“Aversley must worship his wife,” Simon said.
“He does,” Anne replied. “They came together over a wager between His Grace and my brother-in-law, who is Amelia’s brother.”
“I see,” Simon murmured, moving fully into the room while shutting the door behind him. “What was the wager?”
Anne smiled. “That Aversley could make Amelia, who was a wallflower, into an Incomparable.”
“Foolish man,” Simon said.
“Foolish?” Anne asked, giving him a questioning look.
“Aye.” He nodded and moved closer to Anne but did not take her hand as he wished to. “I’m certain she was already an Incomparable. She has a light in her eyes that is almost as bright as what shines in yers.”
“Did you just call me an Incomparable?” she asked, her smile full and genuine this time.
“Aye, I did. I want ye, Anne.”
“To seduce and ruin?” she said, though her tone was teasing.
“No,” he said, a certainty of what he wanted filling him. “To wed and cherish.”
He was pleased to see her mouth part in shock. Finally, he had struck the daring lady speechless, as she had been doing to him all along.
Anne could hardly believe she had heard Simon correctly. “You wish to wed me?”
He grinned. “Aye, but perhaps I ought to court ye publicly first so there is not any gossip.”
She struggled to repress her urge to throw herself into his arms and simply forget her questions about Ian. Simon had just said he wanted to wed her!
“That is a most enticing offer that I dearly wish to accept.” The undeniable joy that touched Simon’s face warmed her all the way through. “But,” she rushed on, needing and wanting to put Simon’s original plot against her in the past, “why are you business partners with Ian Frazier?”
When shock crossed Simon’s face, uneasiness stirred within Anne. “How did ye know about that?” he asked.
Her uneasiness grew stronger. Dear heavens, had she been wrong about him? But no. She frowned. “Perhaps it’s best if you simply explain. You see, my imagination is on the verge of running quite rampant, and not in a good direction.”
“It is not what ye think,” he said, sounding panicked. “I persuaded him to take me on as his sole lumber supplier for his new railroad so I can raise the price of my lumber so high that he must sell me his company to stay in business.” He paused. “I could not allow him to go unpunished for what he did to ye, Anne.”
A rush of love for him overcame her. She could hardly believe what Simon had done for her.
She rushed to him and threw herself into his arms. He immediately pulled her into his strong embrace and hugged her. She drew back, hoping he would kiss her.
Instead he said, “What do ye know about the gossip column painting me and Rutledge as blackhearted rogues?”
“What?” she gasped. “I don’t read the gossip columns. I had no idea.”
“It was the feature today,” he said. He looked almost amused.
“You find it funny?” she asked, baffled.
“In a way,” he admitted. “Remember when ye said thetonwould overlook yer transgressions because of yer dowry?”
Anne did recall her words and she could not stop her laugher. “I imagine being a wealthy duke is even more enticement for them to look the other way. Whoever wrote that will be livid! I wonder—”
“It was signed,” Simon interrupted her, “the Sisterhood for the Ruination of Rogues.”
Anne felt her mouth part. “Simon!” she exclaimed, aghast. “I’m part of the Sisterhood.”
“I know,” he replied with a smirk.
