An ache throbbed between her legs and held in her breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
“Are we going to see your cousin who’s a painter?” Anne asked, reaching for Mary’s hand.
“I don’t think so,” she answered and the girl made a loud groan. She gently squeezed the child’s hand. “Patience,” she softly whispered. “If you’re good we can go into her studio and try out some of her paints on canvas.”
Anne let out a gasp of delight and Sin chuckled appreciatively. The sound of his deep baritone trilled up and down her spine.
“Papa, are you going to paint with us too?” Anne bounced on her seat.
Sin shook his head. “No, my sweet. I’m going to speak with Mary’s uncle.”
Anne stopped bouncing to cock her head. “Why do you need to speak with him?”
Sin gave her a wink. “Be a good girl like Mary said and we’ll discuss it this evening.”
The rest of the ride passed in lovely chatter with Mary sneaking glances at Sin as her blood heated.
When they finally arrived, she wished she could be like Anne and rocket out of the carriage. Energy and heat flowed through her and Mary desperately needed some fresh air to cool her skin.
Sin helped her from the carriage, his hand lingering on hers before he tucked it into his elbow and then they made their way up the steps.
Her aunt and uncle greeted them as soon as they walked through the foyer. Mary stopped in surprise. “Are you expecting someone?”
“Yes.” Her aunt raised her brows. “You.”
Mary looked over at Sin. But before she could ask, her uncle answered.
“Lord Sinclair sent a missive you were coming.”
“Did we miss anything?” Minnie called from behind her and Mary turned with a gasp. Several carriages were pulling up the drive. Minnie and Daring stood just behind her while Malice and Cordelia came up the front walk.
“Miss anything?” Mary asked, turning back to her aunt. “What is everyone doing here?”
Her uncle stepped forward. “We’re making sure that everything is happening the proper way.”
Mary’s mouth fell open. She knew what this meant. Her uncle wanted his sons-in-law in attendance in case Sin hadn’t behaved himself. “This was not necessary. Lord Sinclair and I—”
“I will be the judge of what’s necessary,” her uncle replied.
Mary’s face heated even as her shoulders snapped back and her chin raised. “You are not to make this more difficult than it needs to be. Am I clear?”
Her uncle’s eyes widened, but Daring chuckled behind them. “Mary, you’re more like Minnie than I first imagined.”
That made Mary deflate. Her personality was rearing its ugly head again. “My apologies, Uncle.”
Her uncle assessed her for a moment. “Do not apologize to me child. I raised you to be this way.”
She swallowed, her shoulders hunching. “Why would you inflict this curse upon us?”
“Curse?” Minnie asked.
“What curse?” Malice asked from the back, having reached the group. “Did a gypsy curse us? Is that why we all keep getting married? Did anyone warn Sin before he took over the club?”
Daring spun back around. “A gypsy has certainly cursed your tongue. It never flaps that much.”
Vice laughed having reached the steps. “Is Malice talking? Marriage does agree with him.”
Sin cleared his throat. “No one needs to warn me of anything. I’ve been searching for a bride for some time. I may as well state my intentions now. When Mary happened upon my door—though I suspect Daring planned it all along and he is our gypsy—I rather quickly decided not to squander the opportunity. I’m here to formally ask for her hand. That is all.”
Her uncle opened his mouth to speak, but Anne interrupted. “Is that the surprise?” Then she let go of Mary’s hand, clapping and jumping in the air. “Miss Chase is to be my new mother.” And she launched herself at Mary, who caught the child in a hug.
Sin patted his daughter’s back. “If anyone questions my reasons, I would like to refer them to my daughter’s excitement.”
A laugh broke out among the group as everyone relaxed, including her uncle. “Well, apologies for bringing everyone here this morning. But since you’ve all come, let’s have lunch, shall we?”
Applause broke out.
Mary buried her nose in Anne’s hair, hiding her face. While Sin had handled the situation well, part of her cringed that Anne was the reason he wanted to marry her. She knew that this was a marriage of convenience but some small part of her wanted him to want more.
Her uncle reached out to shake Sin’s hand. “Let’s discuss the details while the women catch up.”
Mary lifted her head, a frown marking her face. She’d expected to face her aunt, but her cousins? Would they understand the bargain she’d just made?
Sin assessed the ring of men around him trying to process what he’d just learned. In addition to Mary’s uncle, Lord Winthorpe, Daring, Malice, Exile, Bad, and Vice all sat around him. They had collectively come together to provide Mary with the dowry she’d never had from her family.
“So you’ve raised a dowry for her? But she already has a proposal?”
Daring shrugged. “We didn’t know that, of course. We hoped to increase her chances of a proposal by making her wealthier.”
Sin gave his head a slow shake. “So now that’s engaged…”
“The dowry is yours.” Vice winked at him. “Our mission was accomplished. She’s received an offer from a titled lord, no less.”
“Did you think to tempt me with the carrot of wealth?” He leaned forward his elbows braced on his knees.
Malice shrugged. “You were one of the men we were considering.”
At the thought of other men, he shot up straight. “Who else?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Bad answered, his brows low and heavy over his eyes. “You’ve offered.”
“And even better, it wasn’t for money.” Exile leaned back in his chair one foot propped on the other knee.
“What is the reason?” Vice asked. “Have you fallen in love?”
“No,” he answered rather too quickly than necessary. “She is lovely, which helps.”
