“Forgive me, ladies.”

  Garnett stiffened as Mr. Pinehurst wrapped an arm around her waist rather familiarly. She hadn’t even given him a second thought until that point, assuming that he had taken his leave. But now, she turned to him with an outraged glare, for the sisters had taken notice of his intimate show of affection.

  “I fear Miss Younghusband is being too modest. You see, I was rather…eager for a kiss, so I coerced her to join me here.”

  “Are you mad?” Garnett hissed, but she was thoroughly ignored by all parties as Lady Gwendolyn moved forward.

  The older woman tried to appear aggrieved, but Garnett could see the merriment dancing in her eyes. After tonight, she would be thoroughly annihilated, and everything that her father had worked so hard to accomplished would be destroyed. “Why a planned tryst is even more disgraceful!”

  “Perhaps for an unmarried woman, yes,” Mr. Pinehurst agreed. “But you see, the lady and I are betrothed.” He winked at the older lady. “Surely such conduct can be…overlooked in that respect.”

  With that, the eager fire in her gaze was banked and she gave a haughty sniff. “I suppose so.”

  But all Garnett heard was the word betrothed. “I don’t recall agreeing—”

  He squeezed her ribcage, not enough to hurt, but enough to cause her argument to fall silent.

  Lady Gwendolyn threaded her arm through her sister’s. “Come along, Gen. This path has become rather less interesting.”

  As they disappeared around the corner, Garnett shoved out of Mr. Pinehurst’s grip. “What do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

  He crossed his arms and regarded her with a rather lazy expression. “I believe I just saved you.”

  She laughed. “No! You just made things so much worse! Now, they will bandy it about that we are to be wed. What do you imagine they will say when a wedding never takes place?” She put a hand to her forehead with a groan and began to pace back and forth, muttering to herself. “I should have known better! Oh, I swear I shall pummel those two boys when I see them again…”

  “Might I offer a suggestion to your rambling?” She paused to stare at him with her hands on her hips, so he cleared his throat and said, “We could continue the ruse of an engagement until their interest dies down, after which you would merely cry off citing irreconcilable differences or some such nonsense.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And why would you do that? What’s in it for you?”

  “Honestly?” He rubbed the side of his jaw. “For some peace.” She must have looked confused, for he elaborated. “My mother. She’s quite intent on seeing me properly settled.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m only six and twenty and have no desire to saddle myself with a wife just yet. And since I’m the youngest son of a baron with two older brothers, both of whom are already wed, it’s not as if I have to ensure the family line. So, you see, this arrangement would suit me as much as it would you.”

  ***

  By the look of disbelief on the lady’s face, Rafe was quite sure he was bungling this entire thing, but then, it wasn’t as though a faux betrothal was something he’d been planning. The idea had been rather impulsive, but once it had taken root, he thought it was rather brilliant, for it took care of both of their problems.

  However, she didn’t look quite as convinced.

  “It does seem rather convenient.” Ah, perhaps she does see the merit— “For you.” He winced as she threw up her hands. “I can’t deal with this any longer. I have to find my brothers.”

  “Brothers?” he echoed.

  “Yes,” she returned angrily. “Strange men aren’t the only bane of my existence, but rather a pair of annoying younger brothers who sneaked out tonight with the purpose of making mischief. It’s why I’m here, to ensure that they didn’t ruin our good name, but it appears I managed that one all on my own.”

  With her back ramrod straight, she spun away from him, only to stop short as she encountered two young men who looked rather similar to each other walking down the path toward them. “There you are!” she shouted.

  They both froze instantly. “Nettie?” They said in unison.

  “Yes, it’s me.” She charged toward them and Rafe had to give them credit for remaining where they were instead of scattering in the wake of her fury.

  He leaned against a nearby tree and watched the drama unfold.

  “I thought I told you both that you couldn’t come out tonight!”

