Selena placed her cup and saucer on the table. “Leonora said that your father arranged a union between you and Leeds?”
Harriet nodded.
“A marriage of convenience, isn’t that how you put it?” Leonora teased. “How did your husband take the news that he was merely convenient?”
Selena tilted her head to the side. “Yes, do tell.”
“He took it...” How to put it? “Like a breeze.”
Leonora laughed. “So well? See, I told you he wasdreamlike.”
“If he is so dreamlike, why didn’t you marry him?”
“Because he didn’t ask formyhand.”
Harriet rolled her eyes heavenward.
“Leonora said there were wagers involved,” Selena said.
“I’m not sure,” Harriet replied. “Leeds mentioned wagers when we first met. Have you heard any rumors circling the gossipmongers?”
“Why don’t you just ask him?” Leonora reached for a cake. “I’m sure he would tell you if you do.”
“I’m not that curious about them. If they even exist.”
“You suspect he lied?” Selena asked, curious.
“At first I was suspicious. But I don’t think he would lie to me.” Since the start, he had been direct in his approach. Quite honestly, she hadn’t thought to ask him again about the wagers. After his declaration to woo her, every time he looked at her hisgaze was full of flames, she’d recall her drunken conversation, and she either fled or became too flustered to think about anything else.
“No, I haven’t heard anything, but I shall keep my ears open. I could ask my brother if you would like?”
Harriet shook her head. “No need.” She still didn’t care about the wagers. What could there be to get excited about? Where there were fortunes to be made, there would surely be wagers to follow.
“Wait,” Leonora said. “You haven’t told ushowyou informed your husband that he entered a marriage of convenience.”
Harriet shrugged. “I locked him out of my chamber.” Well, she’d not wholly succeeded, but that was not the point. The message had been conveyed. And Leeds had respected her decision.Ah, drat.She can’t think about that night without recalling everything else. It seemed like a dream almost. Not only that, but the memory seemed to overlap with a more distant one, one she couldn’t quite grasp yet.
Leonora’s mouth dropped open and her teacup tilted. “So you didn’t actually inform him?”
“I believe she informed him with her actions.” Selena grinned. “Well done.”
“I’m surprised,” Leonora murmured, dabbing at her dress where droplets of tea had spilled in her surprise. “Given that man’s commitment to securing you, I hardly believed he’d leave you such a way out.”
“Leeds, he... he can be as unmovable as a mountain, but he has his moments.” More than she anticipated.
“Have you been peeling some of those layers back?” Leonora asked.
Selena arched an intrigued brow.
“Naturally. My plans haven’t changed.” Though, why did it feel like her husband was the one doing the peeling?
Leonora narrowed her eyes. “Then why do I get the impression that you are preoccupied? Do not tell me Leeds has swayed you before you could discover any of his true motives.” Her smile turned bemused. “I stand by my words.Dreamlike.”
“Of course not!” Was it so easy to see?Not the sway part.She had not been swayed. But the preoccupied part? That much was true. “I’ve been chipping away at his exterior.”
Selena smiled behind her teacup.
“And stop calling my husbanddreamlike.”
