Neddie. What a boyish name for the elderly earl.
“Mr. Healey is convinced I wish to marry Neddie for his fortune. Which is ridiculous. He had the audacity to ask if Emerson would be providing a dowry. Can you imagine? At my age? I told him that was not the case. Nor did he need concern himself that I would produce an heir for Kenebruke and usurp his position.” She gave a rueful laugh.
“All things considered, Jordan probably would provide you a dowry should you require one.” Her brother adored Aunt Lottie. They all did. “He can certainly afford to do so.”
“Lovely boy. My Neddie would never allow it.”
“When will you be wed?”
“At our age it is best not to wait too long. I’ll send a note to Odessa in the morning. Once she and Emerson return from Rivercrest, he and I will be wed. Quietly. I can’t have him changing his mind.”
“I find that unlikely, Aunt Lottie. I have seen you together.”
“Neddie doesn’t want us apart any longer. I had to force him back to his own home once he escorted me here.” She leaned into Aurora with a wink. “However, I will not do so tomorrow evening.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Aurora inhaled andexhaled as the dowager duchess had instructed her, carefully pacing out each breath as Mr. Healey strode into the drawing room. She’d considered refusing to see him after Holly announced he had come to call, but Aurora decided he was owed an explanation when she broke off their courtship. Not only had she realized that no amount of kissing would cause her to fall in love with Healey, but there was also the matter of Aunt Lottie. His treatment of Aurora’s chaperone told her everything she needed to know about his character.
Frankly, Mr. Healey would not suit.
“Lady Aurora.”
“Mr. Healey.”
He awkwardly took a seat across from her. “I should explain my sudden absence at the Travers’ ball. My departure was rather sudden given circumstances beyond my control, still, I should have sent word to you.”
“I was perfectly fine in the company of the Dowager Duchess of Ware.” Aurora wasn’t certain why she felt the need to remind Healey of her association with Ware’s mother, but she thought it necessary.
“Miss Maplehurst resides here so I am certain you were appraised of the events which occurred after I left the terrace at the Travers’ ball. My neglect of you was not intentional. But—as you can imagine, I felt the need to come to my uncle’s aid.”
Aurora blamed Worth for sending Healey in the direction of the parlor and for angering the younger man with thinly veiled innuendo involving Kenebruke. But even if Worth had said nothing, she sensed that Healey’s reaction would have been much the same.
“Was calling Miss Maplehurst an elderly lightskirt and implying her interest in Lord Kenebruke to be merely of a financial nature how you offered assistance?” Aunt Lottie hadn’t told Aurora, out of embarrassment, most likely. But the dowager duchess had no such reservation.
The tips of Healey’s ears pinked. The features she’d once found so appealing darkened. “I stand by my opinion. I have considered for some time how Lord Emerson could allow her to act as your chaperone.”
Aurora inhaled through her nose. Slowly. Counted to ten. “The affection between Miss Maplehurst and Lord Kenebruke stretches back four decades,” Aurora murmured. “Their association is not sudden or recent. Nor unexpected. A less scandalous conclusion to their relationship would have come sooner if not for your interference.”
“My interference?” Healey sat back in the chair, anger clouding his features. “I sought to protect my uncle from a woman who does not have his best interests at heart. He is frail in both mind and body.”
Aurora made a piffing sound.
“Her dubious attentions would have only hasten his demise. You cannot possibly comprehend—”
“You kept them apart,” Aurora bit out. “Deliberately. Knowing how deeply your uncle cared for her, and she him. If he had expired from his illness, he would have done so not knowing of her affection for him, which I assure you, is deep and abiding. Is that assisting your uncle or controlling him? I hadn’tthought you capable of such deceit, but now I wonder what other meddling you’ve done in your uncle’s affairs.”
Healey glared at her, all pretense of politeness having disappeared during Aurora’s tirade. “I should have known that would be your opinion.” His tone was laden with accusation. “I had reservations about you from the moment we met, but overlooked each one.”
“How kind of you.”
“Given who you are—”
“Who I am?” Aurora interrupted. This discussion wasn’t going at all as she’d imagined.
“A Sinclair. I have ignored certain aspects of your personality until now, but unless drastic measures are taken to mitigate your future behavior, we cannot wed.” He lifted his chin. “As an example, a lady should not throw themselves at a gentleman. You practically begged me to take liberties. Kissing me like some—” He stopped, his lips pulling tight. “It is not the manner of a well-bred lady, nor in a woman who is my wife.”
“Well, then it is a good thing I don’t intend to be yours.” Aurora was so bloody incensed, she stopped short of throwing a pillow at his condescending head. How dare he insult her and her family?
