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She’d hoped to inspire Rob’s jealousy—not give hi at his disparagement of a man who possessed qualities she’d co Lord Tavener by assu with me”
Sto to churn, she continued, “In fact, he intends to call on you to ask for e,” she added, just in case, in the intensity of his dislike, Rob should assu else
Eyes ith a surprise that rendered him speechless, for a all to think heyou?” he said at last “Why, the effrontery! As if I were sapskulled enough to throw rasp of that doxy-chasing fortune hunter!”
Once again, Allegra had to rein in a heated reply “Lord Tavener is a ive hi to keep her voice even “Besides, I believe ’tis my money that would be ‘throay,’ is it not?”
“’Tis I who decide how the funds of this estate should be ry as she was “I’ll hear nothing ra! I h not to listen to a silly chit whose head has been turned by a skilled seducer Much less to let her talka dowry for the benefit of a rogue ould abandon her as soon as he’d run through it!”
She’d opened her lips to utter a spirited rejoinder when suddenly the iht Uncle Robert had bequeathed those funds to me, to use as I see fit,” she said slowly “As anursed him devotedly his last few months Did he not do so?”
Rob opened hissoht would hardly be appropriate”
Allegra felt suddenly chilled, then fever-hot “He didn’t leave ain
She must have looked as stricken as she felt, for Rob patted her hand “I assure you, he truly appreciated—”
“Why did you lether hand back
“What difference does it make? When we first discussed it and you assumed ’twas his idea, there seemed no reason to disabuse you of that notion”
“So sponsoringtome a dowry, that was all your idea?”
“A Season is necessary—”
“Why?” she interrupted again
“I should think that would be obvious!” he retorted, running a distracted hand through his hair “Surely you realized how desperate your situation was, your parents dying unexpectedly and leaving you with no near relations, no dowry, no recourse but to throw yourself upon Sapphira’s uncertain rettable choice of husband I thought the fale with society and find a kind, forbearing gentlenize you for the fine lady you’ve becoentleht him at least a respectable dowry”
Her “unfortunate connections” So agonized was she by that punch to the gut that it took her a ically follow For an instant she feared she ht there in the library
Mastering the nausea with an effort, she forced herself to ask the question that would confir conclusion beyond any possibility of doubt “So you never considered that you and I…” Unable to voice the rest, she let the sentence trail off
“You and I?” he repeated, a perplexed look on his face The several seconds it took before he coinable that eventuality seemed to him
“Why, n-no!” he sta “I’ve always seen you as my little cousin It wouldn’t have been seemly for me to…to have that sort of interest in you”