Chapter Twenty-One

T heodosia paced back and forth before the shut door of the study where Seth and Sandgrove were meeting. They'd been in there for over an hour. Just what could be taking so long to discuss?

She refused to believe it was her betrothal. It shouldn't take Seth that long to sell his dearest, most beloved sister off, should it? But she didn't want to think about her brother, any of her brothers. She glared at the five leaning against the wall, watching—or rather keeping watch —on her through lidded gazes.

They were like a pack of dogs that refused to leave her side.

None of them, however, were her target.

She couldn't appeal to them, so she would have to appeal to Sandgrove. Would he listen? He hadn't before. But what benefit did he think he could gain from trying to marry a woman so decidedly opposed to being with him? She couldn't fathom it.

Field had once said the two of them separating was a bad idea. Lord, the context wasn't even the same as it was back then, but Theodosia had to agree.

It was a bad idea then. It was an even worse thing now.

She didn't want to be separated from him.

She also wanted to give him a nice, big slap over the head for last night, then an equally nice, big hug. He'd effectively, and scandalously, caused trouble for Seth and the achievement of his goal.

The door opened and two figures stepped out. Theodosia stepped up to them. "A word, Sandgrove."

Seth frowned but said nothing.

Theodosia led the way to the purple drawing room, and after a slight hesitation, he followed her. She'd quickly become fonder than usual of this room since returning to London. It reminded her of Saville's favorite waistcoat. She almost laughed again at the absurd image of last night. Purple was clearly the man's favorite color.

"Lady Theodosia—"

"I want you to stand down." She chose to be blunt.

He blinked. "Stand . . . down?"

"That's right. I want you to tell my brother you shall not marry me," Theodosia clarified so that there could be not even the shadow of a doubt.

"I cannot do that."

"Why not?" Theodosia demanded.

"Because I truly do wish for you to become my wife."

It was her time to blink at him dumbly. "Why? Wasn't this just a hastily devised solution to a problem you and my brothers decided existed?"

"No, it wasn't just that, Theodosia. Do you know how worried I was when I found you at one of my family's farms with Saville of all people?"

"You know very well he would never harm me!"

"But that's not true, is it? He harmed you last night, didn't he?"

"This may come as a shock to you, Sandgrove, but my reputation and myself are two separate things. I care about myself. I don't care about my reputation. Therefore, the only thing that Saville harmed last night were the delicate sensibilities of you and my brothers. I remain perfectly fine."

"Be that as it may, the man has had a terrible influence on you. Can you imagine the depth of my distress when I woke up to find you gone from the farm? To find that you had gone off with him ? The old Theodosia would never have done anything so reckless. Not even to speak of the fact, which I have been trying very hard to ignore, that you shared a bedchamber with him."

"And why didn't you tell my brothers that?"

"Because then I'd have been complicit in Saville's death, would I not? You know as well as I that they would not have spared him if I did."

Did he expect her to thank him? She snorted. "So you are in possession of a conscience."

"Of course. I am not an evil man, despite what you may feel about me at the moment."

Hah! "What I feel? How shall I put it plainly so that you may understand? I don't wish to marry you. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever ." She thought about it, and then ended her declaration with, " My lord ."

He sighed. "Lady Theodosia, I am aware that you cannot see this now, but this is for the best."

"For whom? Certainly not for me." And the fact that he could not see this confirmed again for Theodosia that she was right. This man was not her match. But with her brothers' backing, he would never back down. This much was as clear as the rain pitter-pattering against the window. "I can see now that you are determined to follow the direction of my brothers."

He shook his head. "I am following the direction of my heart."

"Your heart, sir? How is this the first time I hear about this heart of yours? We are hardly even friends. I don't accept your heart, and I certainly shall never give you mine."

It already belonged to someone else.

But she wouldn't tell him that. She suspected that, if anything, it would only make him more determined to thwart Field. And her brothers might keep a tighter watch on her than they already did. She needed to break free from them.

