He had much to gain from their union if a union did occur. “Would you mind terribly if I took some time to think about it?” she asked him, needing for him to get away from her so that she could order her thoughts.
His eyes brightened, and he jumped up from his chair. “Not at all. Of course, you must think about it. It is a rather large decision.” He clapped his hands together. “I shall leave you to rest. Take as much time as you need, Jane.” He gave her another smile before he left, and Jane sat on her own, relieved he was gone, but her mind even more mixed up than before. Something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure just what. However, she needed to find out.
Chapter 40
Edward rubbed his hands together as he walked down the stairs. He was all alone, so he could smile as big as he wished. He could feel how close he was. He had not expected Jane to say ‘yes’ right away, but he had not expected her to say she wanted to think about it either. That was promising.
His plans were working perfectly, and her falling and having to be carried away in his arms had only been a bonus to his plans. All he needed now was to wait a few days, at least. Once Jane saw how much gossip was spreading around about the scandal, she would certainly fall into his arms, ready to take him up on his offer to be her hero and save her.
Feeling confident, Edward went to the sitting room and penned a letter to a friend. He had made no plans of leaving the Barnett household, and Lady Barnett had told him he must stay to comfort Jane and do whatever he wished. He's asked the friend to come and visit, to play a little billiard together.
Half an hour later, the friend was there. They had only recently made one another's acquaintance, at White’s, and they got along perfectly. Lord Percival Ballentine was his name, and he understood Edward’s desires, although Edward had not stated his plans so plainly.
“Your turn,” Lord Ballentine said, and Edward put down his whisky before he made his shot.
He sunk the ball into the hole, and he hit another one. When that one did not go in, Ballentine picked up his cue and leaned over the table.
One of the reasons he and Lord Ballentine had connected was that the young man was also the heir to his father's title, but had no money to his name. He had to gamble in order to get some money, and Edward could not wait to tell him all that had happened. He needed someone to appreciate his brilliance, and perhaps it would encourage Lord Ballentine to do the same to help his own cause.
“I have something to tell you, my friend, and you will be rather proud of me. You should consider doing it for yourself.”
“What do you speak of?” Lord Ballentine asked, finishing his shot and taking a sip from his glass, watching Edward with an amused look.
Edward chuckled. He wandered about the table, seeking the best angle. “All this gossip that's going around at the moment, all the scandal about Lady Jane and Lord Baldwin and Lady Delilah, is all my doing.”
Both Lord Ballentine’s brows lifted, and he let out a laugh. “Is that so? Whatever for? Is it all false, and did you make it up?”
“No, in fact. Lord Balwood’s poor financial state is true, and so that only adds power to the scandal that I've spread.” He covered the end of his pool cue with chalk, a smile on his face. “It is all perfectly true. I overheard him as well, telling the truth about his real interest in Jane, and it lies in the pecuniary fashion.”
“I see,” Lord Ballentine said, crossing his arms and leaning a hip against the table. “I was surprised to hear about that. A duke’s son caught up in doing such a thing? Such a respectable family, or so I thought. So how does the scandal help you?”
“As we have both shared, my friend, our financial states are in a less than ideal situation. I have the title, but none of the fortune. But I have been such a soothing soul to Jane during her time with this scandal. Not only that, but I rescued her last evening when she fell at the ball and hit her head.”
“Ah yes, I remember there being quite a stir.”
Edward’s eyes gleamed. “I've just proposed to her upstairs.” He put a hand to his chest and bowed a little. “The cousin, desperate to help his relative in a time of need.”
“I am very confident that she will see the scandal is far too much for her to weather on her own as a single woman. Especially now that she cannot have Lord Balwood. Who would want the scamp after what he had done? She will accept me; I am certain of it. It will take a few days at most.”
“You are certainly confident, my lord,” Ballentine said, turning to pour himself another whiskey.
“One must be in these kinds of situations. I have waited long enough to get what is mine and what should have been my father’s.” Edward leaned over and took his shot. “But you will think me even more brilliant when I tell you just how far I went to complete the plan.”
“Go on then.” It was Ballentine’s turn to take a shot, and he put a bit of chalk at the top of his stick.
“Well. I happen to know that a young Lady Delilah had nearly been engaged to Lord Balwood a couple of years ago. Something happened, something that put Lady Delilah in a sort of compromising position. She left London, but now she's returned. I've seen the way she's looked at Lord Baldwin. When I spoke to her, I found out she has plans to get him to marry her again. We shared a little of our mutual interests, and I told her I could help her.
We wrote a little note to her on the evening of the ball, pretending to be from Lord Balwood, asking her to meet on the balcony. It all worked perfectly, you see. She took the chance to go and meet him when he stepped outside, and at that moment, Jane found them in a compromising position as well as many others.
That had not even been the plan for Jane to see them! But now, I'm certain they will be forced to wed if you've seen the scandal sheets this morning. Now Lord Balwood cannot fight for Jane. I have handled everything.”
Lord Ballentine clapped a few times. “Well done, my friend, but you still have not secured the engagement. We will have to see, and then I will agree to take your advice and find a little something of my own in that regard.”
“You will be the first to know, and the first to receive the invitation.”
“Excellent,” Lord Ballentine said with a chuckle. “Now, I suppose we ought to finish this game, for in your distraction, with all your smugness, I believe that I am winning.”
“Hardly,” Edward said with a smile, returning his gaze to the table.
