by T. S. Ryder
"What's this I hear about you engaging yourself to Maximillian Barnes? Have you no shame, turning into a common confidence scammer?"
"Certainly not!" Scarlett narrowed her eyes at her old mentor. "Where did you hear about my… engagement, anyway?"
"I have my sources. It will be all over the tabloids by tonight." Hao folded his hands over his cane. "If you are not running a confidence scam, then what exactly are you doing, Scarlett? Have you turned against the greater good to drown yourself in diamonds? Or do you think you will break the institution from the inside?"
"You have it all wrong, Hao," Scarlett said, folding her arms. Her lower lip stuck out, like the teenager she was when Hao first found her. She wasn't proud of it, but for some reason, she always felt like a child around her mentor, and inevitably slipped back into the role.
"I do, do I?" Hao looked at wedding dress she was wearing pointedly. "So you are just trying on that ridiculous costume for fun, are you? You do know that that single gown could feed half a dozen families for a month?"
"More than that," Scarlett protested. "You've underestimated its value."
She wasn't helping her case any and dropped her arms to smooth down the tight skirt. Her fingers caught on the jewels spaced throughout the intricate embroidery. It felt suddenly decadent to be wearing such a ridiculous gown and she dropped her head, ashamed.
"Why don't you tell me what it is you are up to?" Hao's voice was even as he gazed at her.
With a sigh, Scarlett explained the events of the previous night and the deal she had made with Max. Saying it out loud made the whole thing sound even more preposterous than it had up until this moment, and Scarlet ended by sitting in a provided chair, the tight wedding dress making it hard to breathe. She felt like she was going to burst out of it at any moment.
Hao had been quiet as she spoke, and once she was done, he shook his head. Disapproval was coming off him in waves and Scarlett felt even more ashamed than she had when she had started. This pretense, even though she was not the one to suggest it, was certainly not the action of a woman who considered herself to be well-mannered and full of social grace.
"I don't care if it is ungentlewomanly," she muttered in a petulant tone. "Sometimes a woman must fight against social constraint. Can I call myself a strong woman if I do not forge my own path from time to time?"
"I cannot say that I am pleased with this course of action, Scarlett. It would have been better had you not allowed your hubris to overtake you. But as you said, you must forge your path from time to time. As long as this Barnes does not take liberties you are unwilling to give, then I can't say anything more on the subject."
Scarlett glanced up through her lashes, hoping to see Hao's gentle smile. It was there, and she got to her feet again, embracing him to show her thanks.
"If you do end up taking this… masquerade too far, don't forget to invite me to the wedding." Hao winked at her, earning a laugh. "And whatever else you might do for the ceremony, do not wear a dress that looks like this. It's all wrong for you, my Scarlett, all wrong. It shows none of your elegance, and it's so… boringly traditional. You need something with a bit more spunk."
"And not white," Scarlett added. "Blue or black."
Hao tilted his head, nodding his approval. "Blue. An elegant navy blue. Perhaps with some contrasting embroidery."
Scarlett clapped her hands. "Yes, that would be perfect."
"Well, I must be off." He patted her cheek affectionately. "A gentleman's work is never done."
Scarlet embraced him again, not wanting him to leave. Everything had happened so quickly that, until this moment, she hadn't had time to really process what was happening. Now that she understood exactly what she was doing, it was frightening. She wanted Hao to come back to Max's mansion and solve the problem like he had so often done in the past. But, as she had said, she needed to forge her own path, and this was certainly one of those moments. So she released him and stepped back.
"If I do get married," she said, smiling because there wasn't anything else to do, "you will have to walk me down the aisle. You're the closest thing I have to a father."
Hao squeezed her hand. "It would be my honor."
With a smile and a final doff of his hat, he slipped from the dressing room. Moments later the bridal consultant was back, and Scarlett plastered a smile onto her face, determined to play the excited bride to the best of her capabilities.
Chapter Three
Two months later, Scarlett had her first 'official date' with Max. They had spent those two months getting to know each other, and collaborating a story about how they had met. Most importantly, they decided how he had proposed. They disagreed on the finer details, but that was the only natural between real couples, so they let it slide in their fake relationship.
For their first real date, where her identity as Maximillian Barnes' fiancée was officially revealed to the world, Scarlett insisted that they go see a Broadway musical. There was something about a live performance that thrilled and immersed her the way a movie, no matter how enjoyable, could not. She had actually been surprised to learn that Max preferred theater over cinema as well. Actually, she found it surprising how well they got along. Conversation was easy between them as if they had really had known each other for years before Max proposed.
"I'm just saying that the girl who played the maid ought to have been the lead soprano," Scarlett said, as Max helped her into her coat in the lobby of the theater. The play, which Max had chosen, had been surprisingly racy and left Scarlett with a pounding heart.
"I'm not disagreeing with you that her voice was better," Max said, wrapping a scarf around his neck. "But she was far too old to be the countess, and the maid had the next largest role."
Scarlett indulged herself in an eye-roll as they left the theater. It was a crisp, bright night full of lights. Max had an apartment within walking distance that they would be spending the night in, and she was glad for the walk. After sitting in the theater for so long, her body ached for movement.
