And just as good, if not better, than that lady in the shop!
“Then I’ll help you,” she said. “What exactly will I be required to do?”
“Thank you,” the earl said. Jenny frowned as he walked to the window.
Rising from her seat, she came to stand beside him.
“Is something wrong, my lord?” she asked.
Lord Dowding cast his gaze upon her. “I fear you’ll forget it is only a ruse. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Jenny nodded. “I understand. But you can’t deny that we share an admiration for one another.”
“It is something I cannot have!” he said in a harsh whisper.
“Then you must trust us to remain friends,” she said, although it hurt her to say as much. “I’ll be a part of this ruse to help you. And don’t worry, after the ball, I’ll return to being nothing more than a friend.”
Lord Dowding smiled. “We must take care that word of this engagement does not spread.”
“It won’t be as difficult as you seem to believe it will be,” Jenny said. “I can be presented to Lord Tulk as your fiancée, but only to him. He’s not from Chatsworth or the surrounding area. From what I gather, he has no reason to believe I’m someone other than who you say I am. And then we won’t have to make any excuses to end the engagement.”
For a moment, Lord Dowding smiled at her. Surely, he could see the brilliance of her plan!
“Yes, it is simple, isn’t it?” he said with a laugh. “Lord Tulk spends most of his time in gaming hells or gentlemen’s clubs and is rarely found mingling in polite society.” His smile widened. “There is no need to worry about him mentioning it to anyone of consequence.”
Jenny nodded. “Then it appears we have everything in order?”
Lord Dowding rubbed at his chin. “How about this? I’ll have you over for luncheon again this week. Bring your mask, and we’ll see if you can pass my test.”
“Test?”
The earl nodded. “We can have you use your name, but I suggest we create an entirely new history for you. Your family, your circumstances, everything about you. That way, if Lord Tulk asks, neither of us shall be caught off guard. I’ll ask you questions about this or that, and you’ll respond as required.”
Jenny’s heart leapt in excitement as she listened to his plan. She would be a spy of sorts to aid in his mission. Designing a perfect history would not be difficult. The time they would spend together would be the reward.
Yet another thought came to mind, one that damped her lively spirits.
“May I ask you a question, my lord?”
“Of course.”
“Who was the lady I mentioned? The one with the black hair? If you have an interest in her, I understand.”
“What is it you believe you understand?” he asked.
Jenny dropped her gaze to her hands, which she was wringing in her skirts to keep from pulling at her braid. “She’s very beautiful, has a perfect figure, and commands attention. I know she and I are not rivals—you and I are merely friends, after all—but I understand if you have designs on her.”
That, of course, made no sense. If he was interested in that lady, would he not simply ask her to marry him and thus, solve his current dilemma?
Then, to her surprise, Lord Dowding placed a finger beneath her chin and raised her head. “I can assure you, Miss Clifton, that woman can never rival you. For no creature as beautiful as you exists on this earth.”
The room began to spin and breathing became difficult as Jenny looked into the depths of his dark eyes. Nothing else existed—the drawing room, the school—just she and Lord Dowding.
“She is but an annoyance, a thorn in my side, and a woman for whom I care little. She was in my life only for a second, but it’s my hope that you’ll be there for eternity.”
Jenny’s heart swelled. He drew nearer, and she held her breath. He wished to kiss her! She glanced at Louisa, but her friend was searching through her sewing basket and would see nothing.
Tilting her head, she parted her lips, waiting for his lips to touch his. She had never been kissed before, and she could not wait to see what all the commotion about it was. Every girl talked about her first kiss as if it were the most wonderful moment in her life, and she, Jenny, would learn the truth.