“It’s all right,” Annabel said quickly. “I don’t need the talk.”

That got her grandmother’s attention. “Really?” she asked, suddenly very interested.

“Well, I don’t need it right now,” Annabel hedged. “Or maybe not…ever. From you,” she continued, albeit more quietly.

“Eh?”

“I’m from the country,” she said with false brightness. “Lots of…animals…and…er…”

“Look,” Lady Vickers said. “You may know things about sheep that I’m sure I don’t wish to hear about, but I still know a thing or two about marriage to an overweight nobleman.”

Annabel sank into a chair. Whatever knowledge her grandmother was about to impart, she wasn’t sure she could take it standing up.

“It all comes down to one thing,” Lady Vickers said, wagging a finger toward her. “When he’s done, stick your legs straight up in the air.”

The blood drained from Annabel’s face.

“No, do it,” her grandmother insisted. “Trust me. It’ll help keep the seed in, and the sooner you start carrying, the sooner you can stop having to sleep with him. That, my dear, is the key to a successful marriage.”

Annabel picked up her book and rose to her feet, moving as if in a daze. “I’m going to go lie down now.”

Lady Vickers smiled. “Of course, dear. Oh! I almost forgot. We’re leaving town this evening.”

“What? Where?” And how would she let Sebastian know?

“Winifred is hosting an impromptu party in the country,” she said, “and you are going.”

“I am?”

“I have to go, too, the bloody, stupid…”

Annabel’s mouth fell open as she listened to the stream of invective, impressive even for her grandmother.

“I hate the country,” Lady Vickers grumbled. “It’s a waste of perfectly good air.”

“Do we have to go?”

“Of course we have to go, you nitwit. One of us had to take matters in hand.”

“What do you mean?” Annabel asked carefully.

“She’s a conniving little cow, but Winifred owes me a favor,” her grandmother said sharply. “So she’s made sure that Newbury will be in attendance. I couldn’t stop her from inviting the other one, too, though.”

“Seb-Mr. Grey?” Annabel asked, dropping her book.

“Yes, yes,” Lady Vickers said, sounding much aggrieved. She waited for about half a second while Annabel fumbled about, dropping the book once more before finally managing to set it down on a table. “I suppose I can’t blame her,” she continued. “It’ll be the invitation of the season.”

“He’s agreed to attend? Even knowing that his uncle will be there?”

“Who knows? She only sent out the invitations this afternoon.” Lady Vickers gave a shrug. “He is a handsome one.”

“What has that got to do with-” Annabel shut her mouth. She didn’t want to know the answer.

“We leave in two hours,” Lady Vickers said, finishing off her drink.

“Two hours? I can’t possibly be ready by then.”

“Of course you can. The maids have already packed up your things. Winifred doesn’t live very far out of town, and the sun sets late this time of year. With good horses we can be there just after nightfall. And I’d much rather go this evening. I detest morning travel.”

“You’ve been very busy,” Annabel said.

Lady Vickers straightened her shoulders, looking quite proud of herself. “I have. You’d do well to emulate me. We’ll get you that earl yet.”

“But I-” Annabel froze, instantly silenced by the look on her grandmother’s face.

“Surely,” Lady Vickers said, her eyes narrowing to two icy chips, “you weren’t about to say that you don’t want him.”

Annabel said nothing. She had never heard her grandmother speak in such a menacing tone. Slowly, she shook her head.

“Good. Because I know that you would not wish to do anything that might make life more difficult for your brothers and sisters.”

Annabel actually took a step back. Could her grandmother be threatening her?

“Oh for God’s sake,” Lady Vickers snapped. “Don’t look so petrified. Do you think I’m going to beat you?”

“No! Just that-”

“You’ll marry the earl and carry on with the nephew on the side.”

“Grandmother!”

“Don’t look at me like a bloody Puritan. You couldn’t hope for a better situation. If you have the wrong baby at least it all stays in the family.”

Annabel was speechless.

“Oh, and by the by, Louisa is coming, too. That pinched-up old aunt of hers took a chill and can’t chaperone her this week, so I said I’d take her along. We don’t want her moldering in her room, do we?”

Annabel shook her head.

“Good. Get ready. We leave in an hour.”

“You said two hours.”

“Did I?” Lady Vickers blinked, then shrugged. “I must have lied. Better that than forgot, in any case.”

Annabel watched openmouthed as her grandmother left the room. Surely this would go down as the strangest, most momentous day in her life.

