Free The Seduction by Laura Lee Guhrke

for a long moment. He thought of Margaret Van Alden's innocent curiosity about kissing and what that had led to. He thought of her face, which was as easy to read as a book. She was also very desirable, and had the promise of passion. He didn't have any doubt that he could persuade the girl to marry him, but he envisioned her innocent eyes and honest face, and something made him hesitate.
    On the other hand, this was the perfect solution. He would have enough money to secure the estates, he would eventually gain an heir, and he wouldn't have to go through all the fuss of the marriage mart. He thought of the estate and all its responsibilities and shoved his momentary hesitation aside. "Yes," he finally said. "I'll do it. On two conditions."
    Henry frowned, displeased. "You're hardly in a position to impose conditions."
    "And it seems your chances of finding a suitable husband for your daughter are getting slimmer every day. I'll not be put on a monthly allowance like a schoolboy. If I marry your daughter, I will be the one to support her. To do that, I need capital."
    "Very well. Three hundred thousand pounds up front then."
    Trevor wondered if he could once again call Henry's bluff. "Four hundred thousand," he said firmly. "Or find someone else."
    Henry thought about it, then he said grudgingly, "Very well, but I still insist on giving my daughter an allowance of her own, and that my approval be given to any investments."
    It was a concession, and Trevor suspected that the other man very seldom made concessions. "Agreed."
    "You said you had two conditions. What's the other one?"
    Trevor knew this was going to be an even more difficult point for Henry to concede than the other had been. "I want an absolutely free hand in this. No matter what happens, you will not question the means by which I obtain her hand in marriage."
    "Don't think I haven't heard about your reputation, Ashton. Arthur has told me about your affair with your late brother's wife. He assures me it is untrue, although he also admits there has been talk of many others. I need a man who has a way with women, but if you are suggesting deliberately getting caught in a compromising situation, I will not condone—"
    "I am suggesting no such thing. Her reputation will not suffer. And I will not take advantage of her innocence, if that is your fear. I give you my word of honor, and despite my rather black reputation, that is still worth something. Are we agreed?"
    Henry considered the matter for some time. "Very well," he said, but his face darkened. "If you break your word, Ashton, if you dishonor my daughter in any way, I'll kill you with my own hands."
    "I don't doubt it. But I do not break my word, sir. And I do not ruin innocent young ladies."
    Henry was satisfied. "I believe you. In fact, you remind me a great deal of myself when I was a young man. When I return to London, I'll have the terms of our marriage settlement drawn up. When you obtain Margaret's consent, we'll sign them. I feel it only fair to warn you that you don't have a great deal of time. It's only seven weeks until Easter. After that, Margaret will be in London for the Season, and if you have not obtained her consent by then, other suitors will be ready to court her, and I will not prevent them."
    Trevor wasn't worried. Seven weeks was more than enough time, and competition from other suitors did not concern him. "What is her itinerary until then?"
    "She will be in Rome for Carnival until Ash Wednesday, then she is planning to leave for Florence with Lord and Lady Kettering. She will return to London just before Easter."
    "With Carnival going on, I doubt I'll be able to find rooms in Rome at this late date."
    "I'll take care of that." Henry leaned forward in his chair. "Now, there are some things about Margaret that you need to know if you are to court her properly. You must become familiar with her likes and dislikes. She loves—"
    "No," Trevor interrupted. "I'm not going to cater to her every