Obviously, another part of her past rising up to ruin a nice moment. “I hope you’re not referring to me.”
The tension in her face melted off. She didn’t smile, but the hostility had dissipated. “No. You’re always a gentleman, even when I’m not such a lady. Where did you find this black sapphire? It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a diamond.”
She stared at the stone. “It’s a corundum, not a carbonado. A sapphire.”
Henry had no idea what she was talking about.
She sighed. “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Do you like sapphires?”
“It’s my birthstone. I suppose I have to like them.”
Sapphire? What month was that? September? “Well then, it’s perfect for you.”
“I can’t accept it.”
“Of course you can. Besides, it’s sort of a loan, not a gift. We’ll pretend to be engaged unless we’re in active pursuit of the painting and using different identities.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“What could go wrong?” He took a few steps down the sidewalk and spun around when he realized she wasn’t following him.
“Everything could go wrong. What’s the benefit of being engaged to you?” Turning away before he could answer, she hurried down the street.
The idea had less merit than it did an hour ago. Henry sighed, his enthusiasm declining in as rapid a pace as her strides.
“A few reasons,” he said, trying to catch up to her in order to eliminate the need to yell his answer. “No one would expect you, a person who dresses like a rock-star wannabe, to become engaged to an earl, so your identity remains protected. Second, I told my uncle I was engaged, because he really wants me to marry someone. Anyone, actually. Bringing you around should keep him at bay for a few months. And finally, and most important, my fiancée will have a certain amount of protection and insulation at functions.”
She stopped again and whirled around to face him. With her hand fisted on her hip, her lips pinched together, and an expression that didn’t welcome him into her arms, the feisty woman stood her ground. Feisty looked great on her. “Brilliant idea, Mr. Professor, but let me explain a few things. An engagement to your kind is the sort of thing that lands in newspapers. There will be pictures. People seem to know you here and will be interested to learn about your bride-to-be, and I’ll be outed. I wish you hadn’t given me the ring in public without speaking to me first. You are the biggest moron in the world. And trust me, I know some huge morons. I wanted to help you, not marry you.”
“The engagement is only temporary. At the end of three weeks, we each go our own way. And the rags have more interest in the players on Manchester United than they do in me.”
She feared his popularity for nothing. The press never followed him. He wasn’t that important outside of his hometown. And he preferred it that way.
“At least try to make do. We can’t break it off now. Most of Ripon will know in a few hours about the engagement.”
“I don’t believe you’ve exposed me like this.” She marched away from him again, hitting her palms against each other. “Fine. Have it your way,” Gabe called back to him. She veered off into a small boutique. “I suppose if I’m to dress to your standards, I’d better rectify my wardrobe right now.”
She strode over to a familiar-looking saleswoman.
Terrific.
“Hi, I’m interested in buying your most expensive, classiest clothes.” Gabe pointed to him and smiled. “My fiancé is paying.”
“Fiancé? Henry, is this true?” his former babysitter asked.
“Miracles happen, Eloise. If you’ll excuse us.” He looped his arm around Gabe’s waist and circled her right back to the sidewalk. “We can’t shop there.”
“Why not?”
“I honestly can’t afford it at the moment.”
“You really are broke?”
“Not broke so much as limited in my access to cash. I told you the trustee won’t help fund anything to do with the women’s group, and I can’t imagine him approving a new wardrobe for you to help in my quest to board broken families in the east wing.”
“Even if I’m your fiancée?”
“Especially. He wanted me to marry his sister and seems quite bitter about my refusal.”
The anger faded from her eyes, replaced by amusement at his dilemma. “Fine. I have an idea. Where’s the nearest consignment shop?”
Three hours later, Gabe, the pretend soon-to-be-countess, looked every bit the part, from the sapphire on her hand to the tan leather bag on her shoulder. If he had half the ability to locate quality items the way Gabe could, he’d have the renovations on the castle completed at a fraction of the cost. She foraged for the best designs in the thrift store and at a small consignment shop located a few kilometers away. With her elegant almost-new wardrobe, even her attitude transformed. He could picture her surrounded by wealth and privilege. There’s no way she’d be recognized as the pink-haired hellion who had rolled into his life a few days before.
When they were served dinner back at the house, Martha expressed shock at Gabe’s transformation. “Miss West, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Gabe’s smile was genuine and radiant.
Martha remained a few seconds longer, arms crossed in front of her, staring at the ring and waiting for an announcement. No doubt the local gossips had already texted all of Ripon and the surrounding towns. He didn’t want Gabe to become mad again, so he’d speak to Martha privately after dinner about the engagement.
Henry cleared his throat. “Thank you, Martha, that will be all for now.”
She departed after a noticeable huff, turning back twice to glance at Gabe before reaching the kitchen.
“Pack your things tonight, countess. We leave in the morning.”
“We do?”