The Honourable Fortune Hunter (Scandalous Miss Brightwells 5)

“Not at all. But I do think I have a solution to all our problems if you will just listen.”

“I can listen when we are on our way.”

Amelia clasped her hands neatly in her lap and said, crisply, “You can listen while we wait for Miss Scott, who wishes to marry Mr Dalgleish as much as I wish to marry Lord Leighton.”

He was silenced. For what could he say? She was laying out in the plainest terms exactly what his heart desired. He felt his breath catch.

Hope. It was a dangerous thing.

And what she was hinting at seemed too good to be true.

It had to be too good to be true.

“I don’t believe you.”

She didn’t deny it, merely nodded.

“Miss Scott is on her way here?”

“Only if she wishes to marry you, Theo.”

There. That was the catch. Theo relaxed back against the squabs. Only if she wished to marry him.

He flicked his gaze towards the illuminated house through the trees. The ball was in full swing. Lizzy would be surrounded by gaiety.

And Harry Dalgleish. She might not wish to marry him, but he was a presence that would be hard to evade.

Only a young lady with the greatest fortitude would have the courage to leave all that in order to dash out into the darkness towards a man who hadn’t properly declared his love.

A dull, sick feeling crept over him. Why hadn’t he told Lizzy the truth? Why hadn’t he said that he loved her? At least they’d both have had that.

For a moment, there was silence. Theo could feel Amelia’s conviction diminishing as she glanced out of the window too. The spike of ridiculous hope he had felt just now all but disappeared.

She murmured, “I’m afraid she doesn’t have much time to make up her mind.”

No, Lizzy didn’t have much time. She may be weighing up what, really, was in store for her if she took a chance and rushed out into the night.

Elopement was scandalous even though lawful marriage was the end result.

But she didn’t even know if an honourable offer awaited her.

He put his hands to his head. Why had he never said more to Lizzy about what was truly in his heart?

Of course he could not have. Not when he was eloping with Amelia. Dully, he said, “She’s just agreed to marry Dalgleish. I hardly think she will join us after what I said to her earlier. You’re jumping to conclusions, Amelia. I’m surprised at you when you’re usually so levelheaded.”

Amelia shrugged. “I’ve never been in love so I don’t know, exactly, what she’d be feeling. But I suspected she might want to come very much.” She smiled at Theo. “I do know that if one’s brave enough, one will take very great risks to get what one wants—if it’s offered to one. And I have not listened to Miss Scott’s maid’s chatter for the past two evenings without ascertaining that Miss Scott is in love with you.”

“But Amelia,” he said gently, “why would she come when she knows I have nothing?”

“You will, if you can live frugally on the loan I’m prepared to advance you once I come into my inheritance in three months’ time.”

He stroked his jaw as he digested her words.

Amelia nodded. “I can claim my inheritance in three months. You and I have already determined that we have enough for the two of us to survive on what we have between us for the next three months. I am sure it can feed another mouth until I’m in a position to advance you living expenses to last a couple of years. It won’t be too long before Lizzy is a rich woman; and you’ll have made your own fortune long before then,” she added confidently. “She’ll be married to a man who loves her. Isn’t that what every woman desires?”

“But…what about you?” It was hard to think so far ahead. It was hard to think at all.

“I’ll have my independence. That’s what I truly want.” Amelia cast another worried look out of the window. “I just hope Miss Scott is brave enough.”