  One of the young men shuffled his feet, thoroughly chastised. “Aw, come on, Nettie. We’re sixteen. You can’t expect us to never have a bit of fun.”

  “Yes, I can. Especially if it threatens everything Father has worked for. Do you wish to see his dreams crushed?”

  The second man lowered his head momentarily, but he recovered quickly enough, staring at his sister rather defiantly. Rafe deduced that he was likely the instigator of this entire evening. “You may be our older sister, Nettie, but you aren’t our mother. We don’t have to take orders from you.”

  Instead of backing down, Rafe watched as the lady’s expression hardened even further. “It’s true, I’m not, but who cared for you after Mother’s passing? And if you don’t even see how your actions could affect Father’s business, then you’re more selfish than I imagined.”

  “Then what are you doing here?” he countered.

  “Looking for the both of you!” She waved her hand between them. “Now, let’s go home before any more damage can be done.”

  Instead of following along, the young man dug in his heels. “What do you mean any more?” He narrowed his eyes. “What did you do, Nettie?”

  Rafe could stay silent no longer. He stepped out of the shadows. “I believe I can answer that one.”

  She instantly pinned him with a glare. “You can stay out of this.”

  He put a hand to his heart. “You wound me, my dear. Won’t you even introduce your intended?”

  She put a hand to her temples and muttered something that sounded rather unsavory, so Rafe took it upon himself to do the honor. “Mr. Rafe Pinehurst. And you are?”

  The more outspoken of the two eyed him curiously, but he answered, “Mr. Xander Younghusband. This is my twin, Xavier.”

  “Ah, yes.” Rafe nodded. “I detected a resemblance—”

  “Do you mind?” Garnett snapped.

  “What?” He shrugged. “I was just getting to know my future brothers-in-law. Is there something wrong with that?”

  “Yes.” He was quite sure steam would soon be pouring out of her ears, she looked so furious. “There’s no point in dragging out this ridiculous affair any more than it needs to be. Come by the chandlery tomorrow and we’ll discuss how to proceed from there.”

  With that, she grabbed each of her brother’s arms and steered them back down the path. They were smart enough not to argue.

  Rafe chuckled once they were gone.

  This was turning out to be quite a captivating compromise, indeed.

  ***

  The moment the siblings climbed into the hackney, Garnett held up a hand in warning. “Not a word. My head is splitting.”

  She was grateful that her brothers didn’t argue and interpreted her statement exactly as she wished, whether they cared to or not.

  In the silence, Garnett leaned against the squabs and wondered how her simple life had suddenly managed to turn into such a debacle in the span of a couple hours. While she had always thought marriage was a possibility, for she wasn’t quite yet on the shelf at twenty, neither did she imagined that she would be engaged to a man she barely knew, and under such an unusual happenstance.

  But then, she wasn’t truly promised to him, now was she?

  Oh, drat it all! She gritted her teeth and lamented the events that had taken place that evening. Under normal circumstances, she might have actually accepted Mr. Pinehurst’s suit. After all, he was rather attractive and he seemed to have the honor of a gentleman. But considering she was nothing more than a façade to cease his mother’s hounding, and he was her excuse why she’d been wandering about without a proper chaperone, it appeared that for the moment they were quite stuck with one another.

  With any luck, this wouldn’t completely ruin her chances at gaining the attention of a true suitor when the time came for them to part ways.

  As the carriage came to a halt at their residence, she exited and waited for her brothers to do the same. After she paid the driver, she eyed them each in turn. “It would be best if Father didn’t know the events that transpired tonight. He has enough to contend with.”

  Xavier snorted. “What about your affianced? How might you explain him?”

  She lifted her chin. “With any luck, he won’t be a bother.” She waved her hands. “Now to bed with both of you. The morning will be here soon enough, and I’d like a few hours of sleep.”

  They went around to the back entrance that led through the kitchens, and while her brothers traipsed up the stairs to their rooms, Garnett walked over to the stove and put on a kettle filled with milk to heat. She was exhausted, but entirely too wound up to lie in bed without tossing and turning.

