relaxed into a wide grin. He never thought his heart could love this woman more, but then she always seemed to find a way to surprise him in that regard.
“We will have to give you a pen name, though,” Lord John said as his mind began to propel forward.
“I am sure my brother would catch wind if you used your own name.”
They both sat in silence and thought the matter over.
“What do you think of my mother’s name? Constance Brown. I remember little about her, but I am sure she wouldn’t mind too much if we borrowed her name.”
“Constance Brown,” Lord John said, letting it roll off his tongue. “I think that is quite fitting. Tomorrow morning, I will have you begin the correspondence. We will have to write to at least four publishing agencies at once. I fear we won’t have time if we are rejected one right after the next.”
“You want me to write the correspondence?”
“Yes, it will need to be in a lady’s handwriting. I am sure they will be able to tell if it is not.”
“I don’t know what to say, though. I know nothing about this industry.”
“I will be happy to guide you as needed. With luck, I believe we will have overcome my brother’s obstacle,” Lord John finished while he rubbed his palms together.
“And when I meet with these agencies, I will have to be very careful that I am not recognised going in or out.”
“That’s true also,” Lord John considered. “I will hire you a carriage to take you to and from any agency that responds to our query. In particular, one office is on the same street that my mother likes to frequent for her evening gown purchases. It won’t be wise to be seen by her.”
“No, indeed,” Miss Thatcher said, wrinkling her nose.
“I have wanted to ask you something in regard to my mother. When she came over that night for dinner, she mentioned that you two had already been introduced in the park.”
“Yes…” Miss Thatcher hesitated to expound.
“You never mentioned it,” Lord John continued to prod.
“It was not much worth mentioning.”
Lord John narrowed his crystal-blue eyes on Miss Thatcher.
“Not worth mentioning, or you would rather not?”
“I know you already struggle with your relationship in regard to your mother and brother. I do not wish to make it worse.”
“So you are saying it was a bad encounter,” Lord John surmised.
Bridget Thatcher screwed up her lips while she thought hard. She wanted to be dedicated and well thought out in the next words that she chose. Lord John waited, amused at her attractive features.
“It was a while ago in the park. I had taken Betsy to the fountain. It just so happened that while we were there, Lady Temperance and your mother passed by. Lady Temperance recognised me, being not long after the ball, and introductions were made.”
“And then what happened,” Lord John prodded.
He was doing his best to keep his emotions at bay. He didn’t need to know every detail of the encounter to already sense that it hadn’t been a positive one.
“Your mother was wrongly informed that I might have had some sway in your insistence on keeping Betsy under your care. She may have suggested that I did this with the intention of bewitching you,” Miss Thatcher finished with her cheeks flushed red.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Lord John after speaking the words out loud. From an outside viewpoint, it could very well look like Miss Thatcher had bewitched Lord John by the simple fact that he intended to ask her hand in marriage once all of this was done with.
Lord John let the full weight of her words sink in before he burst out in a hardy laugh. It was so strong that Miss Thatcher even jumped in her seat a little.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you it’s just…well, I suppose that it’s true.”
Lord John was wiping tears from his eyes as he spoke between deep belly laughs.
Miss Thatcher raised herself to her full sitting hight and puffed out her cheeks in indignation.
“I did no such thing. Never once did I try to encourage your decision to be Betsy’s guardian. I had no intention of falling in love with you and certainly didn’t go out of my way to convince you to share those feelings with me. I am not a vixen!”
Miss Thatcher finished with a puff of hot air. Lord John steadied his laughter though he in no way felt terrible for getting