Free How to Wed an Earl by Ivory Lei Page A

candles and firewood. I doubt Papa thought about that when he invited you to stay with us.” It was difficult to keep a straight face when his dark brows met in dismay. “We will, of course, need to ration our resources — eat smaller meals, use fewer candles and such — to make certain the entire household gets to have those necessities.”
    “You are enjoying this, are you not?”
    She sat just a little bit straighter on the settee. “What do you mean, my lord?”
    He made a gesture that encompassed the whole house. “Being in charge. Do not worry, nymph, I will make a contribution toward my lodging.”
    “You don’t have to do that, sir.”
    “And you don’t have to call me ‘sir,’” he stated in a voice typically reserved for announcing royal edicts. “I am only six years older than you are, and yesterday you called me Lucas. Considering the kiss we shared, I think we are past titular ceremony, don’t you?”
    She tried to hide the blush his words brought by brushing imaginary lint from her skirts. “If you insist.”
    “I do.”
    “Very well, then.” Heavens, she didn’t know how much longer she could talk without addressing him as anything at all.
    It was disconcerting how he seemed so at ease discussing their kiss, as if the topic were on the same level as the weather. For him, kissing must be so commonplace that it was nothing more significant than the state of atmospheric humidity. An attractive, titled gentleman would have no shortage of women volunteering to kiss him.
    She frowned. Her lack of experience and his obvious amusement was making her edgy.
    Still, for the next few days, this enigmatic man would be courting her. His blatant masculinity made her feel very feminine; she might as well enjoy it. She just had to remember to keep her heart in check, because she had no intention of letting him break it again.
    “Are you ready to leave?” she asked. “It’s good to be visible at this time of day, when the village is at its busiest.”
    “Why do you want to be on display?”
    “I told you, it’s best if people saw us together. When we break the betrothal, they’ll assume it’s because our personalities didn’t suit, not because we hated each other on sight.”
    “And once they see us together, your stepfather’s creditors would be more amenable to extending the loan repayment schedule,” he stated flatly.
    Penelope started. Astonished, she caught his predatory look. “What did you say?” she croaked.
    “You heard me,” Lucas drawled, openly relishing her chagrin. “Did you honestly think you’d be able to hide your little secret for long? That I wouldn’t figure it out?”
    She squirmed beneath his intense gaze. “I planned to tell you about it.”
    “When?”
    “After the loan’s been repaid,” she confessed.
    Lucas chuckled at her admission of guilt, but he refused to relent. “How long have you been using my name to delay the repayment process?”
    “Not very long.”
    “Define ‘very.’”
    “Six months,” she bit out, deciding there was no reason to dissemble further. “If it makes you feel any better, my lord,” she continued when she noted the earl’s self-satisfied look, “using your name wasn’t my first choice. I originally planned to claim I was engaged to a bold, virile, honorable shipping magnate whom I would marry upon his return from the high seas.”
    Lucas frowned.
    She gave him a dazzling smile. “However, to my unbearable consternation, I remembered I was already betrothed to
you
. I, therefore, had no alternative but to adapt my story to the known history of my life.” She shrugged. “It would have been more exciting to be the pretend fiancée of an adventurous shipping magnate, but I suppose one can’t have everything.”
    “You do realize I could sue you for this,” he warned.
    “You do realize I had little choice in the matter,” Penelope shot back. “I never meant for your lordship to be inconvenienced by my scheme. How was