What a terrible predicament, he thought, as he dropped into his chair.
13
Dressed in a white gown with a periwinkle sash around the waist, Hannah had just descended the stairs of her townhouse when a knock came at the door. She watched as Cooper walked across the entry hall to answer it. As he opened the door, she heard Martin’s familiar voice, and a thrill of excitement shot through her.
Good heavens, she thought. Would she ever tire of hearing his voice?
Cooper opened the door wide, and Martin stepped into the entry hall, but something was wrong. His eyes held a profound sadness she hadn’t seen before.
Hannah approached and stopped in front of him. “Are you all right?” she asked as Cooper left the hall.
“I am.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Whyever do you ask?”
Hannah cocked her head. “Perhaps we can start with an easier question,” she said. “What brings you by this morning?”
“Nothing but the pleasure of your company,” he remarked with a flamboyant bow.
She smiled. “I truly doubt that.”
“You are as wise as you are beautiful.”
“I see you are quoting Shakespeare,” she teased.
“It makes it no less true.”
Hannah gave him a knowing look. “I must assume you are here to see Edward.”
“I am.”
“I regret to inform you that he is still out on his morning ride with Kate.” She could see the disappointment flash across his features, so she suggested, “While you wait, we could take a turn around the gardens.”
“I would like that very much,” Martin said, offering his arm.
Neither of them spoke as they walked towards the rear of the townhouse. It wasn’t until they stepped onto the footpath that Hannah glanced over at him and asked, “Would you care to tell me what is truly bothering you?”
Martin gave her a look of surprise. “Why do you suppose something is bothering me?”
“I have known you most of my life, and I can tell when something is weighing heavily on your mind.”
“It is something that I do not wish to discuss.”
Not deterred by his response, she pressed, “Will you tell me if I can guess?”
“I will.”
She withdrew her hand from his arm and turned to face him. “You were in a pleasant enough mood when you left me yesterday, so I must assume that something transpired at your townhouse.”
“You would be correct.”
“There is only one logical explanation,” she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Which is?”
A mischievous smile came to her lips. “You have just discovered that you have a twin brother, and he is the one, true heir. He was sent away as a babe, but he has come to claim his inheritance.”
Martin stared at her for a moment before chuckling. “You have a vivid imagination, my dear.”
“Am I wrong?”
“Yes, in every aspect,” he said in an amused voice. “I am fairly confident that I would know if I had a twin brother.”
“Not if your parents hid it from you.”
“And why would they do that?”
Hannah shrugged. “Because they thought he was evil.”
“How would someone determine a baby was evil?” Martin asked.
“Easily,” she replied. “He would constantly steal all of your toys.”
Martin shook his head. “This story sounds like pure fantasy,” he said, smiling. “I daresay it might make a fascinating book.”
“At least I was able to make you smile.”
“That you did.”
Hannah gave him a knowing look. “Now, do you want to tell me the real reason you are sad?”
Martin shifted his gaze away from her. “It’s about my father.”
“How so?”
“He owes a large gambling debt to Lord and Lady Whittingham, but it will all go away if I marry their daughter, Lady Isabella.”
Hannah reached out and placed a hand on his sleeve. “I assume this is why your father chose Lady Isabella for you to begin with.”
“It is.”
“What are you going to do?”
Martin shook his head. “Our estates are profitable now, but one doesn’t know what each season brings. Frankly, we don’t have the funds to pay my father’s gambling debts.”
“May I ask how much your father owes?”
Martin winced. “Ten thousand pounds.”
She sucked in a breath. “That is a small fortune.”
“It is,” Martin agreed. “If I did marry Lady Isabella, the debt would be wiped clear, and she would bring a much-needed dowry to help update the estates.”
“But I thought you wanted to marry for love.”
“I do…” he hesitated, “I did.”
Hannah took a step closer to him. “I will give you the ten thousand pounds,” she announced.
Martin stared at her in disbelief. “Do you even have those type of funds at your disposal?”
“I do,” she replied. “I inherited a third of my parent’s estate, and I have more than enough to live on comfortably for the rest of my days.”
He shook his head. “I won’t take your money, Hannah.”
“It is the easiest solution to your problems.”
“Regardless, I could not ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask, I offered,” she replied, “and I do so willingly.”
Martin glanced down at her hand on his sleeve. “I have considered offering for Lady Emma and using her dowry to pay my father’s gambling debts.”
“But don’t you require her dowry to fix up your estates?”
“I do.” He sighed. “It is a rather ticklish situation I find myself in.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
Martin frowned. “My problem is my own, not yours.”
“We are friends, are we not?”
“We are.”
“And friends help each other,” she asserted.
Placing his hand over hers, Martin said, “That is true, but—”
She interrupted him. “I want you to be happy, Martin,” she insisted. “You deserve to be.”
“You are kind to say so, but—”
“There is no ‘but’ about it,” she interjected. “I will not let you jeopardize your happiness over something as trivial as money.”
“It is a lot of money.”
“No amount of money is worth having you enter into a loveless marriage,” Hannah claimed. “I forbid it.”
“You forbid it?” he asked with mirth in his eyes.
She tilted her chin stubbornly. “Yes, I believe I have that right as your
