At least the countess was friendly. It might be easier than she thought to confide in the lady. Bella took a calming breath. “That is kind of you.”
Lady Clayworth gestured back to the settee she’d just abandoned. “Do have a seat, and tell me what sort of help you’re in need of.”
Bella followed the countess to the settee while Lissy dropped into a chintz chair across from them. “Tell her everything, Bella.”
Everything? Bella gulped. Even Lissy didn’t know everything. Still, she nodded tentatively, then pressed on. “If I don’t find a husband—”
“Fiancé,” Lissy interrupted. “There’s no reason to marry the man.”
“Which man are we talking about?” Lady Clayworth asked, looking more confused by the second.
“Any man will do,” Bella hastened to explain. “As long as he isn’t my cousin.”
“Her horrid cousin,” Lissy threw in.
Horrid was most definitely the correct word. Bella nodded in agreement. “You see, my grandfather, the Duke of Chatham, is quite adamant that I marry my Prussian cousin when he arrives in England.” She snorted, no matter how unladylike it was. “Says he has strong barbarian blood.”
“There’s something to recommend him,” Lissy grumbled.
Bella shrugged. “Grandpapa seems to think it’s a noble trait.” She’d certainly heard him say so enough times over the years to be sure of the fact. “Johann certainly has the manners of a barbarian.” An anxious sigh escaped her as an image of her cousin flashed in her mind. “He has the coldest blue eyes. Looking at him makes me shiver. And he’s impossibly mean. He barks and grumbles about nearly everything and...” Bella swiped at a tear. Blast it! This was no time to cry! “Lady Clayworth, I’d rather convert to Catholicism and live the rest of my life out as a nun than marry my cousin.” And that was the truth of it. An option she could still keep open if needs be, no matter how dramatic it sounded.
“Well, I should hope it wouldn’t come to that.” The countess smiled sympathetically and squeezed Bella’s hand. She did have a calm exterior about her. Sitting beside Lady Clayworth made Bella feel a tiny bit better, as though the countess really could help fix her problem.
“If Bella is betrothed before her cousin arrives, she won’t have to marry her cousin,” Lissy explained.
Bella nodded quickly in agreement.
“All she needs is a borrowed fiancé, at least until her cousin returns to the continent.”
“Borrowed?” Lady Clayworth’s brow rose in surprise.
“Well, she may not want to keep him. I mean, what are the odds she’ll find the love of her life in the next fortnight?” Lissy shook her head. “That would be as likely as finding a needle in a haystack. We’d be better off finding a gentleman who wouldn’t mind being part of the ruse.”
The countess frowned a bit as though she was sorting something out in her mind. Hopefully that was a good sign.
“So you see,” Lissy continued, “I thought Lord Haversham might be convinced to be of service.”
Lady Clayworth’s frown transformed to a look of sheer horror in less than a second. “I hardly think Marc would be a good candidate.”
“But you and Clayworth are such good friends with him.”
The countess heaved a sigh and cast a rueful glance in Bella’s direction. “I adore Lord Haversham. We both do. I owe him a debt I can never repay, but I’m certain Lady Arabella would like to leave this pretend betrothal with her reputation intact.”
Goodness! She didn’t even want to think about what her grandfather would do if her reputation ended up in shards. “Most definitely.”
“I’m certain Haversham could be convinced to help you, but he never helps without a cost, and I doubt you would want to pay his price.”
Whatever that meant, Bella was certain she didn’t want any part of it. “No, I don’t think I would,” she breathed out.
Lissy conceded with a sigh. “I thought about Edmund, but Fin refused to even listen to me.”
“You talked to Lord Carraway about this?” Lady Clayworth laughed. “What were you thinking?”
“That he might, for once, not be so blasted stuffy,” Lissy grumbled. “But, of course, he was. He doesn’t know any other way to be.”
The countess cast her a mischievous grin. “You’re always so hard on him.”
“Not that it does either of us any good.” Lissy shook her head. “But enough about him. We need to find a good candidate for Bella.” She sighed. “If only Tristan wasn’t already married.”