  As she waited for the kettle to steam, she sat at the crude wooden table and looked around the modest kitchen with a sigh. They had no servants to attend to them here, but Garnett had never bemoaned the fact they weren’t as well-to-do as the gentry. Her mother might have had a bit of blue blood running in her veins, but her father was a common man, although he worked hard and ensured that his family had whatever they needed.

  When Garnett’s mother died after the birth of the twins, she thought he might actually allow his grief to swallow him whole, but he’d eventually dragged himself up out of the mire and returned to his chandlery better than before. His efforts had paid off and within a few years his candles were in higher demand than the rest of the competition.

  But it was her mother’s tie to Princess Charlotte and the lady’s devotion to her memory that had convinced the king to offer the soap contract to Garnett’s father.

  She checked the kettle and found that the milk was ready. Carefully, she poured it into a cup and sat back down at the table, her thoughts focused on their current situation.

  In spite of the taxes imposed on soap, it was considered a luxury item, so production had strict limitations. Her father’s pans had to be locked up at night when not in use and the revenue officials held the keys, and by law, no less than an imperial ton could be boiled at a time. Now that the Tipton chemical works on Soap Factory Road had started to manufacture soap — their owners being well known chemists by the name of Joseph Priestley and James Keir — Garnett feared that her father’s days might be numbered with so much increasing competition.

  It was why she’d tried so hard to make sure her brothers didn’t run into trouble and why she’d forbidden them to go to Vauxhall.

  Now, because of a single moment of weakness, giving in to the urge to kiss Mr. Pinehurst, she had nearly cost her father his entire livelihood.

  With her steps heavy, she set the empty cup on the sink and headed to her chamber where she had nothing left to do but pray.

  Chapter Three

  Generally, Garnett’s father was an early riser, so he arrived at the shop earlier than his offspring. However, since Garnett had allowed guilt to remain at her side through the remainder of the night, she joined him as he took his breakfast.

  Harry Younghusband was reading the morning paper with a cup of tea at his side and two pieces of toasted bread and ham next to him. She didn’t have to see his face to picture the bushy sideburns and his kind brown eyes. It was an image that she’d seen countless times and one that struck her heart now.

  A corner of the newsprint was brought down. When he spied her, he frowned slightly and then folded it and laid it at his side. “You’re up earlier than usual, Nettie.”

  She smiled at the nickname. Ever since her brothers were little they’d struggled to say Garnett, so it was something she’d been stuck with for years. “I thought I might come with you this morning.” She couldn’t seem to meet his gaze, so she started to make her breakfast.

  “You know I wouldn’t mind, but I get the feeling there’s something else going on here.” He paused. “You aren’t acting like yourself.”

  Garnett closed her eyes temporarily and then turned to face her father. “I’m fine, truly. Just a bit tired, perhaps.”

  He watched her steadily for a moment and then sighed. “Very well, but I hope you know that if there was something you needed to discuss, I have a good listening ear.” His mouth drooped slightly. “I imagine you would rather talk to a woman about some things, and I’m sorry your mother isn’t here—”

  She instantly took his hand in her own. “She couldn’t have said things any better than you.”

  He smiled. “I appreciate the confidence you put in me, but Elinor was incomparable.”

  He cleared his throat, and Garnett’s shame tore through her even deeper. Her mother had been gone for sixteen years, yet her father still choked up whenever he spoke of her. Which was why his shop was so important to him. He might love his children, but more than that, it was truly all that he had left of his wife. It was the last thing they had started together. If he were to lose it…

  Garnett shook off her melancholy and took a seat at the table. She turned the topic to the weather and any other mundane topic she could think of, determined to face the day with optimism.

  Unfortunately, that was rather short lived.