But how?

Her brothers had her cornered, surrounded in the most insufferable, infuriating way.

That didn't quell her determination, though. It merely strengthened it.

"Theodosia, there you are." Her mother strode into the room with a bright smile. "Oh, dear. Please don't tell me I've interrupted your conversation."

"An interruption I find most welcome."

"I see," her mother said thoughtfully. "Well, Lord Sandgrove, if I might steal my daughter from you, I wish to cheer her up. The whole house has succumbed to a gloom that not even I can stomach."

He inclined his head. "Of course. That is to be expected given the events of last night. Anything to improve the ladies' moods."

Dear Lord, the man was obtuse. How had she never seen this before?

Theodosia glared at Sandgrove's back as he left the room. "Just what are you up to, Mama?"

The marchioness smiled. "Why do you believe I am up to anything?"

"That smile right there. And why else would you also smile in so syrupy a way at my future scandal?"

Her mother laughed. "Future scandal? I daresay we can prevent that, can we not?"

"And just how are we going to manage that?" she asked skeptically.

"Why, by causing another, I suppose."

Theodosia arched a brow. She hadn't seen that spark of mischief in her mother's eyes for a very long time. It ignited her own spark. Whatever her mother was thinking of doing, Theo was ready.

"Are you going to help me run away?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, we don't have much time. You leave as you are."

"I don't mind leaving with nothing but the clothes on my back. However, I have rather more than that. I have six tails."

"Oh, they are about to be occupied."

Theodosia glanced at the door. She wanted to ask how, but then, this was her mother. She would find out all the details later. There was just one point of concern.

She glanced back at her mother. "Where will I go?"

"I already have everything planned out. You do not need to worry. Just follow me to my room. And when I give the signal, you shall sneak down the servants' stairs and a maid will take your place by my side."

Heaven above, had her mother always been this crafty?

"What then?"

"Millie will point you to a waiting carriage. The rest you will see for yourself and decide what you want to do."

*

There had been a time in Field's life when he believed being a waste was better than being a father who abused his son.

He had never possessed a good personality. At least, he didn't think so. Though he could scarcely recall how he'd been before his father started using his fists as a method to teach him lessons at the age of nine. But for as long as he could remember, he'd always been mildly irritable, impatient, and quick to lose his temper. And it seemed to him those traits had only worsened with time. There even came a point where Field had wondered if, in spite of everything, he was like his father. Would he one day lay a hand on his own son?

But he had discarded that idea almost instantly.

He wasn't his father.

And even though he had never quite believed he could fall in love, and despite the emotion being so starkly contrasted with his irritable personality...

Hope truly did spring eternal in a man's breast.

Perhaps those bad traits would somehow become good or at least lessen—he certainly felt different after these past few days with Theodosia—but in that moment, Field's impatience had him irritably, restlessly tapping his foot on the carriage floor.

"Are you sure you are all right?" Selena asked.

"No, I am not." Field glanced at the two people sitting across from him. "And just what are you doing in my carriage? Shouldn't you be in your own?"

"We are here to keep you company," Selena said.

"I don't need your company. All you are doing is making my head throb even more with all your not-so-discreet touching."

"I told you we should have given him space, love," Warrick said.

"Space, what space? When you were confessing your love, did he give us any space?"

"I was tied to a damn chair," Field growled. "I couldn't have left even if I'd damn well wanted to. And I did!"

"There seems to be a pattern forming here, dear brother," Selena said. "Being tied to chairs and now trees."

"Chair, tree. Singular."

Selena shrugged. "Now you are going to be tied to a person in matrimony. I certainly see a pattern."

Field cursed.

"Besides, if you are as fine as you say you are, why is your knee jerking back and forth?"

Field froze, slapping his hand on his knee to keep it from starting to twitch again. Damn it. When had he ever been this nervous in all his life?

Hope had sprung up like a seedling in springtime when Theodosia's mother had shown up at his house. A part of him, however, couldn't yet quite believe that the minx would open the door to this carriage and step inside.

