Her hesitation was followed by another proffered smile. “I am certain you are a man of reason, Lord Danvers…”
Marcus’s eyebrow shot up at her obvious attempt to charm him. She was undoubtedly accustomed to twisting men around her fingers, and he felt the effect down to his loins-an effect he instinctively resisted. “Oh, I am quite reasonable ordinarily.”
“Then you will understand our reluctance to acknowledge you as our guardian. I know you mean well, but we don’t require your assistance.”
“Certainly I mean well,” he said affably. “You and your sisters are now my responsibility.”
A flash of impatience showed in her gray eyes. “Which is patently absurd. We are all past the usual legal age of dependency. Most guardianships end at twenty-one. And we have no fortune to supervise, so there can be no financial justification for your management.”
“No,” Marcus concurred. “Your step-uncle left you without a penny to your names.”
Taking a deep breath, she made an obvious effort at civility. “We don’t desire your charity, my lord.”
“It is not charity, Miss Loring. It’s my legal obligation. You are three vulnerable females in need of a man’s protection.”
“We do not need protecting,” she replied emphatically.
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“No?” Marcus gave her a penetrating look. “My solicitors are of the opinion that someone ought to take you and your sisters in hand.”
Her eyes kindled. “Is that so? Well, I hardly think you are qualified to ‘take us in hand,’ as you term it. You have no experience playing guardian.”
Marcus was pleased to be able to refute her statement. “On the contrary, I have a good deal of experience. I’ve been my sister’s guardian for the past ten years. She is twenty-one now, the same age as your youngest sister, Lilian-who is an unruly hoyden, I’m told.”
That made Arabella pause. “Perhaps that’s true, but Lily was at an impressionable age when our mother deserted us.”
“What of your sister Roslyn? By all reports, her uncommon beauty has made her the target for any number of rakes and scoundrels. I suspect she could benefit from a guardian’s protection.”
“Roslyn can take care of herself. We all can. We have since we were very young.”
“But what sort of future can you expect?” Marcus countered. “Your chances for good marriages were ruined when your parents chose to create their last blatant scandal.”
He saw the pain that claimed Arabella’s features for a fleeting moment before she forced another smile. “How well I know,” she murmured. “But even so, it is not your affair.”
Marcus shook his head. “I understand why you resent me, Miss Loring, a perfect stranger taking control of your home-”
“I don’t begrudge you the title or estate. What I do resent is your callous assumption that we wish to marry.”
That made him smile. “It is hardly callous to offer to find husbands for you. The usual path for young ladies of quality is marriage. You act as if I’ve gravely offended you.”
By now Arabella was clearly biting her tongue. “Forgive me if I gave you that impression, my lord. I know you don’t mean it as an insult-”
“You cannot be foolish enough to turn down five thousand pounds each.”
“Actually I can-” Suddenly she broke off and gave a rueful laugh. The husky, sultry sound raked his nerve endings with pleasure. “No, I won’t allow you to provoke me, my lord. I came here this morning determined to be pleasant.”
Marcus found himself staring at her ripe, tempting mouth before he shook himself. Arabella was speaking again, he realized.
“Perhaps you see our decision as inexplicable, Lord Danvers, but my sisters and I do not choose to marry.”
“Why not?” When she failed to answer, Marcus hazarded a guess. “I suppose it has to do with the example your parents set.”
“It does,” Arabella admitted grudgingly. “Our parents were determined to make each other’s lives miserable and fought at every opportunity. After the acrimony we witnessed growing up, is it any wonder we have an aversion to arranged marriages?”
Marcus felt more than a measure of sympathy. “I’m familiar with the sentiment. My own parents were scarcely any more congenial.”
At his softer tone, she searched his face for a long moment. But then she dragged her gaze away to focus on a pool of sunlight streaming through the nearest window. “In any case, we have no need to marry. We have sufficient incomes now to support ourselves.”