“The elopement,” Patrick continued, leaning back and closing his eyes, “was Lady Sophie’s idea and carried out on her plan. However, Slaslow himself was dead set against the idea of an elopement, and when he injured his leg yesterday, he persuaded me to bring your daughter to his grandmother’s house. His plan was to convince Lady Sophie that an elopement was neither desirable nor possible, given his impairment.”

There was silence from the other side of the fireplace.

“When I arrived in your daughter’s room, she had already decided to break off her engagement to Slaslow.”

“I assume,” George said sardonically, “that she has now changed her mind about your proposal of marriage.”

“I believe so.”

“And what a scandal this is going to be.” The marquis’s voice sounded weary.

“Not as much of a scandal as if your daughter had eloped with the Earl of Slaslow,” Patrick retorted.

George stared into the dying embers of the fire, his heart heavy. Not only was Sophie going to break her engagement to an earl, but unless he was greatly mistaken, she was going to have to marry another man with indecent haste.

“It will be a nine-days’ wonder,” Patrick said calmly. “I shall take my bride on a lengthy wedding trip, and by the time we return a more potent scandal will be amusing the ton.”

“What am I to tell my wife? She’ll be a mite curious about why you two have to get married so quickly, after Sophie’s engagement to another man was just announced.”

“Why don’t you tell her the truth?”

“God, no.” George frowned into the fire. “Eloise looks pretty stiff, but she’s actually quite naive. It would be a terrible blow to her to learn that our daughter was seduced before her wedding.”

Patrick felt a sharp pang of guilt. In the cold morning’s light, he was shocked by his own behavior. What had got into him last night? What was it about Sophie that had driven him into such a frenzy of lust? He had broken every rule of civilized behavior that he’d been taught since a boy.

“Tell the marchioness that it’s a case of true love.”

“True love!” George scoffed. “My wife has never been one for rosy fantasies.”

“Then why did you protect her from seeing me in Lady Sophie’s bed last night?”

“I told you. It would be a huge blow to her…. She’d think that Sophie takes after her papa. And she doesn’t,” George said with a fierce glare.

Patrick met the marquis’s eyes steadily, even given that his own eye was beginning to swell and appeared half closed. “I know,” he said with a crooked half-smile.

George turned a trifle redder at the reminder that his daughter had anticipated her wedding night.

“I’ll look after her,” Patrick said quietly.