Page 48 of Married to the Earl

Resolved in her mind that she knew what she needed to do, she turned and walked back up the lawn toward the manor, thinking to search for him in his study and let him know what she had been thinking.

She was taken by surprise, however, when she saw him walking down from the manor and toward her.

“Astrid,” he called, raising a hand in greeting. “I saw you from the window.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, abashed. “Should I not be out here?”

“No, no, of course you should, if it’s where you want to be,” he said quickly. “You know that you’re free to explore the manor and the grounds.”

“Then…is something wrong?”

“Not at all,” he said. “To be honest, I simply…wondered if you might like some company.”

“Oh,” Astrid said.

It’s strange. I never would have thought he would be the one initiating time spent with me. And yet here we are.

“Yes,” she said, pulling herself together. “I would love company. I was just thinking that your grounds are far too massive for me to undertake this exploration on my own. I’m bound to get lost.”

“Ourgrounds,” Conor insisted.

“You always do that,” Astrid said.

“Do what?”

“When I say something is yours.Your manororyour cookor anything else. You always correct me.”

“That’s because we’re married now,” Conor said. “What belongs to me belongs to you.”

“But it’s yoursreally,” she insisted.

“And you always dothat,” he said, smiling. “Why is it important to you? Why don’t you want these things to be yours?”

Astrid had never actually considered the question, but now she did. “I suppose it’s because I don’t want you to think I married you for your manor and your cook,” she said.

“Why did you marry me?” Conor asked.

“You know why,” Astrid said.

“Tell me.”

“Because of my father. Because I didn’t want him to go to jail.”

“I see,” Conor said slowly. “And if I told you today that you could go home…that I would have our marriage annulled, and that I still wouldn’t pursue legal action against your father?”

Astrid stopped walking and looked at him. “Are you actually offering me that?”

“I never wanted you to feel forced to be here,” he said. “If that’s the only reason you’re here…”

Astrid shook her head. “It’s the reason I came. It’s not the reason I’m here now.”

Conor’s cheeks turned faintly pink, but he didn’t question her further.

“You asked me a question,” Astrid said. “Can I ask you one?”

“Of course,” Conor said. “You can ask me anything.”

Is that true?Astrid wondered.Would he really be comfortable answering any question I might ask?She knew enough to know that wives didn’t traditionally question their husbands, but Conor had never given her any reason to think he would be uncomfortable with her doing so. In fact, he had done just the opposite, happily satisfying her curiosity at every turn.

---