"Miri, wait!" Without truly realizing what he was doing, Will reached out and snagged her by the arm. She gasped in shock, but this time did not attempt to pull away, though she did shake a bit in his grip. If anything, she seemed surprised that he was even touching her. As well she should be, for it was most improper of him. Still, he hung on to her until he knew she would not bolt. Or topple over. He had no idea how long her bad leg could support her and she was already leaning heavily on her walking stick. "Please. Forgive me. And I really do wish to know what you think. I was serious before." He searched her gaze. "And I am Will, remember? And I am sorry. Truly. I would also greatly value your perspective on the matter."
She looked up at him with glistening eyes and once more, he was amazed at her silent strength.
"Why?" She wasn't attempting to be coy, he quickly realized as she stood there looking up at him with those vivid green eyes which were quickly regaining some more of their earlier fire and sparkle. She honestly wanted to know why he had changed his mind.
"Because I want your opinion, and I believe that you are one of the few people I know - sort of - who would be honest with me in their assessment. You don't know me, at least not really, and you offer me a level head, which others that I am closer with cannot." Which was, he realized, the truth. He did want to hear what this rather odd woman would say to him. She was likely to be more honest with him than Anna would be.
At first, he thought she would refuse and attempt to rush past him. However, she eventually took a step back and nodded. "Very well. As I have said, I think that you need the coin more than you desire the bedsport. A man who looks as you do can bed a woman of his choice rather easily. And you have before. It is no secret. Therefore, it must be funds that you desire and you must be quite desperate, for peers do not engage in this sort of behavior."
He smiled then, for this young woman could somehow look into his soul and see what more sophisticated women like Lady Colchester could not. It was an honest smile, his first in a long time. "You would not believe how scarce funds are at the moment."
"I think I can." Her eyes were unfocused now, as if she saw something else deep in her mind. A memory, perhaps, of when the Raynecourt coffers were depleted, had there ever been such a time.
Just as quickly, Will sobered. "But I need the money and I need your silence, as well. I have no coin, as I'm certain you suspect, but if there is a way I can buy your silence about what you heard this evening, I would be forever grateful. I might be reduced to whoring my body, but I do still have some small shred of pride left, though admittedly not much. What is your price, Lady Miri? I will gladly pay it if I am able. And if I cannot, I will offer you what I can."
She was silent for a long moment and Will could almost feel himself begin to sweat. Finally, with a little bit of the spirit she had possessed earlier, she looked at him with those clear, emerald eyes again. "Would you entertain a counter-offer for your services?"
"What?" Will yelped in shock. Of all of the things she could have asked for, that was not among them. "You wish for me to bed you?" He would, of course, if she demanded it of him, for he desperately needed her silence, and it would certainly be no hardship to lie with her, but she was an innocent, a virgin. He did not defile young women of good breeding as a general rule. Just how far was he willing to lower himself anyway? He was almost afraid to find out.
"Yes," she said quickly, "but not right off, for that's not the sort of lady I am. What I mean to say is...oh, drat it all! How does one go about this, anyway?" She raked his body with her gaze again. It was clear that she desired him, or at the very least, found him attractive. "Not that you are repulsive or anything. You are not. In fact, you are quite handsome."
"Good to know," he mumbled, thinking this night could not possibly get any stranger.
"Now it is my turn to apologize. I did not mean that the way it came out." She took a step towards him again. "I...oh!" She lost her breath as her leg buckled beneath her. She would have fallen had he not been there to catch her. There was something so very right about the weight of this woman in his arms, something he did his best not to dwell upon.
On wobbly legs, she allowed him to guide her to a nearby settee, her leg obviously beginning to pain her. How could he have missed the signs that she was in distress? The way she had begun to shake as they stood there speaking and the way she had trembled when he grasped her arms? He thought she was just upset, but now he could see that she was in pain.
What sort of gentleman was he? Not a very good one, clearly. That was not exactly a surprise.
Once she was settled, he took a seat beside her and expelled a long breath. "Better?" he asked and was grateful when she nodded in assent. "Excellent." He paused and blew out another breath. "So what are you asking of me, my fair Lady Miri? What sort of service do you wish for me to provide? Is it sexual in nature or is it not?" He refused to get his hopes up that she could and would offer him an alternative to the grasping, sickening Lady Colchester. He would still be a paid whore, but the woman he would have to bed would be far more...delectable. One he would freely choose if he was able.
This time when she met his gaze, he glimpsed again the woman who had emerged from behind the curtain. He liked her when she was strong and defiant much better than the emotionally battered woman she had become when he had flung those harsh words at her. "I heard Lady Colchester's offer." This Lady Miri sounded more businesslike and Will had to wonder if she as more assertive when dealing with practical matters. "And I wish to counter her offer. Like her, I would also give you time decide upon your answer."
Will hated this sinking feeling in his stomach. Had he met Lady Miri under different circumstances, he might have courted her properly, but after this? Well, it was just another dream of his that was dying before it could even begin to take root and grow. He could not bed her and then wed her. That was just not done and it was clear to him in this moment that the bedchamber was precisely what was on her mind. "What are your terms?"
