The Earl's Wallflower Bride (4 page)

Iris grimaced. The decision was easy? They
believed she and Lord Steinbeck would ease into marriage quicker
than most couples? Iris opened her mouth to protest, but it was her
father who spoke first.

“As it turns out,” her father began as he
accepted the cup Helena handed him, “the two already know each
other, and despite having a brief courtship, it became apparent
such a union wasn’t ideal.”

“The union will never work,” Iris
emphasized.

“Why is that?” Helena asked, holding the cup
out to her.

Though Iris was in no mood to drink it, she
accepted the tea. “He has no interest in anything I have to say.
Whenever I’ve tried to join in the discussion at his dinner
parties, he ignored me. Both times.”

“He greatly upset her,” her father told
Helena. “I think it’d be best if we could get someone else. Surely,
there must be another gentleman you can find.”

Helena thought over their argument for a long
moment before she shook her head. “There is no one else who comes
even close to a successful match.”

No other gentleman was even close to being
suitable for her? Iris didn’t know if she should scream or cry. As
much as she didn’t want Miss Barlow to be right, she had to admit
the cold, hard truth. She really had no attributes that were worthy
of a gentleman’s attention.

“May I ask what method you use to select the
people you arrange marriages for?” Iris’ father asked.

Helena lowered her cup from her lips and
nodded. “Certainly. We look at what people have in common and what
both wish to get in the marriage. Both Lord Steinbeck and Iris
reported enjoying outdoor activities such as riding horses and, on
occasion, fox hunting. When inside, it seems the choice of activity
is playing cards.”

Helena took a sip then continued, “They also
enjoy talking about money and politics. Lord Steinbeck wants a lady
he can talk to about such things, and more importantly, he wants a
lady who can hold her own in these conversations. He wants someone
who is his equal. Likewise, Iris wants to be respected, and she
wants her opinion to be appreciated.”

“That’s just it,” Iris interrupted. “My
opinion isn’t appreciated because he ignores me whenever I give
it.”

“Maybe that’s because he hasn’t needed to pay
attention to you,” Helena replied. “When he was here, it took some
prompting for us to get to the real reason he wants to marry. I
wouldn’t be so quick to give up on him. He has trouble opening up
to people. Melissa thinks he feels deeply and can be very loyal to
those he cares about, but something in his past has hurt him. He
won’t open up right away. He needs someone patient and honest to
bring him out of his shell. You can give that to him.”

Iris was ready to gag. Since when was it
necessary she give something to that selfish gentleman? Didn’t he
already take enough as it was? “I don’t see how I’ll benefit from
the match,” she said.

“You’re intelligent, strong, and independent.
You are no cowering wallflower. In time, he’ll appreciate that
about you. More than that, he’ll respect you. And I have a feeling
once he respects you, he’ll move heaven and earth to do whatever
you want. Apart, you two have commendable qualities. But together,
you will make a dynamic match.”

Iris couldn’t believe this. She looked at her
father, willing him to argue with her.

But instead, her father asked Helena, “You
really think the two can have that kind of marriage?”

“Yes, I do,” Helena said. “It won’t come
right away. Lord Steinbeck is much too closed off for that. But
that’s why he needs someone who can challenge him. He’ll only be
half a gentleman until he has her. And I think for her, it’s
important she has someone who can love her with everything he has.
One thing I detected about Lord Steinbeck when he was here is that
he needs someone who completes him. He just doesn’t know it.”

“Well, he can find someone else to do all
this for him,” Iris replied. “I’m not going to go through the
hassle of trying to prove I’m worth his time and attention. I’ve
already tried it, and it didn’t work.”

“But it was only at two dinner parties,” her
father argued, “and other people were there to distract him. If you
were alone with him, things might’ve been different.”

“I have no desire to be alone with him,” Iris
said, not liking where this was going.

“Not now,” he allowed. “Which is
understandable. No one can fault you for feeling the way you do.
But the duchess has made some excellent points. Having been married
for twenty-three years, I can see the wisdom in her choice.”

Iris’ jaw dropped. Her father couldn’t be
serious! “This is nonsense,” she sputtered. “Just because we share
mutual interests and he has the potential to be a decent person, it
doesn’t mean he should be my husband.”

He turned his tender gaze to her. “You were
hurt by the way he treated you. I’m not denying that. What he did
was wrong. But, if there will come a day when he’ll treat you the
way Helena thinks he will, then this will be the kind of marriage I
had hoped for you when the Season started.”

“You can’t guarantee that,”
Iris insisted. “
She,
” Iris gestured to Helena, “can’t guarantee that,
either.”

“Granted,” Helena began, “no one can
guarantee anything. But from your answers and the answers Lord
Steinbeck provided, you have the best potential of having a love
match with him. Sure, there might be someone else you can marry and
find some level of contentment with, but you’ll never be truly
happy. Also, Lord Steinbeck won’t be happy. This is the best match
we could make for you.”

What an absurd argument. Anyone could see how
ridiculous it was. Iris turned to her father, demanding he make
Helena stop this nonsense at once.

But her father did no such thing. Instead, he
folded the missive, tucked it into his pocket, and said, “The
marriage with Lord Steinbeck will stand.”

“No!” Iris couldn’t allow
this. She
wouldn’t
allow this. “I won’t marry him.”

“I know this doesn’t seem like the right
thing to do,” her father said, “but I think Her Grace is correct. I
think once Lord Steinbeck gets to know you, things will take a turn
for the better.”

“But—” she began.

“The decision’s been made,” her father
interrupted, rising to his feet. “Your mother and I want you to be
with a gentleman who isn’t given to scandalous behavior, and I want
you to be with someone who can appreciate you the same way I do.
After hearing Her Grace, I believe Lord Steinbeck is a good match.
The marriage will stay arranged.”