And if she did . . .

What the hell did he say? Christ, last night had already been deuced embarrassing. And nothing could cover the swelling on the left side of his face. He looked like a mess. Felt a mess. Was a mess.

He could only hope she would be able to look beyond all that.

And not laugh outright when he confessed how he felt.

"So, brother," Selena said. "You never did tell us what happened on the farm, or even how you came to be living on a farm for a few days."

"Don't bloody remind me about it."

"About the farm or about you shouting at all of London how you had lived on one with my friend?"

Field dragged a hand through his hair, still damp from his rushed bath.

"What else did he say again, Warrick?" she asked sweetly. "Something about Theo already having married him on the farm? Is that a reference to something else, perhaps?"

Field groaned. He was never going to live this down.

"Don't tease him, love. The man has been through a great deal already."

"Very well, very well. I suppose I can wait until Theo spills all their adventures."

Theodosia . . .

Theo .

Field peeked through the carriage window.

"How many times have you peered through the window now? It won't make her come faster, you know."

He did know. He just couldn't help himself.

"Does love always feel like shite?" Field muttered, trying and failing miserably to express this feeling inside.

Selena shrugged. "Only when you do things that cause shite."

Field glared at his sister. "Aren't you supposed to be on your way to Gretna already? Do me a favor, loving sister, and elope already."

"We'd already have eloped if not for your untimely return."

"I don't remember stopping you or Warrick."

"That is true, yet it's also false. And you should thank us. If it hadn't been for Warrick's ministrations and interventions, I might not have a brother anymore."

"Speak some sense, woman."

"I believe," Warrick drawled, "that your sister is saying that your sorry state upon your return spoke louder than any of your words could have."

"I should be insulted by that, yet I can't even muster up the urge. Your concern, however, is truly touching. As are your words. And let's not forget you almost got rid of your brother all by yourself." Field suddenly glanced at his sister, a new thought occurring to him. "Did she say anything to you about me at the ball?"

Selena hesitated.

"What? What did she say?"

"Nothing, really. She seemed to be looking forward to the night. In a way."

"Meaning the announcement?"

Selena shrugged. "I couldn't rightly say. I didn't ask either."

It couldn't be that she wanted to marry Sandgrove. No. If she did, why would her mother arrange all this? Knowing Theodosia, in all likelihood she'd have had a spectacular scandal planned. One he must have foiled with his arrival.

He would have loved to have seen what she'd come up with, and if her brothers had caused trouble, he would have loved to have distracted them so that she could do what she had to do. That, however had never come to pass. And in any case, Field was rather skeptical that he would have attended the ball had he been sober.

Though he probably would not have been able to hold out. Since what a man did when he was drunk, while exaggerated, he at least thought of while he was sober.

Field peeked through the window again, his eyes tracking up and down the street. And then she appeared across the street, such a beautiful sight that Field's breath caught.

She came.

He whipped back and plastered himself against the seat.

"What's wrong?" Selena asked.

"She came."

"You mean, Theodosia?"

"Yes, I mean Theodosia, who else?" He glanced at Warrick. "What do I do?"

"What do you mean what do you do? You are already here, man. Just stay put."

"Should I go and greet her?"

"Let her come to you. That way, at least if someone sees, they won't have seen you."

Right. Excellent point.

"Dear Lord, Field. I never thought I'd ever see my brother in such a state."

Damn it, why the hell wasn't she here yet? Patience, man. Only a damn second had passed. But then, perhaps she had gotten in the wrong carriage, since Selena and Warrick's was right before his. Wait, did she even know he was here? She must have gotten in the wrong carriage. He whipped open the door and half rose to look.

Sure enough!

Field cursed. What rotten plot was this? "Damn it, she set off in your damn carriage!"

Selena burst out laughing.

He glared at Warrick. "Stay put, you say?" Field rapped on the roof. "After that damn carriage!"