"I will give you one hundred thousand pounds, the first fifty to be paid at the beginning of our association and the second at the end of it. I will also ensure that your sister, Lady Anna, is the recipient of The Letter given by the ton's Aunt Beanie to one young lady in need every Season." Miri's bright green eyes were clear now, as if she had never been on the verge of tears. Will marveled at her strength again and wished he possessed a mere fraction of it. "I suspect that the expense of your sister's Season is at least in part what is driving you to sell your body to a woman like Lady Colchester. With The Letter, all of Lady Anna's expenses will be covered, leaving you free to use the whole of the funds you receive from me elsewhere if you like."
Will's gaze narrowed. "How do you know about Anna? Did Madame LaVallier gossip about the canceled wardrobe order? She swore she would not!"
Miri met his direct gaze with one of her own. "Do not blame the dressmaker. As far as I know, she has not spoken to anyone. However, you have a sister who is, as yet, unwed. It is hardly a secret. It does not take much to make the leap from your dire need of funds as to the reason why." She boldly reached out and covered his hand with hers, shocking him again. "I know that many claim I am addle-brained, but I can assure you, Will, that I am not."
"I never thought you were," strangely pleased that she was already once more comfortable enough with him to use his Christian name. "And in return for this largesse? What do you require of me?"
Once more, she seemed uncertain. Then, she held her head high and threw her shoulders back, drawing his attention to her breasts once again. This woman would be his undoing if he allowed it. "I require you to bed me. But not at first."
"So I am to be your whore and not Lady Colchester's?" Will did not like the way his gut churned or his cock hardened at the idea.
"Yes and no," Miri amended. "I rather hoped that you would court me, as it were. At least in the beginning."
"You wish for me to...court you." Will could not believe what she was asking. Di
d she not wish for his body in some fashion? Certainly she had every right to demand just that, at least based on what Lady Colchester had demanded - and at a much lower cost.
Lady Miri nodded. "Yes. At least for a little bit. I don't ask that you marry me. I have no desire for a husband, and I suspect you have even less desire to have me as a wife. I am not the sort of woman that men lose their heads over." She sighed and looked away. "However, at present, my family believes I need a husband to, shall we say, improve my reputation. I am afraid that if I do not secure at least a proper suitor, then they will select one for me and he would likely expect marriage. I...do not want that."
"And?" he prodded gently, for she had still not addressed the sexual part of their agreement.
"And the courtship shall be nothing more than a ruse so that you might teach me about passion, for that is truly what I wish to know." She looked at him with hopeful eyes. "For all of Society, we would appear to be a respectable courting couple, for that is the only way we might spend time together. But when we are alone?"
Will felt that sickening feeling in his gut. "I would fuck you? I would bed you and use your body for pleasure? Is that about the right of it?" He hated to be so crass, but he needed to be clear what she was asking of him.
"In time," Miri agreed, "and likely sooner rather than later as I am afraid our time together might be limited and our opportunities for coupling few. It may sound strange to you, Will, but more than anything, I wish to know passion. I desire to know what it's like to lie with a man and feel him move inside of me." She sighed. "But I also know that due to my infirmity, I am far behind other women my age in that knowledge. I also know that no man will marry a deformed creature like me without a large incentive, such as dowry. Yet I do not wish for any man I might wed to know how much coin I possess for then I would never know if he loved me or my fortune. So when I heard Lady Colchester make you that offer..."
"You decided that if she could purchase me, you might be able to as well," Will finished for her.
Miri nodded. "As I said, we would appear to have a respectable courtship. Neither of us would be harmed socially and no one would have to know what we are about when we are alone. It would also prevent others like her from seeking you out, which, I suspect, you do not desire." She bit her lip hesitantly. "My offer is, I think, likely more than Lady Colchester could offer you. Moreover, you would bed me and only me. There would be no other woman. No man, either. Nor would I press you into stud service or offer you to my friends. There would be just me. I do not think I could abide another person in my chambers while we are doing....that." She blushed a bit, indicating that she was not nearly as calm about this as she pretended to be.
"And when we are finished?" Will hated himself that he was even considering this, but the idea of bedding Miri Raynecourt made his blood heat in a way it never had before. Not to mention her money would go a long way to solving his problems and he would be able to remain respectable in the eyes of the ton. Just so long as he could live with himself afterward. Could he? He did not know, but the offer was sorely tempting.
She shrugged. "I shall throw you over. I do not plan to wed anyway, so if my reputation is harmed, there is nothing to worry about. You would, of course, be viewed as the victim in all of this and your reputation as a gentleman preserved. Then you would be free to wed as you liked."
"So I pretend to court you like a respectable lady in public and bed you like a whore in private." Will's heart pounding in his chest and his mind screamed that this was insanity. "Is that about the right of it?"
"Yes." Miri nodded with finality, though he could see the uncertainty lurking in her eyes. She was not so sure of this plan as she would like him to believe. That gave him some degree of comfort though he did not know why.
Knowing that he would hate himself later but also knowing that Miri's offer was the lesser of two evils, Will expelled a long breath. "Where do I sign?"
