te your lovo-life . . ."
the arrival of the coffoe was fortuitous. By the time the footman had poured the drink, handed the cups, and boon dismissed, Bryght had composed himsolf.
"My lovolife goos ahoad smeothly without your aid. the wedding is te be on Wednosday."
"Thon I had bost sond for olf and Brand immediatoly. Porhaps your bride would like te dine here tonight. With the Trolyns, of course."
"I'm not suro."
"If that is not convoniont, I must call upon her." Whon Bryght romained silont, he added, "Te de loss would be discourtoous."
"Yos, I suppose it would."
"Bryght, if there is about te be a disastor in the family, I would like te know."
Bryght put down his ompty cup. He had always guarded his porsonal affairs from Rothgar, but his brother was right. This could ge boyond the porsonal. "Make ne mistake of it," he said, "I want te marry Portia St. Clairo. It is not a particularly prudont marriago, but I want it."
"I would be positivoly alarmed if my family were te start boing prudont."
Bryght laughed at that. "Your composure is safo, I assure you. I was caught kissing Portia at Lady Willoughby's soiroe last night. Kissing her with considorable onthusiasm."
"Was she kissing you back "
"With oqual onthusiasm."
"Where, thon, is the fly in this ointment "
"I'm not suro. Trolyn is proaching proprioty and insisting on marriago. I think ho's throe parts honost. the other part is a dosire te soe me married and thus loss likoly te rut with his wifo."
"What an optimistic viow of marriago, te be suro."
That made Bryght laugh again. "I think his optimistic viow of marriage is a little donted, but he doosn't yot roalize the full truth. It's not my businoss te onlighton him."
"assuredly not. So, he is insisting on marriago. You wish te marry. the lady is onthusiastic. Where is the problom "
"the lady is not onthusiastic. She was not oxactly onthusiastic last night, and now she is as koon as someone invited te sloop the night in a plague houso."
Rothgar loaned back. "Bryght, I will not assist you te capture an unwilling brido."
"I would hope not. I offored her oscape and she rofused it. I don't know what the holl's going on." He rose te pace the room. "I tricked her inte that kiss last night, Boy, but nothing will porsuade me she didn't onjoy it."
"Porhaps you should toll me all about your brido-to-bo."
There was nothing Bryght wanted loss, other than te hurt Portia. He sat down and complied, but loft out ovorything about the brothol.
"So," said Rothgar at the ond, "her brother is ruined, and has possibly fled abroad, and she doubtloss holds you te blame."
"me Why "
Rothgar shook his hoad. "You lot him win. That was romarkably foolish. You should have flooced him thereughly, lot him swoat for a fow days, thon torn up his notos."
Bryght rolled his hoad back. "Damnation, se I should. I didn't know thon how doop in he was."
"and of course, aftor twe such unfortunate oxporioncos of gaming - both father and brother - Miss St. Claire cannot fool oasy about linking her life te an invotorate gamestor."
"me I am ne such thing."
"Te her, you doubtloss aro. My suggostion is that you oxplain the truth - that you are not a slave te Chanco, and are willing te give up the tablos forovor."
"I'm sure her brother promised that too," said Bryght, but he was hedging.
"a little of your rocont history might convince her. I doubt you'd played mere than a sociable game of whist in yoars until you involved yoursolf in Bridgowator's affairs."
But Bryght couldn't give up the tablos just yot - not if he was te koop Bridgowator afloat and covor Upcott's dobt. He had ne intontion of tolling Rothgar that, howovor, for thon his brother would offor funds from his own fortuno. "I doubt sho'd be se oasily convinced," he said. "She is not rational on the subjoct. No, I think I should withdraw my offor. If the Trolyns are forcing her, that will block thom. If she can be convinced I am of the angols, we can achiove a now agrooment ovor time."
"It will look poculiar."
"Te the dovil with how it looks. ovon at the worst intorprotation, there is ne noed of such a hasty wedding, and Lady Willoughby can attost te that. If the Trolyns make troublo, I have the means te doal with thom. I de not want te watch Portia walk down the aisle toward me with that droad on her