Except that she had a feeling that tomorrow might be even stranger…

Chapter Nineteen

The following morning

Sebastian knew exactly why he had been invited to Lady Challis’s house party. She had never liked him, and he had certainly never been invited to any Challis function before. But Lady Challis, for all her sanctimonious ways, was an extremely competitive hostess, and if she could arrange the party of the year by having Annabel, Sebastian, and the Earl of Newbury all under one roof, then by God she was going to do it.

Seb did not particularly relish being anyone’s puppet, but he wasn’t about to allow Newbury unfettered access to Annabel by refusing the invitation.

Besides, he had told Annabel he would give her a day to consider his proposal, and meant to keep his promise. If she was going to be in Berkshire, in the home of Lord and Lady Challis, then so would he.

Seb was not a fool, though, and he knew that the Ladies Vickers, Challis, and whichever else of their cronies were in attendance would be cheering on Lord Newbury in the battle for Annabel. The most successful wars were never fought alone, so he dragged Edward out of bed and tossed him in the carriage to Berkshire. Edward hadn’t been invited, but he was young, unmarried, and as far as Sebastian knew, in possession of all of his teeth. Which meant that he would never be turned away from a country house party. Never.

“Do Harry and Olivia know you’ve stolen their carriage?” Edward asked, rubbing his eyes.

“The correct term is commandeered, and yes, they know.” Sort of. Sebastian had left a note.

“Who’s going to be there?” Edward yawned.

“Cover your mouth.”

Edward gave him a dirty look.

Sebastian lifted his chin as he peered impatiently out the window. The street was crowded, and the carriage was moving along at crawl. “Besides Miss Winslow and my uncle, I have no idea.”

“Miss Winslow,” Edward said with a sigh.

“Don’t,” Seb snapped.

“What?”

“Don’t make that face when you’re thinking about her.”

“What face?”

“The one where you-” Seb went all stupid-eyed and let his tongue wag out the side of mouth. “That one.”

“Well, you must admit, she’s very-”

“Don’t say it,” Seb warned.

“I was going to say charming,” Edward informed him.

“You were not.”

“She has very nice-”

“Edward!”

“-eyes.” Edward gave a smirky smile.

Sebastian glared at him, crossed his arms, and looked out the window. Then he uncrossed his arms, glared at Edward once more for good measure, and kicked him.

“What was that for?”

“For whatever inappropriate comment you were about to make.”

Edward burst out laughing. And for once, Seb did not feel that he was being laughed with. This was definitely a laughing at.

“I have to say,” Edward opined, “it’s really rather amusing that you should fall in love with the woman your uncle wants to marry.”

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m not in love with her.”

“No,” Edward said mockingly, “you just want to marry her.”

“Olivia told you?” Damn it, he’d told Olivia not to say anything.

“She did not,” Edward said with a grin. “But you did.”

“Whelp,” Seb muttered.

“Do you think she’ll say yes?”

“Why wouldn’t she say yes?” Sebastian said defensively.

“Don’t misunderstand, were I a woman, I can think of no one else I’d prefer to marry-”

“I believe I speak for men across the world when I say that I am relieved that that is not a consideration.”

Edward pulled a face at the insult but took no offense. “Newbury can make her a countess,” he reminded.

“I might be able to,” Seb muttered.

“I thought you didn’t care about the earldom.”

“I don’t.” And he didn’t. Except maybe now he did. “Not for myself, anyway.”

Edward shrugged, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side. There was something familiar about the motion, something Sebastian could not quite place.

Until he realized it was a bit like looking into the mirror.

“She hates him,” he blurted out.

Edward yawned. “She wouldn’t be the first woman to marry a man she hated.”

“He’s three times her age.”

“Again, not the first.”

Seb finally threw out his hands in frustration. “Why are you saying all of this?”

Edward’s face grew serious. “I merely believe in being prepared.”

“So you think she will say no.”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I’ve never even seen the two of you in the same room. But I would rather see you pleasantly surprised than heartbroken.”

“My heart won’t be broken,” Seb grumbled. Because she wasn’t going to say no. She’d told him she couldn’t think clearly in his presence. If ever a woman wanted to say yes to a proposal of marriage it was Annabel.

But was wanting to say yes enough? Her grandparents would not be happy if she chose him over Newbury. And he knew that she was extremely concerned about her family’s lack of money. But surely she would not forsake her own happiness to gain them a few coins. It wasn’t as if they were teetering on the verge of the poorhouse. They couldn’t be, not with her brothers still in school. And Sebastian had money. Not as much as Newbury-oh very well, not even close-but he had some. Certainly enough to pay for her brothers’ education.