanding it as recompense.”
“How much?”
He didn’t even want to say it out loud because it was a ridiculous amount of money. “One hundred pounds.”
“One hundred pounds? And you’re just going to pay him?”
“There’s not a good alternative, Ash.”
“And what if you didn’t have somewhere that you could simply help yourself to that kind of money?”
“I suppose I’d be marrying her.”
“Have you considered that he might be using his daughter in order to extort money out of unsuspecting rich men?”
“I think he probably is, but what would you have me do? Abscond with her and bring her here?”
“Absolutely not. This isn’t my blunder. This is your mess to clean up. Just remember what we do here.”
“Are you suggesting I marry her?”
“I’m not suggesting you do anything.” He held out his hand. With a sigh, Giles gave him the money, but Ash shook his head. “Not the money, Giles. I need your keys.”
The words struck him with the force of a sledgehammer. He shook his head. “I swear I am going to pay it back, Ash.”
“I think you probably are. That’s the only reason you’re still upright and I’m not immediately expelling you from our partnership.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we’ll discuss it as a group. But right now, I need your keys, and security will not let you in again until Thursday’s meeting.”
This couldn’t be happening. He needed this place. These men. The purpose it all brought to his life. Slowly, he pulled the ring of keys from his pocket and placed them in Ash’s hand.
“I’m sorry, Ash.”
He held out the money. “You’d better take this.”
“Will it make any difference if I say no?”
Ash shook his head. “I’m afraid that ship has already sailed.”
With a defeated sigh, he took the money.
“I believe you said you were in a hurry.” Ash stepped aside and gestured to the door with his cane.
This couldn’t be happening. A ringing in his ears drowned out every other sound as the cab carried him back to Lady Hempsted’s. He couldn’t lose his partnership. He couldn’t. There had to be some way to right what he’d done. Some way to earn their forgiveness.
That bloody woman and her father had cost him his keys, and quite possibly his partnership. Maybe he’d shove the money down Mr. Pelham’s throat so he could choke on it.
Remember what we do here.
If he paid the extortion and abandoned her to her father’s schemes, there’d be no redemption for him. To be a part of their group, he had to be better than that. Dread cinched around his stomach and he nearly retched.
He was going to have to marry her.
“Do you think he’ll be back, Papa? It’s been more than two hours.” Christina pressed a hand against her stomach where butterflies danced. They needed this money.
“Oh, he’ll be back. He was the perfect choice tonight. You did well.”
If only she could be so confident. They’d been standing in the back garden for what felt like forever. But finally, the gate opened and he stepped through. Thank God.
“Ah, Mr. Henderson. It’s about time you made it back. Your tardiness will cost you another twenty pounds.”
“Actually, I won’t be paying you anything.” He paused just long enough for one slow blink. “I’ve decided I’ll marry her.”
Christina’s lungs froze, shock making her mute as she stared at the man. No one had ever chosen that option. It wasn’t even supposed to be an option.
“And what if I don’t want you to marry her? You said yourself that you’re a scoundrel.”
“And you said, I pay you one hundred pounds or I marry her, and I am not going to pay.” The man shrugged one shoulder smugly. His voice was utterly emotionless, while her pulse hammered wildly.
They’d gotten too greedy. “He didn’t even touch me, Papa. Perhaps you could accept a lower amount?” He had to pay. It was the only thing keeping them afloat.
“Very well,” her father said grumpily. “Fifty pounds, in addition to the ten you already paid, and I’ll keep your dissolute behavior to myself.”
The man shook his head. “Not only are you going to give your blessing to our betrothal, but you’re going to provide a wedding and a dowry, or I will tell everyone in that ballroom about your little scheme, and you’ll never be able to do it again. Oh, and I’ll have my ten pounds back, as well.”
Christina felt the color drain from her face. This couldn’t be happening.
Her father was flustered. Even in darkness his flush was visible, as was his rapid breathing. He needed this money. Desperately.
“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Henderson. I’ll keep the ten pounds and let it pass this time.” With a huff, her father grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the gate, but the man stepped in front of him and blocked their path.
“That wasn’t what I agreed to.”
“You’re not going to marry her.”
He shrugged once more and strode for the house.
He was going to ruin her. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening right now. “W-wait!” she called out desperately.
“Quiet!” her father spat.
The man stopped. “One last chance.” He held out his hand.
Her father’s fists were white, and he looked on the verge of apoplexy. With a grunt, he relented, pulling the money from his pocket and shoving it into the man’s hand. “There. You’ve got your money back. Now why don’t we both just call it a night?”
“That wasn’t what I agreed to.”
“You’ll not marry my daughter.”
“It’s your choice, old chap.” One more irritating shrug, and he strode for the house.
She had to stop him, but her father gripped her arm.
“We’re going home.” He dragged her through the back gate.
“But he’s going to ruin me, Papa.”
“No he isn’t. He’s bluffing.”
But what if he wasn’t?
It was a short walk to their own townhouse, but by the time she closed the door to her bedroom, one thing was clear: whether he ruined her or not, this life was unsustainable. Eventually, she would not be able to bring in enough money to keep the creditors at bay.
The only alternative left would be to marry her father’s cousin. Anything had to be better than that.
Mr. Henderson had insisted on marrying her, even after getting his money back. Was it possible he actually was honorable and not the scoundrel he’d purported to be? Perhaps. He was the only man who had ever chosen marriage. All the others had begrudgingly paid the money.
But would Mr. Henderson really marry her?
She went to the armoire and threw clothes into her valise. There was only one way to find out. And, scoundrel or not, what did she have to lose?