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think so because I was there with you.”
    “I disagree. I know what I feel, no matter how new the
feeling is. I would not be happy with anyone but you.” He was determined to
find a way to prove it to her.

Chapter Four
     
    Jean watched Mrs. Granderson sort through the morning post
and the calling cards received after yet another ball they’d attended the night
before. She hoped for some correspondence addressed to her, anything to
entertain her.
    “Why is my nephew’s card here? He isn’t required to inform
me when he’ll visit. This must be for you, my dear. And the rest of the cards
too.” She handed the engraved cards to Jean.
    Turning over the one reading Mr. Benjamin Tilbury ,
Jean studied his brief scrawl that said he’d stop by early. She turned it
around and stared at his name, as if it would answer her questions about him.
Was this another of his games? He’d danced with her twice the prior evening,
very properly and not even requesting the supper dance. Tonight he would escort
the three ladies to Vauxhall. She could think of no reason he would need to
visit in the morning.
    She tried to read the letter from her friend in Hambledon,
but the words jumbled together no matter how many times she went over them.
Blast that man! He appeared, in one way or another, just often enough to always
stay fresh in her thoughts, and she knew he did it by design.
    “Jean?” Mama held out the letter she’d been reading. “It’s
from Gilbert. I believe you would be interested in what he has to say.”
    Jean took the missive.
     
    Dearest Mother,
    I have in my hand a message from Ben Tilbury that has me
flummoxed, to say the least. I am hoping you can either write and clarify the
situation for me or investigate the truth of the situation. It was my
understanding that the betrothal between Tilbury and Jean was only to be
disclosed to Sir Waldo and would end when the deceit was no longer needed.
    Yet he has written to ask for my sister’s hand in marriage—
     
    “It’s true, then.” Jean reached with shaking hand for her
teacup, rattling the spoon resting on the saucer.
    Mrs. Granderson looked up from her correspondence. “Is
something amiss?”
    “It’s nothing to be concerned about,” Mama said hurriedly.
“There seems to be a small misunderstanding.”
    “Small? Mama, this is my entire life the man is toying with.
That is anything but small .”
    “Yes, dear, but I am certain if we spoke to the gentleman—”
    Mrs. Granderson straightened and lowered her glasses. “With
which gentleman are we speaking?”
    Mama hesitated, her gaze on Jean, then said, “It is your
nephew, I’m afraid.”
    A small smile lit Mrs. Granderson’s face. “Ben, I presume?
What has the boy done now?”
    Jean set down her brother’s missive and placed her
fingertips over her mouth while debating what to reveal and what to conceal.
She finally decided a full confession was in order. “I don’t know how much your
nephew confided in you prior to our arrival, and I do hope this doesn’t alter
your friendship with my mother, as she is innocent of all deceit. You see, your
father was quite insistent that his heir be married when he took over the
companies he’d worked so hard to build. I imagine he thought it would settle
him down.”
    Mrs. Granderson chuckled softly but didn’t interrupt.
    “Mr. Tilbury was not inclined to marry at that time and
thought it would be harmless to let Sir Waldo believe otherwise. Give the man
some small comfort before he passed.”
    “So the dear boy bribed you into playing the part of his
fiancée, I gather. I admit, I had wondered what sort of debt he could owe your
brother, that he would be so lavish in his expenditures on your behalf.”
    Jean grew uncomfortably warm and wished she could crawl
beneath the table. “I didn’t ask for any of it, ma’am. I only wanted to accept
what was necessary to find a husband, to provide for my mother and myself.
Gilbert’s income barely supports him,