Free Beauty in Breeches by Helen Dickson Page A

what a disaster she had made of it. She must have been out of her mind to think she could manage this. With that characteristic recklessness with which she tackled everything in her life, she had rushedto accept his wager without much thought to how he would react should she win the race and request his forfeit. But it was too late now. She had set the ball rolling, so to speak, and she would not back out now.
    â€˜When I named the forfeit, why did you concede by going so far as to announce our engagement?’
    â€˜Because at the time I did not take your proposal seriously. I thought you were playing some kind of mischievous game—that it was some light-hearted jest, that in some twisted way you were trying to get back at me for what you accuse me of doing to your father. I merely entered into the spirit of things. Naturally I believed you would withdraw your ridiculous proposal and it could be laughed off with no ill feeling.’
    Beatrice met his look squarely. ‘You do not know me. You were wrong to think that.’ She glared at him. ‘It was no twisted, mischievous game, Lord Chadwick. I have thought long and hard about this. Perhaps now you will realise that I was being deadly serious. Besides, after asking you to marry me in front of an audience, the scandal will be being broadcast throughout London as we speak. If you refuse to marry me, I will have ruined any chance I might have had of making a suitable marriage.’
    â€˜That is unfortunate for you, but it is entirely your own doing. It does not concern me.’
    â€˜I accept that, but you could do a lot worse than marry me. I have nothing of my own to bring to a marriage, but both my parents were well connected. I meet a gentleman’s criteria of youth, good health, breeding,I am reasonably pretty, or so I’ve been told, and I have an unblemished reputation.’
    Julius raised a sardonic brow at her self-praise and contemplated her wickedly gleaming green eyes. ‘I am impressed, but you failed to mention problematical, as bold as brass and as determined as they come.’
    She smiled. ‘I admit that I can be troublesome on occasion, but on the whole, you can have no objections to my suitability.’
    Julius’s expression was one of disbelief. He looked her over carefully, as if to judge her for her worth, and appeared dubious as he crinkled his brows. ‘No objections—’ he retorted sharply, then bit back the rest of his words, clenching his jaw so tightly a muscle jerked in the side of his cheek. ‘I have plenty, Miss Fanshaw, and I can imagine Lady Standish will have some of her own to add. How will your esteemed aunt receive your outlandish proposal to me?’
    â€˜She will be livid, I expect. You see, where my aunt is concerned, as an impoverished orphan she has never had any regard for me. I am a duty she is forced to endure. In her world, marriages are arranged for consequence and money. She has you in her sights for Astrid. Not only are you outrageously wealthy, but you are also a marquess and we haven’t had one of those in the family before, so she sees it as advancing the family cause.’ She cocked her head on one side and looked at him steadily. ‘Would you have offered for Astrid? Did my aunt read your attentions toward Astrid correctly?’
    â€˜Good Lord, no. Miss Standish is exquisite and quite charming, but she is not to my taste.’ Julius meant it. Toanyone with experience, Astrid Standish’s mere prettiness could not hold a candle to Beatrice Fanshaw’s raw kind of beauty. Miss Standish could prove troublesome in her own way, but she was very definitely not the same sort of trouble Miss Fanshaw would be. He would never be bored with her, that was for sure. ‘In any case, you have spiked your aunt’s ambitions well and truly with this outrageous escapade.’ Suddenly curious to know more about this self-contained young woman, although he