Read Tenacious Trents 01 - A Misguided Lord for Free Online

help her.
    But Drake wasn’t here. He was
traveling abroad, and Eleanor was unsure of his return. His mother,
Lady Acker, had introduced her to a few gentlemen, but they would
not do. Drake was the one who knew her and what she required. Lady
Acker would not even consider the practical, she was set on making
a love match and Eleanor didn’t have time for such
nonsense.

    *

    Though Clayton didn’t wish to, he
found himself pondering Miss Westin’s words later that evening.
What the devil had she meant about laughter and tears? The woman
was deranged. Of course a lady would view all matters with emotion.
They didn’t have the capacity to view life, and world around them,
with objectivity.
    Still, he admired her confidence and
candor. It was refreshing. The conversation wasn’t inane and
weather wasn’t mentioned once. Perhaps it was her age. Miss Westin
was older, by at least three years, than the average debutant, not
that he would be as crass as to ask. Why hadn’t her grandfather
presented her before? Until Miss Westin appeared this year, Clay
had no idea Lord Stanhope even had another granddaughter to marry
off.
    It would be easy to get lost in her
soft brown eyes and forget about the demands of his station for a
few moments. But such lapses led to trouble. It had almost ruined
his father and Clayton vowed never to repeat that
mistake.
    “ What do you think of
Stanhope’s granddaughter?”
    Clayton turned to find his brother,
Jordan, standing beside him, along with John.
    “ Interesting, I suppose.
Why?” Did Jordan have an interest in Miss Westin? His gut tightened
at the thought. Clay couldn’t understand why, unless it was out of
protection for his younger brother. That must be the
reason.
    Jordan shrugged. “No reason. I’ve
rarely seen you dance at one of these functions.”
    “ I do need to think about
finding a wife,” Clay reminded him.
    “ Miss Westin?” John
grinned. “She is a lovely lady.”
    “ She won’t do,” Clay
insisted.
    The two brothers looked at him
oddly.
    “ Too outspoken. Too
forward. I suspect she is just like Adele and that will never
do.”
    His brother’s stiffened at the mention
of their father’s second wife.
    Jordan simply shook his
head sadly and John muttered something about judgmental as he
wandered away. They didn’t understand. Their current, and last
step-mother, was a lovely woman, who never gave his father an ounce
of concern while he was alive. His brothers must not remember Adele
the way he did. His father was very clear about what traits to
avoid while looking for a bride. Remember
son, never marry a woman full of passion, who wants to dance and go
into society. You will never make them happy and they will make you
miserable in the end. A quiet woman who knows her place is the best
wife a man can have. If you want passion, get a
mistress.
    But, knowing everything he did, why
was he still drawn to Eleanor Westin? Why did she intrigue him so,
regardless of the fact she would never do?
    Jordan stood there studying him. “Do
you even know anything about Miss Westin or has she slighted you
somehow and you judged her without question, like father would
have?”
    Being compared to their father didn’t
sit well with Clay. Yes, he had learned much from his father, but
that didn’t mean he wanted to be just like him. For one, he would
never take a switch to his children in a fit of rage.
    Jordan lifted a glass of wine from the
tray a footman carried past. “Let me tell you what I
know.”
    Jordan always knew the latest gossip.
Of course, Jordan also talked to people. He had the freedom of
doing as he pleased. The benefits of being the spare, and the
ladies adored him, old and young alike.
    “ When Miss Westin’s father
died, the youngest son of Stanhope, she and her mother retired to
the country. Eventually Miss Westin’s mother remarried and more
children were born. Unfortunately her step-father and mother passed
away, I believe I heard that it was three or