Lady Harriet's Unusual Reward Read Online Free

stared at him and his odd behaviour. Ladies tittered behind their fans. And she regularly felt traitorous towards her brother for feeling embarrassed by him. He could not help that he spoke too loudly or out of turn at times. He laughed in the wrong place when they went to the theatre or rushed up to pet horses at the side of the road. Sometimes he would give coins to street urchins for no apparent reason.
    On their one night in a coaching inn, Harriet had been forced to share a room with Mary to stop William from bedding the girl. And she knew they had spent the night together last night in the town house. The whole situation was untenable. They were going to have to marry—and soon.
    There was one positive thing. Mary could at least speak with proper diction. It turned out that Mary’s mother had been a lady’s maid and had taught her daughter to speak properly. It was not until the girl was about six that it became clear that Mary lacked the mental capacity of other girls. Unable to grasp the basics of letters and numbers, her mother had taught her basic housekeeping skills. When Olive Callahan died, Mary was twelve years old and the girl was already working in the kitchens of Oldbeck House. Her father had died when she was a baby—from a mining accident.
    For now Harriet had decided to pass Mary off as her companion as she went about town. Mary was wearing one of her old gowns. Mrs Aitken had hurriedly hemmed it as the former maid was a couple of inches shorter than Harriet, but the fit was reasonable.
    The front door opened and closed and Harriet heard a quiet discussion in the hallway. She was sure that Lord Stephen would be surprised at her visit and even more surprised that when she had found him not at home she had insisted on waiting. It was not the done thing but desperate times called for desperate measures.
    Lord Stephen walked into the drawing room and Harriet and Mary stood to greet him. Harriet noticed out of the corner of her eye that Mary’s attention was on the rip on her dress and not their host. She moved her hand slightly to tap the girl and draw her attention back to his lordship. Thankfully it worked and Mary dutifully curtseyed when Harriet did. Lord Stephen bowed and gestured for them to take a seat.
    “Oh, I wondered if perhaps someone would be able to help out my companion, Miss Callahan. Her gown was caught on a railing and was ripped as we walked down Curzon Street. She is rather distressed about it. Perhaps one of your maids is handy with a needle and thread.”
    “Oh of course. Though it would leave you unchaperoned, Lady Harriet. I would not want…”
    “I am sure your staff can be trusted, my lord. Your butler appears to be a man of the utmost discretion.” Harriet turned her gaze on the man still standing in the doorway. He drew himself up to his full height.
    “Of course, my lady.”
    “And you are a gentleman, are you not, Lord Stephen? Surely I am safe with you.”
    “Well of course, Lady Harriet.”
    “Then that is settled. Miss Callahan?” She gestured to the door and Mary did as she was bid, curtseying to Lord Stephen and her mistress as she left.
    Harriet turned to her prey and smiled.
    “Please take a seat, Lady Harriet. I must say, you have me intrigued.”
    Harriet sat on the chaise she and Mary had been occupying until recently. Her façade was dropping now that he was here. Bravado was all well and good but it took real courage to carry out her plan.
    “I do apologise for just appearing without an invitation, my lord.”
    She looked up into kind brown eyes. He waved away the apology as if social mores were of no consequence.
    “Please, my lady, do not think on it.”
    “You did say that day, when your daughter fell in the pond, that if I ever needed anything—anything at all—I must come to you.”
    He nodded gravely.
    “I did.”
    She swallowed hard.
    “I need a husband.”
    ****
    If Lady Harriet Weatherby had stood up and kicked him in the balls, Stephen