Still regarding her in bemusement, he offered her a crooked smile as he gingerly rubbed his jaw. “Gentleman Jackson would have admired your right hook, Miss Loring,” he remarked, referring to England’s greatest boxing champion.

Arabella’s mouth pursed with vexation. “How did you expect me to react when you accosted me that way? I was merely defending myself.”

At her retort, Marcus nodded in sympathy. “Which you did admirably. And no doubt I deserved worse for allowing myself to get carried away like that. I sincerely beg your pardon.”

When she didn’t reply to his apology, he dismounted slowly, keeping his eye on her.

Looking around for her own mount, Arabella seemed dismayed to see her horse grazing half a meadow away. She retreated a step, clearly preferring to remain a safe distance from him.

That made Marcus halt. He didn’t want to scare her off…not that he believed for one minute that she would scare easily.

“I am not accustomed to women running from me,” Marcus commented laconically.

“I am certain you aren’t,” she said, her tone dry.

“Yet you and your sisters appear to be making a habit of it. I’m informed that Roslyn and Lilian have been missing for several days now, ever since you received my missive expressing my intention to call today.”

Stiffening, Arabella lifted her chin. “I knew it! Your servants have been spying on us!”

It was indeed true, Marcus reflected. Over the past few days, he’d installed his own staff at Danvers Hall to supplement the two elderly retainers, chambermaid, and man-of-all-work, who tried valiantly but futilely to keep up the large estate. Servants loyal to him, who were willing to make regular reports on his wards. Arabella, he’d been told, had kept out of their way as much as possible, while her sisters were nowhere to be found.

“I wanted to begin setting the Hall to rights,” Marcus replied truthfully. “But pray don’t change the subject, Miss Loring. I don’t doubt that you arranged your sisters’ disappearance in an effort to thwart me.”

Arabella returned an innocent smile. “They developed a curious case of spots.”

“Did they now?” Marcus said.

“Yes. A rash that was obviously a reaction to your intended visit. I worried that it was catching, so I sent them away in order to spare your health.”

Marcus laughed. “Come now, Arabella. Can’t we agree to sheathe our swords for a time? I don’t want a battle with you.”

Her determined expression softened a measure. “I don’t want a battle with you either, my lord, but you refuse to understand that we won’t be married off by a dictatorial guardian.”

“I don’t intend to marry you off to anyone, I promise. In fact, I mean to marry you myself.”

He could tell by the hiss of her breath that he had shocked her almost as much as he had shocked himself. It was incredible, Marcus thought, that he would actually consider the astonishing step of abandoning his precious bachelorhood and marrying his eldest ward.

But his decision felt…right somehow.

Now, though, he had to make Arabella see the logic of his proposal and convince her that accepting was in her own best interests.

“You mean to m-marry me?” she repeated, clearly not trusting her hearing.

“Yes, marry you,” Marcus said genially, becoming more accustomed to the prospect the more he considered it. “I know I’ve taken you by surprise, my sweet, but I would like to tender you an honorable offer of marriage.”

Chapter Three

The new earl is possibly mad as well as vexing!

– Arabella to Fanny

Her speechlessness lasted a dozen heartbeats. “Have you gone mad?” Arabella said finally, her tone wary.

Wry amusement flickered in his eyes. “I assure you I am quite sane,” his lordship replied. “I am simply paying my addresses to you.”

She started to laugh; she couldn’t help it. Here she was, still weak-kneed from the earl’s wicked assault on her senses, and now he was deliberately making her head spin with his astounding offer of marriage.

“You wound me, darling,” Lord Danvers drawled. “I admit my proposal is unexpected, but I assure you, it is no laughing matter.”

Her mirth fading, Arabella raised a hand to her temple. “I cannot believe you are the least bit serious. Lady Freemantle told me you were a confirmed bachelor.”

“I was-until two minutes ago. But kissing you had a startling effect on my judgment. It made me realize that I want you for my countess.”

She stared at him in bewilderment. “How can one kiss possibly lead you to that conclusion?”

