Reckless Rules (Brambridge Novel 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

pounds is not a fortune to me.” Miss Rosa Fanthorpe stood and calmly paced around the central arrangement of chairs. “The fact that Mr. Cryne is in debt might be a useful bargaining tool should I take this marriage proposition forward.” She stopped pacing and faced Victoria’s back. “Lady Colchester, what would you do if you were me?”
    Victoria swallowed and edged her chair round to face into the room. She needed to be careful in what she said next not to reveal too much, nor be held accountable for any decisions that Miss Fanthorpe might make at a later date.
    “I do believe that it is worth entering a marriage knowing exactly how the land lies, and having worked out beforehand if one wishes to place oneself amongst it.”
    “You should listen to Lady Colchester, Rosa my dear. She made a very happy marriage to Lord Colchester. She knows what she is talking about.” Martha sat forward again from her prostrate position on the seat. “In my youth—”
    “Yes, yes.” Miss Fanthorpe flapped her hands at her companion. She stopped pacing and directed a long hard look at Victoria. “I would agree with you, Martha; however Lady Colchester is trying to tell us more than her words would indicate.”
    Victoria fought the urge to shift in her seat. Miss Fanthorpe was clever. She pitied the poor Mr. Cryne if Miss Fanthorpe accepted his marriage proposal. She held Miss Fanthorpe’s gaze unblinkingly until the lady dropped her head and sat with a gentle thump on the central seats again.
    “Know how the land lies…” Miss Fanthorpe repeated Victoria’s words.
    “All I was going to say was that in our youth it was all about whether we loved the man we were going to marry, and whether he loved us back,” Martha said plaintively, obviously put out that Miss Fanthorpe had cut over her ramblings.
    Miss Fanthorpe beamed. “That’s what Lady Colchester means. I’ve asked her to find out about Mr. Cryne’s situation. What I haven’t asked her to do is find out whether his heart is engaged or not. Well done, Martha.”
    The companion smiled tentatively, seeming uncertain as to what she had said that might have prompted Miss Fanthorpe’s praise.
    Miss Fanthorpe looked back up at Victoria. “Lady Colchester, I would like to engage your services again. I would like all information on Mr. Cryne’s activities with regards to women starting from six months before I met him, up until the present day.”
    Victoria stroked lightly at her skirts, hiding the tension in her fingers. She had had enough of Mr. Cryne and his sweaty hands. Having to dance one more time with him was enough to put her off investigations altogether. At least Miss Fanthorpe had stipulated the six month window. Mr. Cryne’s note to Agatha had been written at least another six months before that.
    “I agree to your request, Miss Fanthorpe.” Victoria furrowed her brow lightly as Miss Fanthorpe sighed happily. “Pardon me if I might ask one question?”
    “Do go ahead, Lady Colchester,” Miss Fanthorpe said graciously.
    “I can’t help feeling that you are asking if the gentleman’s heart is engaged, but you seem more practical about affairs of the heart yourself?”
    Miss Fanthorpe laughed. “Oh dear me, Lady Colchester. Hardly anyone achieves a love match like yours.” Victoria twitched at her fan uncomfortably, but Miss Fanthorpe did not notice. “No, no, marriage for the likes of our class is more a chess game to be played on the board of the ton. One has a considerable advantage over one’s partner in life if they believe that you don’t know what they are up to, when in fact you most certainly are. Take Mr. Cryne’s twenty thousand pound debt. He believes that he will gain control of my fortune if he marries me. He is sadly mistaken, for father has left everything in trust for me and my heirs. His debt will only be paid should his grandmother die, or should I agree to bail him out. That debt will bind him to me, like love never