Chapter Four
When Susan yanked open the curtains in Miri's bedchamber the next morning, it felt to Miri as if she had only just gone to bed. Which wasn't far from the truth. When she had returned home only a few hours ago, her mind had been far too busy sorting out just what, exactly, she had agreed to and how she would deal with the consequences. Not to mention dealing with the associated paperwork - which promised to be enormous for her solicitor. And, of course, swearing all parties to secrecy. That was a must as well.
Yet she never once questioned her decision. She had done the right thing by approaching Will. Miri was certain of that, at least.
Though last night after Will had accepted her counter offer, Miri had been rendered speechless at first. She hadn't really expected him to agree to her proposal. Despite his poverty, Lord William Davenport had always seemed far too noble and gentlemanly to debase himself in that manner. Or willing to take advantage of a helpless female. Except that he wasn't.
His agreement to her counteroffer clearly spoke to just how wretched his situation was and just how desperate he had become. Miri's suspicion was that much of his desperation had to do with his sister. Lady Anna Davenport was not yet wed, and it took a great deal of coin to secure a proper husband for a young woman, no matter how beautiful she was. There were also rumors that the rather wicked and lecherous Marquess of Winthrop had been sniffing around Lady Anna's skirts for quite some time, eager to make the lady his new bride. If that was true, based on what Miri knew of the gentleman, Will had good reason to be concerned for his sister's welfare.
When Miri had looked into Will's eyes when he offered her his hand so that they might shake on the agreement as gentlemen would, she caught a brief glimpse of his desperation. And pain. Then Miri understood. Just as she was willing to make her offer to Will in order to protect both her and her family, he was accepting her offer for the same reason. He would sacrifice himself to save his sister.
That knowledge had flooded Miri with shame, for she felt as if she was taking advantage of Will. Still that shame was not enough to convince her to change her mind. For she was, in her own way, just as desperate as he was.
Miri did not desire a husband who would rule and command her for the rest of her life. Oh, she had no doubt that there were nice, kind gentlemen in Society that she might be ideally matched with. The only problem was, those men didn't want her. After all, she was a cripple. Therefore, that left her with all but the dregs of Society to pick from for a husband. Or a desperate and impoverished gentleman with a good heart who was just enough of a rake to bed an innocent if she asked nicely. And paid well. Therefore, like Will, Miri had picked the lesser of two very unsuitable situations.
At heart, they weren't so different, she and Will. Which gave Miri some measure of reassurance that she was doing the correct thing for all involved. The only thing she possibly could, given the circumstances. At least that was what she told herself as she had watched her small, gloved hand slide into Will's much larger one as they sealed their deal.
After that, there was little more to do than work out a few of the finer details so that they might begin their contract.
To begin, Miri had written down the name of Will's solicitor on a scrap of paper that she then tucked into her reticule for safe keeping. She had also informed him of when Lady Anna could expect The Letter to arrive and what would transpire after that. Miri didn't reveal what the contents of the letter would be, for she had not yet decided how generous the young woman's stipend for the Season should be. Miri also informed Will that the timetable for the seduction and ultimate bedding would be left to his discretion but that she fully expected to be debauched by the end of April. After all, they were on something of a schedule.
For his part, Will had outlined exactly how he would handle women like Lady Colchester who would likely still approach him about warming their beds. He also stated that he would deal with any resulting gossip, since that would be expected of him as a gentleman. He would plan outings for them, make sure she had the appropriate token gifts as a courti
ng gentleman should provide, as well as make certain that as things progressed between them, there would be plenty of opportunities for them to be alone when the appropriate time came. He also stated that in exchange for his body and his bedding of her that he would buy her silence in the matter - which she had quickly agreed to without hesitation. After all, she did not wish for anyone to learn of their arrangement any more than he did.
Overall, Miri didn't like the idea of so many details being out of her control, but she did concede that every suggestion and solution to a potential problem Will brought up were ones that he should attend to rather than her. If it had been up to Miri, she would have controlled every last little detail, but she could not. If she did? The risk of being discovered was great. After all, proper young ladies of good standing with an eye towards marriage did not call upon unwed gentlemen as they pleased or send letters demanding rides in the parks or ices at Gunter's. Any woman who indulged in that sort of behavior was thought fast and loose, and if Miri went down that path, it was all but certain they would be discovered.
As she had departed her family's library at Will's urging so that she might return to the ballroom, Miri had felt extremely unsettled, her stomach twisted into knots. She had done her best to convince herself that it was only because she was not in complete control of the situation. It could not possibly be because she had taken a man's life and reduced it to the sum total of a hundred thousand pounds. No, that was not the reason at all.
Still in something of a wretched mood, Miri had entered the ballroom and, as she had expected, had immediately been pounced upon by both her mother and Sarah who demanded to know where Miri had gone off to. Especially since she had missed the dances with Lord Buxton and Lord Stillborough. Stillborough had been especially put out as he had his eye on Miri as his future viscountess and new mother to his brood of nine unruly children, which included two sets of twins. Well, according to Miri's mother anyway, that was the case. And that idea, of course, had likely been planted by Sarah.
An Earl For Hire Page 5