Scarlett collected her thoughts to counter Max's argument as they headed off into the clear night. "The countess doesn't need to be as young as she was cast."
"The main point of the story is the scandal from the age gap between her and her husband. A young actress is necessary."
"The count was made to look well into his nineties," Scarlet countered. "The maid couldn't have been more than thirty, that's still a massive age gap with a ninety-year-old husband. The actress would have been just as suited to be a young wife as the seventeen-year-old they cast. Or are you saying that a thirty-year-old bride is just the right age for a ninety-year-old groom?"
Max laughed and inclined his head. "You win, madam. Quite correctly. The maid was plenty young enough to play the countess."
Scarlett nodded, satisfied with her work. They had gone a block by this time, and as they passed through an alley, a flash of movement caught her eye. Even as she turned, she felt a hand clasp over her wrist and pull her off balance. The sharp edge of a knife pressed against her ribs, making her gasp. Madoc! He'd found out who she was!
"Give me your wallet and watch," rasped a male voice. He sounded even more frightened than Scarlett felt.
Not Madoc, then, or anybody sent by him.
She twisted and saw that the man who held her captive wasn't much more than a boy. He could only be sixteen, and he had wide, frightened eyes and a trembling hand. Not a criminal at all, just a boy making a desperate choice. Scarlett couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She ran through all the ways she could disarm him in her mind, but didn't attempt to free herself just yet, curious as to what Max would do.
"Give me the wallet!" The boy insisted.
Max held up his hands, his expression calm. "Hold up there. Let's not lose our cool. You look hungry. Why don't you let my fiancée go so we can grab something to eat and talk this through?"
The boy's expression contorted. A look of anger flashed through his eyes and he pressed th
e knife snugger against Scarlett's ribs. She grabbed his wrist, ready to do what she needed to do to avoid getting hurt, but Max shook his head minutely, as though telling her not to.
"All right," he said, "you can have my wallet."
He drew out the wallet and held it out towards the boy, who roughly pushed Scarlett away to snatch it. Before his fingers could close on the leather, though, Max had moved forward. He slapped the knife from the boy's hand and grabbed his wrist, twisting him around. With one hand firmly clasping the boy's wrist, he grabbed the back of his jacket and hoisted him from the ground.
"I was in the Marines, you picked the wrong man to mug."
"Let me go!"
"Can you bring that?" Max said pleasantly, nodding towards the fallen knife.
Scarlett, gaping, did as he asked. The boy squirmed in Max's grasp, but the billionaire easily carried him to his apartment building. The doorman looked at them strangely as they passed. Scarlett skirted past him, not daring to even try to make up an excuse for this. Anything she said would just make him more suspicious.
The boy had stopped fighting by the time they got to the apartment, a lush open-concept space with a loft bedroom.
Only one bedroom. And the couch didn't look too comfortable. Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Max as he deposited their would-be mugger at the kitchen table. Did he think he could change her mind on the no-sex rule? It would explain the racy play he had chosen…
She found herself hoping that he would try… Max was not the arrogant jerk she had thought he would be. In fact, if he weren't so obscenely wealthy, she might even consider calling him a gentleman.
Max looked at the boy, folding his massive arms. "What's your name?"
"Sam. What are you going to do with me?"
"What's your story, Sam?"
The boy shifted in his seat, scowling.
Max pulled a loaf of bread and jar of jam from the fridge. "You got allergies?"
Sam's eyes widened slightly as he shook his head.
"I'm going to make you a sandwich, and you’re going to tell us why you're mugging people," Max said coolly. "Deal?"
Scarlett sat next to the boy. "We're not going to call the police. Are we, Max?"
The billionaire shrugged and shook his head. "Guess not."
"My dad's sick," the boy muttered, glaring suspiciously at them. "My mom works three jobs, but I need to help bring in some money to pay the bills. But nobody will hire me. We need the money."
Max grunted. He pushed the sandwich to the boy. After a moment, Sam tore into it like he hadn't eaten all day. Scarlett resisted the urge to pat his back and dig out the money from Max's wallet to give to him. This was exactly why she did what she did. No child should have to take this amount of responsibility just to keep the family's head above water. The basic staples of life—food, water, shelter, medical care—those should be rights, not privileges that could only be bought.
This child wasn't a criminal. The system, strangling the life out of his childhood, then blaming him for doing what he needed to do to put food on his family's table, was criminal. Why couldn't more people see that?
Scarlett realized she was glaring at Max, who deliberately ignored her. He was writing something in a notebook–no, his checkbook. Scarlett's eyes widened as he tore out a check and handed it to Sam.
"Take it," he urged, as Sam stared at the check. "That ought to be enough for the rest of the month. And I've written my PA's number on the back of it, call him and tell him that I want to give you a job. You're still in high school, right?"
The boy nodded.
"Stay in school. If you graduate, I'll pay your college tuition. Got it?"
Sam cautiously took the check, looking like he had been hit by a bus. Scarlett stared at Max with much the same expression. She continued staring even after the boy finished his sandwich and was sent on his way, check in hand. It was only then that Max turned to her, arching a brow.
