Page 53 of Courting Miss Lancaster
“You can toss him out onto the street in a minute, Adam,” Persephone reassured him. “I did ask him to come back for a reason.”
“And it apparently was not to relieve me of my onerous duties as sponsor and guardian to a suddenly weepy young lady.”
“Weepy?” Harry asked without really intending to. She had appeared sad, but Harry hadn’t realized that Athena had been crying enough for Adam to have taken note of it.
“That is why I wanted you to come back,” Persephone said. She motioned for Harry to sit in the chair nearest the fireplace. She took Adam’s hand and led him to the sofa where they sat, hand in hand.
“You think Harry can get the girl to buck up a little?” Adam asked doubtfully. “I am entirely in favor of inflicting painful punishments on Harry, but forcing him to take on a watery female seems a little harsh. Even for me.”
“I do not think you would have to force him,” Persephone replied. She had a look in her eye that Harry recognized. It wasthe same searching look he had fled from when Athena was ill.
“Oh, yes,” Adam answered sarcastically, “because Harry is such a pattern-card of Christian charity.”
“No, because Harry is in love with her.”
“What!?”
Harry actually flinched at Adam’s booming voice. “Thanks, Persephone,” he mumbled.
“How long hasthisbeen going on?” Adam demanded.
It was not at all how Harry had imagined spending a few days in London. Adam was never supposed to have learned about Harry’s feelings for Athena. The last thing Harry wanted was a “no fortune hunters” lecture from Adam, especially when he was in his overprotective guardian mode. Harry shrugged but didn’t offer a definitive answer.
“I believe”—Persephone began. Harry gave her a look of warning that was completely ignored—“he has been quite fond of her almost from their first meeting. Though, if I had to guess, I would say he fell quite decidedly in love with her this past spring, before we all came to Town.”
“Harry Claudius Windover.” Adam had never called him by his full given name. Harry actually stared, wide-eyed. What on earth didthattone mean? Adam spoke quietly—entirelytooquietly in Harry’s opinion—but with an edge to his voice. “Do you mean to tell me that I have just endured weeks of society when I could have been at home, and all this timeyouwere in love with Athena?”
Harry cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but ended by simply shrugging again.
“You worthless piece of maggoty mutton,” Adam growled. “I could have been home weeks ago if you’d just fessed up and married the girl. Bloody h—”
“Adam,” Persephone interrupted, effectively cutting off the curse they both knew was coming.
“The idiot forced me into an extra two months of this rancid London! I actually had to read an impertinent proposal-by-letter, attend balls—balls,Persephone—endure an entire house filled with weeping, emotional women when that blackguard”—Adam pointed at Harry—“wasin lovewith her the entire time. If I had known, I would simply have handed the girl over and been done with the whole thing.”
“You expressly forbade fortune hunters,” Harry pointed out. If he brought the objection up on his own, Adam was less likely to explode when he remembered that difficulty himself.
“And?” Adam asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“And if any gentleman in the kingdom needs to marry for money, I do.” Harry rose abruptly from his seat and crossed to the fireplace, the warmth radiating from it penetrating his thick boots. “I know better than to contradict a directive from theDuke of Kielder.”
“If I thought you wanted to marry Athena for money, I would run you through in a heartbeat,” Adam declared, the sound of his footsteps indicating he had risen as well and crossed closer to where Harry was standing. “No lady should have to live her life knowing her husband married her because he needed her fortune.”
“But I do need the money, Adam.” Harry kicked at a log in the fireplace, sending sparks spiraling up into the chimney flue. “I have needed money since the day I was born.”
“Then it is a very good thing you fell in love with a girl who has plenty.”
“Like I said”—Harry turned to look at Adam—“a fortune hunter.”
Adam gave an exasperated sigh. “What an idiot. Well, I can see I wasted a great deal of money on your education,” Adam muttered as he moved back toward the sofa.
“What?” Harry stuttered out the word. “Youwasted moneyon my education? What is that supposed to mean? How are your money and my education remotely connected?”
Adam rolled his eyes as he sat down next to Persephone, who was watching their exchange rather pointedly. “Your family has been destitute for fifty years, Harry. How did you think you went through Harrow and Oxford without resorting to being a charity student?”
“Some sort of family trust.” Harry automatically gave the answer he’d assumed to be true for twenty years.
“Yes, I trusted that your family wouldn’t tell you about it,” Adam muttered.