Her father couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t
be doing this to her!

“Come,” he gently encouraged, taking her by
the arm and helping her to her feet. “We don’t want to take up any
more of Her Grace’s time.” He took the cup from Iris and put it on
the tray. Then he bowed to Helena. “Thank you for taking the time
to explain your decision.”

Helena stood up and nodded. Offering Iris a
smile meant to comfort her, she said, “I really believe things will
work out. Just give it time.”

Iris realized Helena meant well. She truly
believed Iris would be happy with Lord Steinbeck. Iris, however,
didn’t believe it, and worse, there didn’t seem to be anything she
could do about it.

Her father led her to the carriage. “The
duchess and her friends have experience with this,” he told her.
“I’ve heard she’s made many successful matches. Some didn’t even
seem all that promising on their wedding day. I heard Mr. Jasper
wasn’t happy when he married Lady Cantrell, but Lady Cantrell just
announced she’s expecting a child so things must have worked
out.”

“Mr. Jasper didn’t ignore her at Lord
Steinbeck’s dinner party,” Iris said then climbed into the
carriage.

After he got in beside her, he said, “Maybe
that’s because they were married, and he had a chance to get to
know her without others around.” He smiled at her and patted her
hand. “I have a feeling everything will be all right. Things are
likely to be difficult in the beginning, but given some time, I
think you will be just as happy as Lady Cantrell.”

There was no talking to him. He’d made up his
mind. Her future was set. Whether she liked it or not, Lord
Steinbeck was to be her husband. Truly, she couldn’t think of a
worse fate, but she wasn’t in a position to leave London and seek a
new life elsewhere. She was much too logical for that. She’d never
make it on her own. She was a lady. Ladies were at the whim of
their fathers, and after marrying, they were under their husband’s
authority. With a resigned sigh, she turned her attention to the
window. Life as she knew it was officially over.

Chapter Four

W
arren made his way through White’s, looking for Malcolm. He’d
given up on trying to reason with Robert. Robert had moved on and
seemed to prefer the company of Lords Roderick and Clement. Both
were upstanding gentlemen at White’s, but Warren never knew what to
say around them. Plus, they had endorsed that book on pleasuring a
lady, something that still surprised him. Lord Edon and Mister
Robinson, he could understand. Those two delighted in mischief and
scandal.

But Roderick’s and Clement’s reputations were
intact. No one could blame them for the way their marriages came to
be. Everyone now knew Roderick’s scandal was actually a mistake. As
for Clement, the lady was the one who kissed him, not the other way
around, though Clement had claimed he’d been the one to initiate
the scandal. The truth of the matter was, he was no more capable of
initiating a scandal than Roderick.

Even so, when he saw Robert lounging with
them, he bypassed them and continued on to another room. He didn’t
see Malcolm anywhere. With a sigh, he went to the decanter and
poured himself some brandy. Malcolm was avoiding him. There was no
doubt about it. But why? What did he do to upset him? He’d made it
a point to pay attention to Malcolm’s wife the last time they’d had
a dinner party together. After all the bellyaching Robert had done
about him ignoring the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter, he made sure to
pay attention to every lady in the room.

Turning from the decanter, he stepped over to
the nearby window and released his breath. No matter what he did,
he couldn’t seem to get things right when it came to Robert. But
with Malcolm, he thought there was a chance he might satisfy
him.

“There’s no doubt Miss Hurst is beautiful,”
Lord Asheley said. “Being in bed with her would be no chore.”

“You plan on a place as boring as the bed?”
Lord Rossington asked Asheley. “I’d much prefer something like a
carriage or a little hideaway spot at a ball.”

Warren glanced over at the two gentlemen who
were pouring themselves some brandy.

“And risk getting caught?”
Asheley replied. “I have no intention of being in the
Tittletattle
. I just want
to enjoy a harmless tryst.”

“The greater the chance of getting caught,
the better the lovemaking,” Rossington argued. “Besides, I haven’t
gotten caught with any of the ladies I’ve been with so far.” He
took a sip of his brandy then shot his friend a sly smile. “You
think Miss Hurst is a virgin?”

“Undoubtedly,” Asheley said. “The lady
blushes if I so much as touch her hand while leading her to the
dance floor.”

“I do so love virgins. They are, by far, the
most enjoyable. Nice and tight.”

“Want to make a wager? The one who takes her
virginity will owe the other a night of pleasure with his
wife.”

Warren scowled and went over to them. “Both
of you are deplorable. I can’t believe you’re not only wagering on
the fate of a poor innocent lady, but you’re making your wives a
part of the deal.”

Asheley narrowed his eyes at him. “Did we ask
for your opinion, Steinbeck?”

“You were talking so loudly I could hear
you,” Warren replied. “When you do that, you pretty much invite me
to listen.”

“Funny how you manage to work any argument in
your favor,” Rossington began. “No matter how pointless it may
be.”

“Pointless?” Warren snapped. “You consider
the matter of an innocent virgin and your wives pointless?”

“You, Steinbeck,” Rossington said, “would
argue with the sun on what time it should rise and set. Anything
you have to say is meaningless.”

“Hmm…” Warren put his glass next to the
decanter, no longer able to stomach it in light of their nonchalant
attitude. “You think this matter of deflowering a virgin who might
very well get with child from the activity is meaningless? Granted,
your wives may be as vile as you are, but I dare say there’s hope
for Miss Hurst.”

Rossington opened his mouth to protest, but
Asheley stopped him. “You can’t argue with an imbecile.”