"Impressed?" he asked, giving her the most charming smile she had ever seen from him.
"I…" A gentlewoman never lied. But she also didn't have to tell the whole truth. "I don't see how you think saving one boy makes up for all the other families out there in the same situation."
Max's smile faltered. "I can't help them all. It would take more than just my wealth."
"You could still do a lot more than you do. You own a mansion on the outskirts of the city, an apartment in the heart of it. Property in Hawaii, even a whole island if the rumor is true. Do you really need all that? Do you need a private jet? There are people in this city who need food. And yet you spend your money on diamonds."
Max sat on the stool next to hers, a heavy frown on his face. "I haven't bought jewelry in years, I donate a significant sum to charities and I make a point to give money to random people I see on the street. Would you suggest I sell everything and give away all my money to temporary solutions?"
"No." Scarlet shook her head. "You're right, it would take more than just your wealth to change the world, but you could change thousands of lives. But I think this is a conversation for another time. Where am I going to sleep?"
A slow smile curled Max's lips. There was a gleam in his eye that made Scarlett's heart beat faster and a flush rise in her cheeks. So he was hoping to change her mind on the no-sex rule. That must be why he’d chosen such a racy play. She lightly smacked his arm.
"Don't you recall the rule I made about—"
"I remember," he interrupted. "But did I agree?"
His hand rested on her knee, sliding her skirt up her thigh. Scarlett had to stop herself from shivering at his light touch, a fire lighting in her belly. What would Hao say about this? Was it turning too much into a confidence scheme? Her insides quivered when Max's hand stopped inches too soon.
No, because I'm not using my relationship to steal anything. We're just redefining the rules of our agreement
"You agreed," she said, but her voice trembled with desire. "I suppose one tiny exception wouldn't hurt—"
Max was on his feet in an instant, hiking her skirt up so he could spread her thighs around his hips. His mouth was on hers, turning her into hot jelly, but Scarlett didn't care. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth closer. She loved the sensation of his hard chest against her.
He easily lifted her from the stool and carried her up the loft stairs to the bed.
Chapter Four
A sliver of light peeking through the blackout curtains woke Scarlett. She yawned and rolled over. When she didn't bump into a big, strong man, she patted the bed, looking for Max. Nothing. Cracking an eye open revealed she was in the bed alone.
Odd. In the three months that she and Max had been together, he had never gotten up before her. The man liked his sleep.
Yawning, Scarlett climbed out of bed and hunted for the clothes she'd shed the previous night. It still amazed her that, even after three months, Max was just as wild in bed as he had been the first time they were together.
Together in bed, she corrected herself. He's great to have some fun with but it would never work long-term between us.
She tried to ignore the pang of regret that hit her when she considered that they'd only keep up this charade for another seven months. Though Max clearly enjoyed having her company (especially at night, a voice in the back of her head whispered) he hadn't made any indication that he was looking to legitimize their relationship. Not that she wanted it legitimized. She still held the belief that nobody had a right to be as rich as Maximillian Barnes when there were children going hungry or drinking dirty water, and that was a deal breaker for any relationship they could have.
But maybe if I was part of this world, I could encourage more change to happen…
With a groan, Scarlett shook her head. Above all else, a gentlewoman was logical and precise. She did not throw out her hard-earned reputation and skills for flights of fancy. A man like Barnes could have any woman he wanted. He was probably only sleeping with her because she’d told hi
m that she wasn't going to.
Men who had everything were like that. As soon as they were told no they wanted the shiny new toy, even if they hadn't so much as glanced at it before. Scarlett was just that, a shiny new toy, and she was fine with that because that was all Max was to her as well. At least, that was what she kept trying to tell herself. Even if that wasn't the case, how much change could she encourage?
She yanked on her clothes–designer jeans and a tailored top Max had bought for her; he insisted that if people were going to believe she was his fiancée, she had to look the part, and that meant wearing socks that cost fifty dollars each–and left the bedroom. Maybe Max was in the kitchen helping Vanessa make breakfast. It surprised her that a man with as much muscle on his body as Max had a mostly vegetarian diet, but she hadn't seen him eat meat since she arrived. Eggs and dairy products were all staples, but no meat.
Her musings were cut short by the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned, smiling–and found herself staring down the barrel of a semiautomatic gun. Adrenaline flooded her system and she had to force herself not to run. The man holding the gun was wearing a black ski mask, and as Scarlett raised her hands to show she wasn't armed, he shoved the gun into her stomach. Her heart clenched and she swallowed back a curse word.
Has Madoc finally found out who I am? This wasn't necessarily him–she'd already be dead if it was, wouldn't she? Stay calm.
"You're not going to give me any trouble, are you?" the masked man asked.
She shook her head.
"Good."
He spun her around, clapping a hand on her shoulder while keeping the gun buried in her ribs. They marched down the hallway silently. Scarlett let the man set the pace, not wanting to set him off. There was no hesitation in his hold on the gun. He was clearly a professional. Even if she could disarm him, he'd have friends around. She wouldn't make it to the front door before getting gunned down. Especially if they had been sent by Madoc.
