He did not heed the temptation to let his eyes linger anywhere save her face, giving only a cursory glance to her white gown and the delicately shaped body hidden beneath it. She was like a statue of Aphrodite with slender and softly sloping curves.
“Lady Tabitha,” he said.
It was unsettling how beautiful she was, and his reaction to her was—
Unwelcome. Unfathomable.
He dropped her hand and stepped back as soon as he could without appearing impolite.
“Now that we are all present, shall we discuss the terms of the engagement?” Matthew’s mother asked.
“That is why they are here,” Matthew said.
Lady Tabitha winced, and Matthew suspected the words had emerged more sharply than he intended. He did not startle her, though. Perhaps, if he made a poor enough impression, Lady Tabitha would abandon the idea of an engagement. Just because Matthew had agreed to indulge his mother’s suggestion at marriage did not mean that Lady Tabitha would comply. Perhaps he could warn her off before this whole mess became the knowledge of the ton.
And if not, at least he would not have to endure the guilt of having convinced Lady Tabitha that he was charming. She would know that he was cold, harsh, and disinterested from the start. They would have an honest marriage if nothing else.
“Right,” his mother said, rallying quickly. “It is such an exciting occasion! Why wait to discuss it?”
Matthew sat beside his mother, forcing away a grimace. His mother had a true talent for turning even the most impolite gesture into something polite and gracious. If the subject had not been his own marriage, Matthew would have likely been impressed with how well she had escaped the potentially uncomfortable situation.
“Yes,” Lord Mayhew said, “particularly given the … unique situation we find ourselves in.”
Unique situation? Matthew raised an eyebrow.
No one had told him about any unique situation. He glanced at Lady Tabitha, but she seemed to consciously avoid his gaze.
“Indeed,” Matthew’s mother said. “I am sorry about that, of course, but it does seem as though it presents us with a suitably advantageous arrangement.”
Matthew turned towards his mother, but she showed no inclination to clarify anything for him. Perhaps this was his own folly. He had remained uninterested while his mother arranged all this, and if he had been even slightly involved, he likely would not have found himself seated in this room, entirely at a loss.
“This is true,” Lord Mayhew said. “Do you find the dowry acceptable?”
The Dowager Duchess smiled. “What did you think, Your Grace?”
Matthew nodded. “It is adequate.”
He did not know the dowry, but he was sure his mother would not have agreed to this unless the sum were substantial. She was a shrewd and powerful negotiator, and had she been born a man, Matthew strongly suspected that his mother would have created the largest business empire in the world.
“Good,” Lord Mayhew said, sounding uncertain by Matthew’s lukewarm acceptance of the dowry. “And once the engagement is announced, I am assuming that two weeks’ time for the wedding would be acceptable?”
At this, Lady Tabitha seemed to tense a little. She had not said a word since their greeting. Matthew wondered if her silence reflected a lack of interest in marrying him. Perhaps she was unwilling to wed and agreed only to please her mother and father. Or because of that unique situation. Matthew frowned. What could that be? The situation could surely not be so terrible; he could not imagine his mother agreeing to this marriage if it were.
“What do you think?” his mother asked. “You would be wed by mid-May. That is a marvellous time to be married. Is it not?”
Matthew’s heart sank. He felt as if they were all holding their breaths and waiting for an answer, and worse, he could not even fault them for that. While this was an arduous arrangement to him, one which he would rather not be involved in, Lord and Lady Mayhew were about to wed their only child to him. This meant everything to them.
He wanted to refuse, but he knew that his mother would be displeased. Matthew had also given her his word that he would seriously consider this match, and he would not be able to live with his own conscience if he did not earnestly try to make this arrangement work.
“Yes,” Matthew replied. “It sounds agreeable.”
If only Howell had found something! Then, Matthew would have been able to end this all in an instant.
“Good,” Lord Mayhew said, sounding relieved. “We are very glad to hear that you find our beloved Tabby Cat an acceptable match. It brings great comfort to us knowing that she has such a good man as a husband.”
A good man, by which Lord Mayhew meant, a wealthy husband.
“I will take excellent care of your daughter,” Matthew said. “I am certain that she will make a splendid duchess.”
