Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (250 page)

tin smelter was to the mines what a

miller was to farmers. Grain needed to be ground into flour and tin-well, tin needed to be smelted.

The smelter would continue to pay out long after his own mines had exhausted their resources.

Beldon pushed a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair. It was all embarrassingly clear now.

They had been in dun territory and

had been

to

in order to save the family-

in order to save him, really. He was the heir. Without her marriage, there would have been little to inherit but trouble. All his life, he'd thought he was protecting his younger sister, watching over her at balls to see that she didn't dance with the wrong sort of gentleman, making sure she went nowhere unescorted, and all the while she had been protecting him. There was a certain amount of guilt that went with that realisation.

130

The Viscount Claims His Bride

Had she known? He remembered vividly the night he'd found her in the Rutherfords' garden.

She'd been crying although she wouldn't admit it.

At the time, he thought it had been the shock of the sudden engagement to Cambourne. Had she known why their father had favoured the match?

Beldon remembered too his brief encounter with Valerian that night. Valerian had been brusque and out of sorts. His friend had paused only long enough to tell him that

was in the garden. The next

weeks had been chaos. Valerian had gone and Philippa's wedding had to be planned. He'd had little time or reason to ponder the turn of events or even to see his friend's disappearance in connection with the wedding .

In retrospect, Beldon began to think it was highly plausible that Valerian and

had met

secretly in the garden and that she was crying for a different reason. He couldn't quite puzzle out that bit yet. Still, on one hand he had more answers.

Cambourne's money had likely come between them. Cambourne's money had not been a serendipitous godsend as he'd always believed, but rather a calculated move on his father's part to save the barony.

Beldon took stock of what he had: some answers, more questions, and one damning hypothesis beginning to form-if the move to woo Cambourne had been planned, then Valerian had to have known, erwise he would not have willingly stood down from his claims on Philippa's hand.

The mantel clock struck midnight, late hours for

Scott

the country. It was time for bed. He had a long day ahead of him, beginning with a ride over to Ro seland.

Chapter Ten

alerian was in the greenhouse,

with his

new rose hybrids, when Beldon arrived the next day.

He looked up from his pots and cuttings in glad surprise. He had been alone too much with his thoughts lately in lieu of any available company.

'I'm hoping to get a yellow rose with pink highlights,' Valerian said, brushing off his on a

towel.

'It's good to see you. What brings you over so suddenly? I hope everyone is well.' For a moment his stomach tightened. He hoped the news wasn't about Philippa.

hundred images of all the things that could go wrong raced through his mind. She could fall from her horse on uncertain terrain, she could take ill with a winter cold, she could have accepted Lucien's ridiculous marriage proposal.

Apparently, his concern was obvious. 'At ease, old friend,' Beldon chuckled. 'Everyone is well.

Philippa's well, if that's what you're worried about.'