“You were there, Aunt, you saw us in a compromising position. Is there any other possible outcome?”
“It was only myself and Mr. Norwood who saw you. And you extracted a promise from him not to tell anyone, as well as making a most sizeable donation to his publishing company, I understand. I’m certainly not going to tell anyone. So why must you marry the girl in such haste? Tongues are wagging.”
“If I don’t marry her, the possibility of ruin will always be around the corner. I will remain unscathed, and she could pay the price if the truth came out. I won’t stand for it.”
“You’re too honorable by half. And I always thought you such a heedless young buck, arrogant and cocksure.”
“You thought rightly. I was that man, Aunt. I thought the world should bend to my every whim. I was heedless and even cruel. The war changed me.”
“Still, you can’t possibly be considering going through with this unsuitable marriage.”
“We marry by week’s end by special license.”
“Care you nothing for this family’s reputation?”
“I made a promise to see her future secured.”
“That damned battlefield honor of yours. Surely a dead man can’t force you to throw your life away.”
“It’s my duty.”
“You’ll be saddled with an inferior bride forever.”
Ana could bear to hear no more. She rushed down the hall, tears blinding her eyes. She couldn’t marry him! He thought she was inferior and he was only marrying her because it was his honorable duty.
She ran down the stairs and was halfway across the entrance hallway when a booming voice halted her progress.
“Just where do you think you’re going?”
Keep running, or turn and face the dragon? Running was a coward’s way out. She should be able to face him, to tell him her feelings and see the truth or lies on his face when he responded.
She turned around. “I’m leaving, Your Grace. I can’t marry you.”
“And why is that?”
“Any number of reasons, the chief among them being that I just now overheard you and your aunt speaking about me in the most demeaning of terms. I will not be your burden, an inferior bride you only marry out of a misguided sense of duty.”
He reached her side. “Come, let’s not speak out in the open. Allow me a moment to explain everything.” He held open the door to a sitting room. “Please, Ana?”
Drawing a deep breath, she followed him into the room.
“Am I just another war for you to win?” she asked, after he’d closed the door.
“I’ll admit that marrying you was not the plan. But any good general will adapt his strategy when confronted with new intelligence, fresh challenges.”
“You’re only tied to me by your own decision; your honor isn’tat stake. Can you possibly want this? I’m not some duty for you to dispatch.”
“Are you not? I may not be the partner your father or you would have chosen, but now that we’re bound by circumstances and mutual benefit, we’ll win this together.”
“Bound! Like a chain around both of our waists. What of... free will? Spontaneity? What of affection? Marrying me is like some military campaign you’re under orders to complete. You’re approaching this in the same way I imagine that you approached an enemy skirmish. You prepare your defenses, you look for weaknesses to exploit, you fix on a strategy, and you never waver, you just steadfastly see the thing through. At whatever cost.”
He winced. “That’s not true. I care about your welfare and your reputation.”
“I’m nothing but an obligation to you.”
He took her hands in his. “Ana. I understand your misgivings. A beautiful young lady could do far better than a wounded, scarred man like me.”
“That’s not it.” She shook her head impatiently, but something about the clasp of his hands was making her head spin and her thoughts scramble. “There’s another thing: I’m still angry at the way you bribed Mr. Norwood to publish my novel.”