Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 112

"No, dear boy, she is not. Olivia agreed -- rather reluctantly -- to the whole thing, simply because she wants to help."

"At what cost?" he muttered flatly, glaring at his aunt.

"No cost," she answered swiftly. "She's a nice gel, based on my brief acquaintance with her. But you know I don't like a lot of people."

True. Bloody, bloody true.

He certainly didn't know Olivia enough to think she was a saint who truly wanted to help everyone, even him, but Cole was sure his devilish grandaunt coerced her into doing this without much choice.

And she was possibly a social-climbing gold digger. He hadn't realised he'd said that out loud until Lady C laughed.

"Don't worry," the dowager assured him. "I've had someone look her up. Believe me when I say her family gets by quite nicely in life. Parents are both in the medical field. I confess, they're not as grand as our family, but they don't have any trouble when it comes to money, my dear boy."

Cole leaned back in his seat and raised an arrogant brow at her. "What if she's really interested in becoming a future duchess? Surely that hasn't passed her train of thought, even yours."

The sounds of the crashing waves and the silvery laughter outside wafted in the background, and Cole's stomach lurched at the voice of Olivia, prattling on about some surf competition she'd watched back in California.

God, his aunt wasn't going to give up. And he'd dragged along an (allegedly) innocent American girl into this mess. They'd been trying to suggest an engagement for years but this was the first time Lady Cutting stepped in and made any move. It had, Cole thought grimly, turned into a goddamn crusade.

Go ahead and forget Jeanne d'Arc. The dowager was bloody Margaret of Canterbury, and nothing would ever stop her in her quest to see all of her children and grandchildren happily carrying on in life with their spouses. If a woman wanted to align herself with the most powerful families in all of Britain, she could do a whole lot worse than Cole Cutting, in the dowager duchess's esteemed opinion. Cole actually heard that said to him in the same room on several occasions by the dowager.

"Oh, being a future duchess hasn't passed her thoughts. She's not interested." Cole's mind wandered back to the old bat sitting front of him like a queen. She gave an elegant shrug and flicked her wrist. "It's obvious she's a good girl and she'd be a nice future marchioness and duchess, but she isn't interested in becoming one. I've promised her she may forget this ever happened once this is all through, and she looked very much relieved. So she agreed. But she has pride and she is no fool, so don't be mean to her, Colton."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said tightly. He stood up and narrowed his eyes at her. "You're matchmaking and I'm not interested. I can deal with this on my own."

"Hmmm."

"Hmmm?" Good God, what was the old badger planning now? He wasn't afraid of her. He never had been. But now he was very alert at the sight of Lady Cutting's narrowed eyes, focused on her teacup, as if the very answer lay within the china. If looks could break, that cup would have shattered by now. Or bled from the rim down.

"You'll agree," she muttered casually. "You'll see."

Cole's eyes darkened menacingly. "Find another one to get your plan to work, because I won't be that person."

Without another word, he stalked out of the cottage and drove away, not seeing the dowager's wicked smile and hearing her hearty chuckle.

Olivia, Michael, and Keller came inside and looked around for Cole. When they were told that he wasn't in the mood to spend time with them, Michael stated wryly, "So he didn't agree, then," as if he knew this wouldn't work in the first place all along.