Valiant (Gentlemen of the Order #3) - Adele Clee Page 0,36
marrying anyone. Rest assured, once we have satisfied the conditions of the contract and claimed our lost legacy, I shall leave London and never bother Mr Sloane again.”
“But he will be obliged to care for you financially,” Cole said, his expression as dark as Satan’s sanctum. “Knowing Sloane, he will be forever obliged to act as your protector. Evidently, he has the most to lose in this improper arrangement.”
Rarely did Evan’s colleagues annoy him, yet he couldn’t help but jump to Miss Hart’s defence. “It is not her fault my grandfather made the pact. She’s been terrified by a masked intruder, shot at by the same devil who forced my carriage off the road. And while she is a capable woman, she cannot solve these problems alone.”
Again, the room plunged into silence.
Evan caught D’Angelo’s grin. “What is so amusing?”
“Nothing. I thought I detected a hint of admiration in your voice.”
Evan flashed his friend an irate glare. The devil loved nothing more than to tease him. But then D’Angelo had witnessed the murder of his parents when he was just a boy, and so used amusement to mask his permanent pain.
“I admire any woman who thinks logically during trying situations.” Though Evan rarely encountered one amid the widows and courtesans of the ton.
“And so you must marry to obtain a clue to a legacy. A legacy that might amount to nothing more than worthless trinkets.” Daventry snorted. “Why bother? It’s not as if you need the money. Take the thousand pounds offered by this Golding fellow and be done with it.”
Daventry often made provoking statements to uncover the truth.
“You’re missing the point. There is another factor to consider.”
“You speak of this masked devil. Surely there’s a way to stop him without making a lifelong commitment to a woman you hardly know.”
Miss Hart flinched at Daventry’s blunt reply, heightening Evan’s frustration.
“I speak of the fact my grandfather was a privateer, not a pirate. The fact I’ve been lied to my whole life.” He had been made to feel like an outcast, a misfit. Perhaps that’s why he admired Miss Hart. He’d been made to feel inadequate, too, hence his valiant attempts to save the innocent, to approach everything he did with skill and finesse. “I intend to ensure people know the truth.”
D’Angelo leant forward in his seat, his hands braced on his broad thighs. “And what of you, Miss Hart? Despite his heritage, there are women in the ton who would cut off an ear to marry Sloane. Most find it impossible to resist him. What if you make a dreadful mistake and accidentally fall in love with your husband? What if the decision to marry brings a lifetime of regret?”
Miss Hart cleared her throat. “You’re right, Mr D’Angelo, your colleague has a way of stirring excitement in one’s chest. I expect the more time I spend in his company, the more I will grow to like him.”
Evan gripped the top rail of her chair as a rush of euphoria swept through him. Why did it matter what this particular woman thought? Why did he care for her good opinion?
Pride filled Evan’s chest. Few women would withstand the scrutiny of these men. Indeed, he touched her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “Honesty is an excellent foundation for marriage. Would you not agree?”
A smile tugged on Ashwood’s lips. “So it would seem.”
“And as for regret, Mr D’Angelo,” Miss Hart said. “Those who count their losses live in a constant state of disappointment. I’m more inclined to count my blessings, and shall be forever grateful to Mr Sloane.”
A darkness passed over D’Angelo’s features. Miss Hart’s words struck a chord. He had spent his life reflecting on his losses, using every form of pleasure to numb the pain.
Daventry spoke, breaking the silence. “Well, as you’re intent on marrying, and we cannot persuade you otherwise, there must be a way we can help you find this masked fiend.”
At the prospect of assisting in a dangerous venture, D’Angelo dragged himself from his melancholic mood. “Now we have overcome our initial shock, explain all that has happened so far.”
With considerable input from Miss Hart, Evan gave a detailed account of recent events.
“You had to kiss the lady in front of the lawyer?” Cole’s frown deepened. “Did you research his background before agreeing to his farcical demands?”
“Golding is acting on behalf of our grandfathers,” Evan reassured. “Of that, there is no doubt.”