Not so Guy. He discussed Horatia’s dowry and the marriage settlement with her father in the library. That done, he and her father shared a joke while discussing salmon fishing and crop rotation. A good deal of bonhomie and laughter emerged from the library along with the smoke. Guy prepared to ride off for his daily search of his portmanteau. Whether he found it or not, he planned to depart for London first thing the next morning, this time in the carriage with a footman riding shotgun. They would see each other when Horatia went to her aunt’s the following week. He gazed down at her as they stood together by the front door. “You needn’t look quite so pleased at this ruse.” She wished him to suffer at least a twinge of guilt like she did. His lips curved upward, and a dimple appeared near the corner of his mouth. His charming smile caused her to take a steadying breath while she tried to focus on the fact he was neither a little repentant nor her true beau. “Goodbye, fair Horatia.”
