Kenneth studied her and considered what she’d just said. Time. She wanted time to find a way out of this marriage that had been forced on her.
An idea began to form in his mind as he reconsidered the conversations he had with his mother and best friend. Society wanted him to have a wife or at least court. Society wanted Joanna to marry. Could it be that, despite their unfortunate meeting the day before, they were in a position to help one another?
Already, in the back of his mind, Kenneth heard his father’s voice chiding him for considering something so reckless. And maybe it was precisely because of the voice that he decided to do what he wanted, for once.
“Lady Joanna, I might have a solution for your problem. Court someone else.”
Joanna looked at him as though he had lost his mind entirely. “Perdition, Your Grace, have you heard anything I said? I cannot.”
“Of course, you can. All you need is to present your father with a higher-ranking gentleman, wealthier and more influential than the Marquess of Worcester. He could not refuse, could he?”
Joanna narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. “My father is friends with Lord Worcester, but evenhecannot deny the draw of a titled, wealthy gentleman as a son-in-law. But the only gentlemen ranking higher than the Marquess are dukes and princes, and I do not know either.” She sighed as if she had already resigned herself to her fate.
“You know one duke,” Kenneth pointed out with a smile, and her eyes grew wide.
“You? You want me to court… you?”
The shock was written all over her face, but Kenneth did not take it personally. He might have reacted the same way.
“You misunderstand. I do not mean a real courtship, but rather a fake one. It would put an end to this arrangement your father has come up with—which would be easy enough, since you are not officially betrothed. And besides, I would not be doing it foryou. I too am under some pressure to marry, and if I claim that I am courting a young lady, at least I might get a few months of peace.”
He shrugged, aware that the plan was rather ludicrous. Surely, she would not agree to it, even if it would help them both. She had made it clear how little she thought of him just the other day. So?—
“I agree,” Joanna said quickly, making his racing thoughts come to an abrupt halt.
“You do?” His tone betrayed his shock.
“Well, you are right. If I tell my father that a duke wishes to court me, he will have to agree to end the arrangement with Lord Worcester. It will allow me to find another solution to my problem. But I want to make one thing clear. I donotwant to marry you.”
Kenneth scoffed. “Good. Because, as I said, I don’t want to marry you either. So, are we in agreement?”
“We are,” she replied in a weary tone, but then she stuck her hand out for a handshake.
Kenneth hesitated but then likewise extended his hand. As his fingers wrapped around hers, he felt a tingle run up his arm.
Her hand felt small in his, and when he looked into her eyes and saw such immense relief, he realized just how troubled this young woman had been. And then, as this sank in, another thought came to him.
He had just tied himself to this woman, who’d done nothing but accost him, and for what? A little bit of freedom from his mother’s harassment?
Kenneth gulped and could not help but wonder. Had he just made a mistake that would come to haunt him?
CHAPTER 5
Joanna entered her father’s dimly lit study, her determined gaze fixed on him. Worn out from the day’s events, Lord Carlisle looked up from the papers on his desk, his eyes narrowing. When he sat back, he crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw set.
“Joanna, there you are. Sit. We have much to discuss. Lord Worcester and I discussed how to proceed, and we thought it best to inform the broadsheets about your courtship and then hold the engagement party next week followed by the reading of the banns.”
Joanna took a deep breath, readying herself for a conversation that would most certainly be highly unpleasant. “Father,” she began, her voice steady. “It is the marriage I have come to speak to you about. There are things I need to say.”
She ground her teeth as she looked at him defiantly. Her hands curled into fists, and she willed herself to be patient and notblurt out the news of her courtship with Kenneth. She could still not believe it.
“I hope you’re not under the impression that forcing me into a marriage with the Marquess is the solution to everything.”
Lord Carlisle sighed, his fatigue evident. “Joanna, my dear, I only want what’s best for you. Marrying the Marquess is good for you. He is a friend of mine, and you know he is a good man. He’s been a wonderful husband to Josephine, and if not for her sudden death, they’d still be happily married.”
Joanna had no desire to speak ill of the Marquess. She knew he was a kind man. During their walk earlier in the day, he’d assured her that he had only the best intentions. Indeed, he had appeared interested in her and wanted to know more about her. But he was older than her father.
She would have loved to have him as a father-in-law, a trusted uncle—anything other than a husband.
