The Unwilling Viscount
The Viscount Ashford has no immediate plans to wed. But with a mother determined to see him settled by the end of the Season, he must do what he can to salvage his freedom. Which leaves him with one choice—convince Miss Mary Trenton to accept his pretend suit. The woman he’s come to think of as a friend is impervious to his charms, and that makes her the perfect choice for this pretend courtship.
Mary has no illusions that Ashford would look twice at her under normal circumstances. Agreeing to help him will allow her to experience what it is like to have a man pursue her. But somewhere along the way, while enjoying the gossip they’re stirring, the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred.
Is it possible the attraction she’s feeling for Ashford might be reciprocated?
The Unwilling Viscount is book 6 in the Landing a Lord series.
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Excerpt:
March 1817
Viscount Ashford stood before his Mayfair town house and stared at the front door for almost a full minute. Dread settled over him at the thought of what awaited him on the other side of that door.
His mother.
She’d sent him a note last week to inform him she was coming to town for the season and that she intended to stay with him. He could only hope she didn’t expect him to escort her to all the various entertainments.
The house had remained empty after his father’s death several years ago, and he’d taken up residence last summer after returning to England following his time in the army. His mother normally stayed with one of his sisters when she was in town, but both Jane and Helen were now married and had households of their own.
He squared his shoulders and took a deep, calming breath. He’d faced his share of foes across the battlefield. Surely he could handle having his petite mother in residence for a few months.
The butler opened the door as soon as Ashford reached it. If Hastings had seen him hesitating outside the house, he gave no indication.
It was early evening, and he assumed his mother would be resting before dinner as was her custom. “Is Lady Ashford in her chambers?”
Hastings inclined his head. “Yes, my lord. Lady Benington is also here. She’s waiting for you in the library.”
Of course she was. Jane wouldn’t miss the spectacle that was about to take place. At least his youngest sister, Helen, wasn’t in town this spring. He was only slightly outnumbered.
He thanked the man and headed down the hallway to the library. He was delaying what he knew would be an uncomfortable meeting with his mother, but his sister would always be the lesser of two evils.
When he reached the room, Jane was standing near the window, looking out onto the back garden.
She turned as he entered, and one corner of her mouth quirked up in amusement. “I half feared you’d quit London. I’m happy to see Mother hasn’t succeeded in driving you away. Not yet at any rate.”
He fought to hold back a scowl as he waited for her to settle into a chair and then sank into the seat opposite her. As always, his sister was exquisitely dressed, and he didn’t even have to ask if she’d be joining them for dinner. She wore a deep blue formal dress, and her light brown hair had been styled into ringlets around her face. Small blue jewels were sprinkled throughout the mass, which was swept up in an artful manner. If she planned to cajole him into accompanying her to a ball or rout that evening, she would be disappointed.
“Please tell me you’re here to convince Mother to spend the next few months with you.”
Jane let out a light laugh. “I’m already wed and have given her two grandchildren. Mother doesn’t care what I do with my time. She’s more interested in you and your pursuits.”
He frowned. “If she’s hoping one of those pursuits will be a wife, she’s doomed to disappointment.” It wasn’t that he never wanted to wed, but it wasn’t something he planned to do in the near future. When he married, it would be when he decided it was time.
“I don’t know about that. Mother can be quite determined when she puts her mind to something.”
He’d seen a hint of that strength the previous year when he’d visited her after resigning his commission and returning to England. Still, she couldn’t have changed that much. The woman he’d known when he was a youth had deferred to her husband in all things.
“If she becomes unbearable, I’ll find somewhere else to stay.” He could just imagine the look on Lowenbrock’s or Cranston’s face if he turned up at one of their houses and asked them for shelter. He’d never hear the end of it, but they’d never abandon him in his hour of need.
“That won’t dissuade our mother from carrying out her mission.”
He let out a soft chuckle at the thought. “Are we talking about the same woman who used to cower whenever our father walked into a room? That woman never asserted herself a day in her life.”
Jane’s brows drew together at the memory. “Father was a tyrant, but I’ve come to see another side of our mother since his passing. She was very happy when you returned home and didn’t want to press the matter when you visited her in Suffolk, but I fear her patience is at an end. She’s set her mind on seeing you settled in the very near future.”
“She can’t force me to wed.”
