“But…” Lady Elkins followed them over to the seating arrangement and lowered herself to one of the armchairs.
She waited for her husband to join them while Blayne adjusted his position. The delicate piece of furniture creaked beneath his weight as he did his best to get comfortable in the snug space. He’d apparently failed to consider the sofa’s narrowness, which was suddenly near impossible to ignore since it forced his thigh to press against Miss Russell’s.
“Not to sound unappreciative of our daughter’s fine qualities,” Lady Elkins continued once her husband had claimed the other armchair, “but she spent six years on the marriage mart without acquiring a single suitor and now, all of a sudden, she has two.” The woman wore a perplexed expression. “Mr. Cooper makes sense of course. He’s acquainted with my husband and believes the match would be beneficial to both families, but you…I mean, what exactly are you hoping to gain from marrying her? If it is her dowry you’re after, you ought to know it will be withdrawn if her father and I disapprove of the match.”
“My dear Lady Elkins,” Blayne said in the same tone he’d used to intimidate cutthroats in the past. He clasped Miss Russell’s hand, anchoring himself to her so he wouldn’t leap out of his seat and strangle her mother right then and there. “As we’ve already established, I have no interest in yer money, or yer daughter’s for that matter. In fact, the only thing I care about is her and her happiness, or did ye miss the part where I told ye I love her?”
“I don’t—”
“Here’s what matters,” Blayne said, cutting Lord Elkins off. “I will continue to court yer daughter until she and I have decided upon a date for the wedding. Once we do, ye’re welcome to participate in the planning of said event, if ye wish. Should ye choose not to, ye’ll simply receive an invitation – one I hope ye will choose to accept since I’m sure yer daughter would like ye to. Now, as far as my ability to provide for Miss Russell goes, my annual income of three hundred pounds may not be as much as ye’d hoped for, but I doubt it’s as little as ye feared.”
“It’s certainly not in the same league as Mr. Cooper’s fortune,” Lord Elkins muttered, “but you’re right. It’s not as bad as I would have guessed based on...” He made a gesture with his hand as if to indicate Blayne’s overall appearance.
“As I’ve explained, my current work forces me to dress a certain way in order to blend in. However, I do believe that will soon change as I’m getting closer to finding the proof required to bring these men to justice.”
“I see,” Lord Elkins said.
“So with all of this taken into account, will you give us your blessing?” Miss Russell asked with renewed forcefulness to her voice.
Her hand, warm and delicate, was still wrapped in Blayne’s and for some absurd reason, he was reluctant to let go.
“Not yet,” Lord Elkins said after a moment’s reflection. “I absolutely must insist you give Mr. Cooper a chance, Charlotte.”
Miss Russell stiffened. “Papa, I cannot pretend an interest where there is none.”
“I am not asking you to,” Lord Elkins said, “but I will be damned if I convince a man to cross the Atlantic for you just to have you snub him before he’s even arrived.”
Blayne had to admit the man had a point.
“Honestly, I don’t see why I should have to suffer the repercussion of your mistake,” Miss Russell told her father.
Apparently, she’d found her inner warrior again. Blayne was almost tempted to cheer. Instead, he decided to end this discussion before the viscount became more difficult. “Ye mustnae fault yer father for doing what he believes would be in yer best interest, lass.”
“Hmm?”
Blayne chuckled lightly on account of Miss Russell’s confused expression. There was something immensely satisfying about surprising her for a change. “Being courteous toward Mr. Cooper and making him feel welcome after he’s travelled halfway around the world to meet ye ought not be too much to ask.”
“He might be awful,” Miss Russell muttered.
“I’m sure yer father wouldnae want such a man for a son-in-law,” Blayne told her, but just to be certain, he eyed Lord Elkins. “I trust ye’ve met him?”
“Of course. I’d never invest in a business without having met its owner.”
Interesting how that sentence said nothing about never thinking of asking the fellow to marry his daughter without having seen him first.
“And?” Miss Russell asked. Apparently she’d been so overwrought by the mere idea of marrying a stranger she’d forgotten to ask a few pertinent questions.
“He’s a little taller than you, though not as tall as Mr. Wright. His build is slimmer and I’d peg him at roughly thirty years of age.”
Miss Russell blew out a breath. “Fine. I shall give Mr. Cooper the chance he deserves. But only if Mr. Wright is given the same consideration.”
Blayne blinked. What the hell was she trying to accomplish now?
“In other words,” Miss Russell continued, “if you invite Mr. Cooper for dinner, you must invite Mr. Wright as well. The same goes for balls and soirees. If any such events must be attended, I want Mr. Wright there with me.”
“Um… Balls and soirees are nae really my thing,” Blayne said with rising dread. In her dogged attempt to thwart her parents Miss Russell was dragging him further into a situation he had to avoid at all cost. And he, imbecile that he was, had enabled her to do so because of some misplaced desire he had to help her. It had to stop now.
“I completely agree with you, Charlotte,” Lord Elkins said with a smirk. “Mr. Wright must be included in all our coming arrangements. After all, it’s only fair he be given a chance to prove his own worth. An equal advantage, so to speak.”
Without needing to look at Miss Russell, Blayne sensed her unease. It was the sort he’d encountered dozens of times before when someone had been backed into a corner of their own making. He stared at her father. The cunning man was clearly hoping to make a fool out of Blayne, to prove to his daughter that he wouldn’t do as her husband. Judging from his satisfied expression, he already envisioned Mr. Cooper behaving with elegant grace while Blayne stumbled his way through social etiquette.
A struggle ensued within Blayne. On one hand he knew what he had to do if he wished to stay hidden, but on the other, he’d love nothing more than to put Lord Elkins in his place.
Helping Miss Russell avoid the bonds of marriage would also be damn rewarding. Not only because he believed every person deserved the right to choose their own fate, but because he genuinely liked her. In spite of her somewhat underhanded method, he admired her for trying to forge her own path – for her willingness to openly oppose her parents’ wishes in her own little battle for justice. In his estimation, most young ladies would have lacked the strength to try. Besides, her initial reason for hiring him had been for the sake of protection. Perhaps then, this was how he ought to assist – by stepping up and keeping her safe not only from thugs when she travelled the City, but also from those who wished to control her.
He considered Lady Elkins for a moment. The woman was watching him with a knowing gleam in her eyes. Like her husband, she expected him to back away from the challenge they’d issued. His gut clenched as it always did at the thought of stepping out of the shadows and walking into the light. After all, he’d been hiding for nineteen years – so long he barely recalled who he’d been before that. And while he knew being introduced at ton events would make him look over his shoulder, the truth was the risk of discovery was minimal. Especially since he would be using yet another assumed name.