The earl shrugged his powerful shoulders. “It wasn’t merely the kiss. There are several reasons you would make a good choice of brides for me. But chiefly…I must marry at some point, and you are the first woman who has ever interested me enough to make me contemplate taking the leap.”

“But you know almost nothing about me.”

“I know enough to think we might be well-matched. Certainly neither of us would ever be bored.”

Still stunned, Arabella regarded him for another long moment. “Did you not hear a word I told you in London about my aversion to matrimony?”

“I heard quite clearly. But I intend to persuade you to reconsider.”

His confidence took her aback. “You could never persuade me, my lord.”

“No?” A smile played across his lips. “You obviously do not know me very well, Arabella.”

Now he was beginning to exasperate her. “Indeed, I don’t-and I have no desire to further the acquaintance, either. Certainly not as your wife.”

“Perhaps you haven’t considered the advantages to you.”

“Advantages?” she echoed.

“As my countess you will lack for nothing.”

“Except the freedom to control my own life. As my husband you would have even greater power over me than you do now as my guardian. By law you would be my ‘lord and master,’ and I would legally be your possession. I don’t want any man ruling me like that.”

Lord Danvers grimaced. “I have no desire to rule you, love. I am merely interested in a marriage of convenience.”

That struck a painful nerve in Arabella. She had always vowed she would never have a convenient marriage like her parents’ bitter union. That she would never marry for any reason but love. “Well, you may be willing to abide such an arrangement, my lord, but it has no appeal whatsoever for me,” she declared. “My parents married for convenience, and they made each other utterly miserable.”

“We needn’t have that sort of union,” he said patiently.

“We needn’t have any sort of union at all!”

At her ardent exclamation, Danvers eyed her thoughtfully. “I would of course make you a large marriage settlement and provide generously for your sisters. I should think you would be grateful that you needn’t earn your livings any longer, teaching at your academy.”

Arabella took a slow breath, striving for calm. “You obviously don’t understand. We don’t wish to give up teaching. Our employment is not only enjoyable but highly rewarding, besides allowing us the independence to do exactly as we wish.”

At her answer, he took yet another tack. “Marriage to me will go a long way toward restoring your reputation in society.”

Arabella raised her chin at the reminder of her tarnished social standing. “What of it? I have long since resigned myself to being a byword with the ton. There is a blissful measure of freedom that comes with not having to maintain a spotless character. And as long as we maintain standards of behavior acceptable to our pupils’ parents, we needn’t concern ourselves with anyone else’s opinion.”

The earl studied her for a long moment before saying easily, “You might think of your sisters. Don’t they deserve a chance to lead the normal life of young ladies of quality?”

His perfectly reasonable question made Arabella feel uncomfortable and a bit guilty, knowing she was rejecting the opportunity to help her sisters. But then she adamantly shook her head. “I am thinking of them. Roslyn and Lily feel as I do about matrimony and men. They are just as determined to control their own futures as I am.”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “I understand why you hate men. Your betrothed unceremoniously abandoned you once he learned of the scandal your family was facing.”

It shouldn’t hurt to have that humiliating memory rubbed in her face, since it had occurred four years ago. She was over the despair and heartache by now. But she couldn’t forget the painful experience or the harsh lesson she had learned then.

She had foolishly believed she was making a love match. Indeed, she’d only accepted the viscount’s proposal because their mutual feelings had blossomed into love. But her joy at falling in love with a man who vowed he loved her had been abruptly crushed by his very public betrayal. Never again would she make that mistake.

“I do not hate men,” Arabella insisted. “I simply have no need for a husband.”

“You don’t want children?”

The question caught her unawares, and Arabella couldn’t repress the stab of regret that went through her. Being unable to have children was an immense drawback to never marrying. The only one, she had come to believe.

“Not enough to suffer a husband,” she answered at length.

“I want children eventually,” Lord Danvers admitted. “It is my obligation to carry on my family name and titles. But that requires I first have a wife.”

“So, you want a broodmare to give you heirs?” Arabella asked archly. “I suspected as much.”