Page 36 of A Raven Reborn

She furrowed her brow. “I never said you weren’t.” She turned over her last card, a 10 of diamonds, and waited for his.

Not now, this was terrible timing. He couldn’t win yet. His stomach lurched as he saw the black J. He had won. He looked up into Rosie’s eyes, his heart pounding. Fear, dread, guilt all fighting within him. But then she smiled, and like always, it warmed him like a ray of sunshine bursting through the clouds after a storm.

“What would you like for your prize?” she asked. To Patrick’s surprise, her eyes widened with anticipation rather than apprehension.

Patrick swallowed. He closed his eyes and steeled himself for what came next.

* * *

Patrick pushed himself out of his chair and slowly made his way around the desk. Butterflies fluttered low in her belly and her lips tingled. Oh, how she loved the feel of his lips on hers. He took her hand gently and urged her to her feet. She swallowed as she looked up into his eyes. But instead of bending down to kiss her, he lowered himself onto one knee before her.

Panic rushed through her. She began shaking her head side to side before he even uttered a word.

He ignored that. “Rosie, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Patrick, you can’t— Don’t be— I’m not—” She was completely flustered.

He lowered his head with a sigh, allowing the top of his head to rest against her stomach. When he looked up again, there was so much hurt in his eyes. “Please, just hear me out.”

Rosie nodded. How could she not? He stood, then, and gazed down at her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her left ear.

“You wouldn’t have to be my wife in the usual way, but you would have everything you could ever want for; a beautiful home, gowns, jewelry, servants to see to your every whim. You would also have the protection of my name, which as you now know, is a powerful one.”

Rosie nodded, but her brain was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She was quite certain she could happily spend the rest of her life with this man, but that wasn’t what he was offering. What he was offering was to hide her away somewhere and keep her safe. Even if he wasn’t the son of a marquess and clearly out of his mind offering something he couldn’t realistically offer to someone of her status, she wanted more than to be kept safe. Not only that, but he deserved better than her.

She took a deep breath, trying to order her thoughts. “Patrick, this means more than you can possibly know. You’re offering me a life I could never have imagined.” She closed her eyes briefly and squeezed his hands. “You’re the son of a marquess, Patrick. You can’t simply marry a nobody like me.” It took every bit of strength she possessed to hold back the tears as she watched desperation fill his eyes.

His warm hands grasped her shoulders gently. “Rosie, you are not a nobody.”

“You know what I mean, Patrick. As the son of a marquess, you must marry a lady of good breeding. Or one with a large dowry, at the very least.”

“That’s the advantage to being the second son.” His lips turned up, but the smile didn’t meet his eyes. “I can do whatever the hell I want.”

He was just being ridiculous now. Of course he couldn’t.

“Will my brother have a bit of a temper tantrum? Of course he will.” He squeezed her shoulders. “But I’ve weathered worse. I assure you.”

“Patrick,” she said, shaking her head. Why did he have to make this so difficult?

“Please, Rosie.” His eyes pleaded even more than his words. “This is what I want for my prize.” Desperation infused his voice, and she knew… he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She would have to find another way. She had to save him from himself.

A plan almost instantly unfolded in her head. A heart wrenching plan, but one she knew she must accomplish. She could not allow him to sacrifice his life for her. One day, he would regret it. One day, he would want a wife who deserved him, and would loathe her for denying him that. Fortifying her resolve, she looked up into his eyes and smiled.

“I’ll make you a deal.”

Patrick’s eyebrows rose expectantly.

“If you will go sleep, in your own bed, for at least a few hours, I will sit in here and mull this whole thing over.”

Patrick nodded slowly. “Why do I have to sleep?”

“You look as if you’re about ready to collapse. When was the last time you slept?”

He let out a long sigh and rubbed his palms over his forehead. There were dark circles under his eyes. “Very well, but promise me you’ll consider my offer.”

She nodded, but he took her hands again and gazed into her eyes. “Promise me.”

She knew even before speaking the words that they were a lie, and hated herself for it. “I promise.” Then she immediately continued with her next sentence before he could call out her lies. “Just allow me to gather a few things I might want from your room so I won’t disturb your much needed sleep.” She smiled nervously, praying he wouldn’t ask any questions.

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