  Not long after Garnett arrived at the shop with her father, she drew on an apron and gloves to begin the process of dipping candles. It was her principle job at the shop, while her father made the soap, and when he was in between orders, he took care of customers and worked on the ledgers, seeing where there might be room for improvement. She had learned long ago that he was a shrewd businessman and adapted easily to change, whereas most did their best to avoid it.

  Her brothers were generally in charge of clean up and various odds and ends. They ran errands and made deliveries when it was required and waited on patrons when Garnett or their father weren’t readily available, which was why they generally took their time arriving.

  A glance at the clock read half past six, and Xander and Xavier generally didn’t arrive a minute before nine.

  The bell above the door signaled the arrival of their first customer at around eight, and after that came their usual steady stream of clients. Long before her brothers would walk in, her hair was drooping from the heat of the beeswax and tallow along with her efforts to dip the strings in the various tubs, and then hang them over a line to dry and harden.

  The bell over the door rang again, and she glanced up. Her stomach fell to her feet, for Lady Gwendolyn and Lady Genevieve had just walked in.

  She instantly tossed aside her gloves and undid her apron as she walked forward, lifting it over her head before she greeted the ladies with their high powdered wigs and matching silk sack back gowns. She glanced toward her father’s office and saw that he was still ensconced in his work.

  After a deep breath to fortify herself, she approached the counter and asked as pleasantly as she could, “How may I help you today?”

  The two women glanced at each other, as if choosing who would reply. In the end, it was Lady Gwen who stepped forward and spoke. “We shall need several candles for a quaint house party we’re giving in a fortnight.”

  Garnett nodded, knowing that ‘quaint’ likely meant at least two hundred guests. The spinster sisters were known throughout London, not only for their gossiping tea parties, but also for their extravagant tastes.

  As Garnett wrote down the order, she said, “Of course. I shall see that they are delivered in plenty of time.”

  She prayed that would be the end of it, but she should have known she couldn’t avoid their avid curiosity for long. “Allow us to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials again, dear. I’m told Rafe Pinehurst is quite a catch, and up until last evening, a rather confirmed bachelor. Oddly enough, no one of our acquaintance even knew that he’d been courting anyone. The mystery of your growing affection has come as a surprise to many.” Lady Gwen’s lips curved almost maliciously. “You’re a very lucky gel to have brought him to heel.”

  Garnett forced a smile. “Indeed, I am,” she hedged. “Now if you don’t require anything else, I really should get back to my duties.”

  “Of course. Have a lovely day, Miss Younghusband.”

  Garnett gripped the edge of the counter and exhaled deeply.

  “Is something amiss, Nettie?”

  She spun to face her father. “Not at all,” she said brightly and returned to her candles.

  ***

  Rafe left Boodle’s with a grimace. He had been expecting a bit of ribbing from Lennox and Beckett when he’d arrived at the gentleman’s club that afternoon and told them of his current “engagement.” However, it hadn’t taken long before he’d grown weary of it.

  Thus, he decided that the best way to keep his mind off his annoyance was to go to the one place sure to liven his spirits.

  He intended to pay a visit to his betrothed.

  After hailing a hackney, he settled himself and wondered what her reaction would be to his arrival. He would bet ten guineas that she hadn’t even told her father about their arrangement. He chuckled at the look of horror that would surely be on her face the moment he walked through the door.

  Although Rafe knew he shouldn’t vex her in such a manner, he really couldn’t resist. It hadn’t taken him long to uncover her passion last night. That kiss had been rather sublime and he had the feeling that the more he bedeviled her, the more he would be able to explore that lovely side to her nature.

  He alighted at the chandlery and paused for a moment as the carriage rolled away. He had to admit that the large, two-story limestone building on Piccadilly was rather impressive. When he walked in to the sound of a little bell above the door, he was greeted with the scents of tallow and beeswax. While the odor was certainly something one never forgot, it was better than the rush lights that some of the poorer classes used which was little more than plants dipped in pure animal fat.

 

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