“She can try. She’ll want you to be happily situated, of course, but be prepared to be subjected to a parade of England’s most eligible young women over the next few months.”
“Taking up residence elsewhere is looking more attractive.” Or he could leave London altogether. He dismissed that idea almost as soon as it occurred to him. Cranston was in town, as was Lowenbrock and his new wife. He’d been looking forward to spending more time with the men who’d been his closest friends during the past few years of their fight against Napoleon. Certain he could manage his mother’s attempts to marry him off, he wouldn’t quit the battlefield so soon.
Jane lowered her voice and leaned forward in her chair. “You really don’t want to leave Mother here all by herself.”
Her words brought forth a pang of guilt that he did his best to ignore. “I know this is her first time staying in the house since Father passed, but I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
She arched a brow. “So you won’t mind when she selects your future wife without any input from you and invites her to stay here? I’m sure she’ll love telling everyone you’ve moved out of the town house to allow her time to get to know her future daughter-in-law.”
He could only stare at his sister for several seconds, horror settling over him as he pictured that scenario playing out. After what felt like an eternity, he shook his head, but the image refused to leave his thoughts. “She wouldn’t do that. And don’t put the idea into her head.”
“I wouldn’t have to. Lady Herschel did that three years ago to force her reluctant son to wed.”
He could actually feel the color drain from his face and found himself at a loss for words.
“So let me help you. I know a good number of suitable young women. We can have you betrothed by the end of the season without causing a scandal. Just tell me what type of woman you’d prefer.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at his sister. “No, absolutely not. I have no intention of getting leg-shackled anytime soon.”
“Which is precisely why I am here.”
Ashford winced at the soft yet determined voice coming from the doorway and rose to his feet. After taking a moment to school his expression, he turned to face his mother.
The Dowager Viscountess Ashford swept into the room and engulfed him in a hug, the scent she’d favored since he was a boy wrapping around him. It threw him off-balance that his mother was now so effusive in showing affection. She’d always been reserved when he was younger, but that must have been for his father’s benefit. Heaven knew the man had never liked him.
Despite the visible signs she was growing older, his mother was still a beautiful woman. When she pulled back, he couldn’t help but notice the fine lines around her eyes and the lines that bracketed her mouth. Even her dark hair was becoming streaked with gray. But somehow those signs that she was no longer the flawless beauty he’d known growing up did nothing to diminish her appearance. She still looked beautiful in her lavender gown, a color he remembered her wearing often.
She clasped her hands at her waist and frowned up at him. “Now that’s enough nonsense. You’re almost thirty, and it’s time for you to begin securing the family’s future.”
It took a great deal of effort to hold back his snort of amusement. “I was under the impression Father wanted Henry’s children to inherit. That can still happen if I don’t wed.”
He’d long since come to terms with the fact that his father preferred his younger brother to him. If the previous Viscount Ashford could have declared Henry his heir, he would have done so long ago. His father had never come right out and said as much to him, but the man’s constant criticism had made it clear.
That and the fact that his father hadn’t cared when his heir declared his intention to enlist. His father had even gone out of his way to purchase him a commission the very next day.
His mother’s lips pressed together in a firm line and she looked away, but not before he detected a hint of pain in her eyes. When she met his gaze again after several moments, it was as though she’d donned a mask.
“Your brother is not the Viscount Ashford. You are.”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “That doesn’t mean he can’t secure the line through his children.”
“Henry won’t be having children.”
That was an odd statement. He opened his mouth to question her further, but Jane laid a hand on his arm to stop him. He met his sister’s gaze, and she shook her head. There was definitely something here that neither his mother nor his sister wanted to talk about. Had his brother had an accident that rendered him incapable of performing sexually? He winced inwardly at the thought and let the subject drop.
His mother moved to his side and took his arm. “We can discuss this further over dinner,” she said as she turned them toward the door. “I’ve been told you haven’t even looked at the invitations you’ve received. Now that I’m here, I’ll handle matters and ensure you’re seen at only the most sought-after events. Your wife must be a woman of impeccable breeding. I’ll start making inquiries in the morning as to which families are in town.”
He cast a pleading glance at his sister, hoping she would say something to curtail his mother’s determination.
Instead, Jane smiled at him and joined forces with their mother. “I’ve already started a list. We can compare notes.”
©2022 Suzanna Medeiros