Chapter Two

Austin had to sit down. He usually considered himself a strong man, mentally and physically. Capable of handling the toughest situations he found himself in. But Vincent Latrice's words had a way of bringing home the reality of what he was about to get himself into and he had the uncomfortable notion that the ground was swaying under his feet.

He sank into the armchair next to the hearth, folding his fingers in front of him. Lavender Latrice. Mr. Vincent Latrice, one of the wealthiest men in England, wanted to marry his sister off to a bastard son of the late Earl of Derby. How mirthful.

"Why?" was Austin's first word after a minute of silent contemplation.

Vincent made his way over to the sideboard and began pouring two glasses of brandy. "It is simple, my lord. Lavender is now ten-and-eight years old. It is time for her to be married."

"But why me? You approached me in the dead of night at an illegal fighting ring to all but beg me to consider the offer. Why?"

Vincent's face gave nothing away as he approached. Austin wondered if this was his usual demeanor when working. "Before I answer your question, Lord Derby, I take it you are considering saying yes?"

Austin hesitated, then nodded. "I am. For my own personal reasons. But I need to be certain that I am not walking into a trap."

"I would have no reason to trap you, my lord."

"That is what someone who wishes to trap me would like for me to believe."

Vincent chuckled. He chose the armchair next to Austin, sitting in a familiar manner that instantly made Austin uncomfortable. He took the glass of brandy Vincent offered to him and immediately set it aside.

Vincent raised a brow at that but chose not to comment. Instead, he said, "Firstly, I appreciate your consideration. Considering the fact that your first meeting with my sister did not go as I anticipated, I was almost certain that you would reject me outright."

"That option is still on the table," Austin stated.

"Of course, so allow me to be plain. The only thing I request is that you accept Lavender as your betrothed for the duration of the Season and are wed by the end of it. However, you would be expected to perform your duties as her betrothed."

Austin raised a brow. "Which would be?"

"Escorting her to any event to which she is invited to. Lavender is quite the socialite, you see. She will expect to attend them all and I think she would fancy having a handsome gentleman as her escort."

"I'm sure you would have done a fine job yourself. Why do you need me for that?"

"Sadly, I do not have the time to attend to every one of my sister's wishes, as much as she would want otherwise. This way, you two could get to know each other a bit more, as well. I must also inform you that Lavender will expect a lavish wedding at the end of the Season. She's always dreamed of it, after all. Our father promised her that she would get it once she was at the age to be married and I took on that promise when he passed away. Lavender, as you could see, will not let me forget it."

Austin shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "The contract didn't state any of that."

"I did not want to scare you away," Vincent stated, sipping his brandy calmly.

Wise thinking . "Then I want double her dowry," Austin announced on a whim.

Vincent did not bat an eye. "Deal."

Austin didn't dare show his surprise. There was something about Vincent Latrice that put him on edge. As if the man saw more than he let on. "I do not understand you," Austin confessed. "If rumours are true, you are one of the wealthiest men in England. Why do you and your sister care so much about high society?"

"Do not get me wrong, my lord," Vincent answered and Austin resisted the urge to tell him to stop calling him that, "I do not care about such things. While I do understand the weight placed on having a title, I find that wealth moves mountains far more than prestige does. Lavender, however, has always dreamed about attending the London Season with the upper echelons of society since she was a little girl. Perhaps it has something to do with the books she reads. I'm not certain, nor do I intend to question it now. But you know how the ton can be, my lord."

"Do I?" Austin asked dryly, which made the merchant laugh again.

"You are far closer to them than we will ever be. Wealthy we may be, my lord, but we are nobodies. We have no titles. We have nothing that will guarantee us an invite to any of these events. You, on the other hand, will be issued an invite or two to a number of parties, soirees, and balls and I would like for you to bring Lavender with you to each one. As such, if you accept the terms of this agreement, your betrothal would have to be established quickly."

"You have thought this out quite thoroughly," Austin observed.

"You see how persistent Lavender can be. I had no choice. Now," Vincent leaned forward a little, "do we have a deal?"

Austin studied him for a moment. Vincent's face was perfectly neutral but his words were what gave him away. This was not just to fulfill a promise made by his father. He was going to such lengths because he loved his sister dearly, enough to approach a man like Austin and give him whatever he wanted if it meant his sister would be happy.

A kinder man would accept the terms as they were. A smarter man would capitalize on the small show of affection.

"I want the doubled dowry in full," Austin stated.

"If you so wish," Vincent responded without hesitation.

"I also want you to pay for the renovations of my properties out of pocket over the course of the Season. By the end of it, your sister and I shall have proper homes to start our lives in."

Something moved in Vincent's expression. Austin didn't miss that he hesitated for half a beat before saying, "I accept those terms."

Relief flooded Austin instantly, enough for him to reach a hand out and say, "We have a deal then."

Finally, a smile stretched across Vincent's face. "I'm glad to hear it. I shall begin the preparations right away. "

Austin stood. There was no reason to stay here any longer. He'd gotten what he wanted out of this and that was to preserve the legacy his father had left behind, the one his stepmother had loved so much. His neglect of the family manor had gone on for too long but now things would begin to change.

"Just one more thing, my lord," Vincent said as he began leading Austin back to the door. "Would you happen to know of any titled young ladies looking for a husband?"

Austin blinked at him. A beat of silence went by before Vincent laughed awkwardly.

"I will take that as a no. No worries. I shall continue the search myself." He opened the door. "Thank you for taking the time to come, Lord Derby. My butler will escort you out."

Indeed, the butler was already standing on the other side as if he had been waiting for the meeting to be over. Austin instantly felt annoyed at the sight of him. "We'll be in touch, Mr. Latrice."

"Vincent, please. We will be family soon."

Austin only grunted at that, turned, and left.