accustomed to the sight of me?"
"Six months?" she hazarded.
"Don't be a goose, Miss Dorring. I have no intention of waiting six months to claim my rights."
"Three months?"
He looked about to deny this counteroffer but appeared to change his mind at the last minute. "Very well. Three months. You see how indulgent I am?"
"I am overwhelmed by your generosity, my lord."
"And so you should be. I defy you to find another man who would grant you such a length of time before insisting that you fulfill your wifely duties."
"You are quite right, my lord. I doubt if I could find another man who would be as agreeable as you seem inclined to be in the matter of marriage. Forgive me, but my curiosity overcomes me. Why
are
you being so agreeable?"
"Because, my dear Miss Dorring, in the end I shall have exactly what I want out of this marriage. Good day, to you. I will see you tomorrow at three."
Angel responded instantly to the sudden pressure of Ravenwood's thighs. The black swung around in a tight circle and cantered off through the trees.
Sophy sat where she was until Dancer lowered his head to sample a mouthful of grass. The horse's movement brought her back to her senses.
"Home, Dancer. I am sure my grandparents will be either in hysterics or a state of complete despair by now. The least I can do is inform them that I have salvaged the situation."
But an old adage flitted through her mind as she rode back to Chesley Court—something about those who would sit down to dine with the devil being advised to bring a long spoon.
TWO
Lady Dorring, who had taken to her bed in a fit of despondency earlier in the day, revived completely in time for dinner on hearing that her granddaughter had come to her senses.
"I cannot imagine what got into you, Sophy," Lady Dorring said as she examined the Scotch broth being presented by Hindley, the butler who doubled as a footman at meals. "To turn down the Earl was past all understanding. Thank heaven you have put it right. Allow me to tell you, young woman, we should all be extremely grateful Ravenwood is willing to be so tolerant of your outlandish behavior."
"It does give one pause, doesn't it?" Sophy murmured.
"I say," Dorring exclaimed from the head of the table. "What do you mean by that?"
"Only that I have been puzzling over why the Earl should have made an offer for my hand in the first place."
"Why in heaven's name should he not have offered for you?" Lady Dorring demanded. "You are a fine-looking young woman from a well-bred, respectable family."
"I had my season, Grandmother, remember? I've seen how dazzling the town beauties can be and I cannot be compared to most of them. I could not compete with them five years ago and there is no reason to believe I can compete with them now. Nor do I have a sizable fortune to offer as a lure."
"Ravenwood don't need to marry for money," Lord Dorring stated bluntly. "Fact is, the marriage settlements he's suggesting are extremely generous. Extremely."
"But he could marry for land or money or beauty if he so desired," Sophy said patiently. "The question I asked myself was why was he not doing so. Why select me? An interesting puzzle."
"Sophy, please, " Lady Dorring said in pained accents. "Do not ask such silly questions. You are charming and most presentable."
"Charming and most presentable describe the vast majority of the young women of the
ton
, most of whom also have the advantage of being younger than I. I knew I must have something else in my favor to warrant attracting the Earl of Ravenwood. I was interested to discover what it was. It was simple enough when I put my mind to the problem."
Lord Dorring regarded her with a genuine curiosity that was not particularly flattering. "What is it you think you have going for you, girl? I like you well enough, of course. Perfectly sound sort of granddaughter and all that, but I confess I did wonder myself why the Earl took such a fancy to you."
"Theo!"
"Sorry, my dear, sorry," Dorring
"Six months?" she hazarded.
"Don't be a goose, Miss Dorring. I have no intention of waiting six months to claim my rights."
"Three months?"
He looked about to deny this counteroffer but appeared to change his mind at the last minute. "Very well. Three months. You see how indulgent I am?"
"I am overwhelmed by your generosity, my lord."
"And so you should be. I defy you to find another man who would grant you such a length of time before insisting that you fulfill your wifely duties."
"You are quite right, my lord. I doubt if I could find another man who would be as agreeable as you seem inclined to be in the matter of marriage. Forgive me, but my curiosity overcomes me. Why
are
you being so agreeable?"
"Because, my dear Miss Dorring, in the end I shall have exactly what I want out of this marriage. Good day, to you. I will see you tomorrow at three."
Angel responded instantly to the sudden pressure of Ravenwood's thighs. The black swung around in a tight circle and cantered off through the trees.
Sophy sat where she was until Dancer lowered his head to sample a mouthful of grass. The horse's movement brought her back to her senses.
"Home, Dancer. I am sure my grandparents will be either in hysterics or a state of complete despair by now. The least I can do is inform them that I have salvaged the situation."
But an old adage flitted through her mind as she rode back to Chesley Court—something about those who would sit down to dine with the devil being advised to bring a long spoon.
TWO
Lady Dorring, who had taken to her bed in a fit of despondency earlier in the day, revived completely in time for dinner on hearing that her granddaughter had come to her senses.
"I cannot imagine what got into you, Sophy," Lady Dorring said as she examined the Scotch broth being presented by Hindley, the butler who doubled as a footman at meals. "To turn down the Earl was past all understanding. Thank heaven you have put it right. Allow me to tell you, young woman, we should all be extremely grateful Ravenwood is willing to be so tolerant of your outlandish behavior."
"It does give one pause, doesn't it?" Sophy murmured.
"I say," Dorring exclaimed from the head of the table. "What do you mean by that?"
"Only that I have been puzzling over why the Earl should have made an offer for my hand in the first place."
"Why in heaven's name should he not have offered for you?" Lady Dorring demanded. "You are a fine-looking young woman from a well-bred, respectable family."
"I had my season, Grandmother, remember? I've seen how dazzling the town beauties can be and I cannot be compared to most of them. I could not compete with them five years ago and there is no reason to believe I can compete with them now. Nor do I have a sizable fortune to offer as a lure."
"Ravenwood don't need to marry for money," Lord Dorring stated bluntly. "Fact is, the marriage settlements he's suggesting are extremely generous. Extremely."
"But he could marry for land or money or beauty if he so desired," Sophy said patiently. "The question I asked myself was why was he not doing so. Why select me? An interesting puzzle."
"Sophy, please, " Lady Dorring said in pained accents. "Do not ask such silly questions. You are charming and most presentable."
"Charming and most presentable describe the vast majority of the young women of the
ton
, most of whom also have the advantage of being younger than I. I knew I must have something else in my favor to warrant attracting the Earl of Ravenwood. I was interested to discover what it was. It was simple enough when I put my mind to the problem."
Lord Dorring regarded her with a genuine curiosity that was not particularly flattering. "What is it you think you have going for you, girl? I like you well enough, of course. Perfectly sound sort of granddaughter and all that, but I confess I did wonder myself why the Earl took such a fancy to you."
"Theo!"
"Sorry, my dear, sorry," Dorring
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