“That is precisely what I am saying, Miss Blanford.”
“What about the money?”
His left eyebrow arched slightly. “What money?”
“Do you mean to say that you don’t know anything about the thousand pounds
either?”
“A consolation fee, perhaps?”
“That would depend upon your perspective, I suppose, sir. The woman you select
will become your wife with a promised thousand pound dowry. The others, if they agree
to certain conditions and stay a minimum of one week, will each get fifty pounds in
addition to the original fifty pounds sent once the contracts were signed and received.
For each day a woman elects to stay after the first week, she is to receive another ten
pounds. If you make them leave tomorrow, they get nothing more than the fifty their
families have already received.”
Dominic briefly closed his eyes. “I’ll kill her. Sister or no, I’ll wring her neck.”
Acting instinctively, Serena reached out and placed her hand on his sleeve. The
moment she realized what she was doing, she drew her hand back uncertain what had
ever possessed her to touch him.
He regarded her through eyes deep and dark, then his lips curved into a wry smile.
“I did not speak literally, so you need not fear for my sister’s life. Unfortunately, I
happen to care for her a great deal, so murder is out of the question.”
