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him to call at all, much less before now! Her mind flicked through all sorts of useless information she had dragged out of Benedict about him. Had Benedict mentioned his brother was coming? Was there some rule of etiquette that required him to call on her before Benedict offered?
    “But I am a man of action, Lilliana, and when I have determined my course, I waste little time.”
    Whatever he should mean by that, she could certainly believe it. A man of action and sophistication and excitement and—
    “I have recently determined that I have certain responsibilities to be fulfilled now that I have reached my thirty-second year, and it is that which brings me to you. I apologize for arriving unannounced, but in my haste to get here, I am afraid it was unavoidable.”
    Responsibility. All right, all right, she was beginning to understand, she thought, and took a deep breath. He was speaking of something to do with Benedict, and almost sighed with relief.
    He rose so suddenly that her perfect posture slipped for a moment; in two steps he was sitting beside her on the settee. Astounded, Lilliana’s eyes widened with surprise. Acutely aware that she was gaping at him like a fool, she gasped when he pried her hand from its grip on her gown. In stunned amazement, she watched as he carefully placed it between his two, strong hands, jolting every nerve in her. What responsibility did he have that required such delicate touch? God, did she bloody well care?
Don’t you dare swoon!
    “You are aware, I am sure, that among the
ton
, two people of suitable lineage and fortune enter into matrimony for the purpose of extending the family name and increasing their holdings.” Yes, yes, she knew all that, and nodded dumbly as her mind raced ahead, offering up and rejecting different suppositions for his wildly absurd call. “I am certain you are equally aware that a man in my position must make a match with a woman who has been trained to manage a large household, is dutiful in her role as a countess and can provide an heir. Above all, a woman who is a good companion,” he continued.
    Lilliana nodded unconsciously. This had to do with Benedict, that much was clear, what with the reference to matrimony and the rattling off of society’s expectations.Did he think she and Benedict did not suit? Was
that
what this was all about? She should hardly be surprised—she was the daughter of a downtrodden baron, had left Blackfield Grange exactly twice in her twenty-two years, and had no real connections to the Quality other than some distant cousin on her mother’s side. Benedict, on the other hand, was the son of a wealthy marquis and could certainly do better than her. Honestly, she had often wondered why he did not seem to realize that.
    The earl’s hazel eyes flicked to his hands and long dark lashes swept his high cheekbones, momentarily hiding his gaze from her. The mad notion that he was here to tell her that Benedict could not marry her popped into her numbed brain. Funny, but she felt nothing in particular about that—except a sense of irritation that Benedict had not come to do the deed himself. All right, then, she was unsuitable. And when had the Spence family reached this astounding conclusion? Certainly since Monday, because Benedict had almost cried with despair when she had begged a reprieve from his call, citing a very bad headache. Well, good God, she had not expected him that day, and she had promised to race Jason. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t responded every other—
    “Of course, companionship is not the best of reasons to make a match, but it is very pleasing to have it all the same. I have thought long and hard about this, and I have determined that you are the woman,” Lord Albright said, and looked up, his eyes suddenly piercing hers.
    Lilliana blinked. She must have been swooning when he was speaking, because she had no earthly idea what he was talking about. “
What
woman?” she asked, confused.
    “The woman I