Free The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer Page A

damme, I never heard of such a thing! Wouldn't do at all.'
    'Nevertheless,' said Rule, moving over to his desk, 'I believe you must oblige me in this. Your arrest for debt, perhaps even in the act of bestowing your sister's hand on me in marriage, would quite unnerve me.'
    The Viscount grinned. 'Would it so?' Well, they can't clap up a peer yet, y'know. Just as you please, of course, but I warn you, I'm in pretty deep.'
    Rule dipped a quill in the standish. 'If I were to give you a draft on my bankers for five thousand? Or shall we say ten, as a rounder sum?'
    The Viscount was moved to sit up. 'Five,' he said firmly. 'Since you're making a point of it, I don't mind settling up to five thousand, but give away ten thousand pounds to a lot of tradesmen I can't and I won't do. Damme, flesh and blood won't stand it!'
    He watched Rule's quill move across the paper, and shook his head. 'Seems wicked to me,' he said. 'I've nothing to say against spending money, but blister it, I don't like to see it thrown away!' He sighed. 'You know, I could put it to better use, Rule,' he suggested.
    Rule shook the sand off the paper and handed it to him. 'But somehow I feel sure you won't, Pelham,' he said.
    The Viscount cocked an eyebrow intelligently. 'Like that, is it?' he said. 'Oh, very well! But I don't like it. I don't like it at all.'
    Nor did his sisters like it when they heard of it. 'Given you five thousand pounds to pay your debts?' cried Charlotte. 'I never heard of such a thing!'
    'No more did I,' agreed Pelham. 'Thought for a moment the man was queer in his head, but he don't seem to be.'
    'Pel, I do think perhaps you might have waited,' Elizabeth said rather reproachfully. 'It seems almost - almost indecent.'
    'And it will all go on gaming,' said Charlotte.
    'Devil a penny of it, miss, so that's all you know,' replied the Viscount without rancour.
    'Why n-not?' inquired Horatia bluntly. 'It usually d-does.'
    Her brother threw her a look of scorn. 'Lord, Horry, if a man trusts you with a cool five thousand to pay your debts, there's no more to be said.'
    'I suppose,' said Charlotte waspishly, 'Lord Rule requires to see your accounts.'
    'I'll tell you what it is, Charlotte,' the Viscount informed her, 'if you don't sweeten that tongue of yours you'll never get a husband.'
    Elizabeth intervened rather hastily. 'Will it meet them all, Pel?'
    'It'll keep the blood-suckers quiet for a while,' replied his lordship. He nodded to Horatia. 'He'll make you a devilish good husband, I daresay, but you'd best be careful how you deal with him, Horry!'
    'Oh,' said Horatia, 'you don't understand, P-Pel! We are not going to interfere with each other at all! It is j-just like a French marriage of c-convenience.'
    'I'm not saying it ain't convenient,' said the Viscount, glancing at Rule's draft, 'but if you take my advice you won't play your tricks on Rule. I've a strong notion you might regret it.'
    'I have felt that too,' Elizabeth said, an anxious note in her voice.
    'S-stuff!' pronounced Horatia, unimpressed.
     
    Chapter Five
     
    The wedding of the Earl of Rule to Miss Horatia Winwood passed off without any unseemly fracas, such as the arrest of the bride's brother for debt or a scene created by the bridegroom's mistress (an event not entirely unexpected by the hopeful), occurring to mar its propriety. The Earl arrived punctually, which surprised everyone, including his harassed secretary; and the bride seemed to be in excellent spirits. Indeed, there were those who considered her spirits too excellent for so solemn an occasion. She was not observed to shed a single tear. However, this lack of sensibility was more than made up for by the demeanour of Lady Winwood. Nothing could have been more proper than that lady's whole bearing. She was supported by her brother, and wept silently throughout the ceremony. Miss Winwood and Miss Charlotte as bridesmaids looked beautiful and behaved becomingly; Mr Walpole's sharp eyes took in everything; Lady