Page 49 of Married to the Earl

“I was wondering about your business,” she said. “The club, with Mr. Wilson.”

“The Arc?” he asked. “What about it?”

“Well, Mr. Wilson made it seem as though you were in trouble,” she said.

“He exaggerates,” Conor said. “Everything is fine, I assure you. Yes, we lost a little money last month, but we do well enough for ourselves that it won’t be a problem in the long term.”

“Then why did he come here last night?” Astrid asked. “Why did he seem so distressed?”

“He’s upset because he’s been having to do extra work lately,” Conor said. “And truth be told, I think he has ambitions of owning a larger share of the club. I’ve thought that for a while.”

“Will he be able to do it?” Astrid asked.

“I’m thinking about giving some of my own share over to him,” Conor said. “Once the books are well balanced again, that is. It would save me from having to spend as much time there as I should be currently, and I know it would make him happy.”

Astrid hesitated, framing what she wanted to say. “If you need to go back to work,” she said, “if you have responsibilities to take care of, I don’t want you to feel as though you need to stay at the manor because I’m here.”

Conor glanced at her. “Would you be happier if I was out?”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Astrid said. “I just meant…I can see the work you’re putting into making sure I’m happy here. I can tell you’re thinking about it all the time. It really does mean the world to me. I don’t know if I’ve told you that.”

Again, Conor said nothing.

“But you don’t need to neglect your business in order to take care of me,” Astrid continued. “I can fend for myself, Conor, truly. You should feel free to go to work during the day if that’s what you need to be doing. I’m fine here.”

They walked along in silence for several minutes.

What is he thinking?Astrid wondered.Is he angry with me? Did I misunderstand something? Maybe I shouldn’t have assumed that he’s doing all these things to try to make me happy. Suddenly, she was filled with self-doubt.Of course none of it is about me. I’m just a solicitor’s daughter—

Then he spoke. “I’m not staying here at the manor every day just to try to make you happy, Astrid.”

“Of course not.” Astrid was mortified. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I apologize.”

“No, you don’t understand.” He turned to face her, taking one of her hands in his. “I’ve been staying here because I want to be near you.”

His words washed over her like a wave.

“You do?” she asked, adrift, struggling suddenly to breathe.

“Of course I do,” he said. “You’re my wife.”

She hesitated. “Why did you marryme, Conor? None of your family was at risk of going to jail.”

“You don’t know why?”

“I thought…I thought it was because you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to find anyone else who would have you,” she admitted. “Because of the false rumors about you. I was told that women kept away from you, and you’d never find a noble lady willing to wed you.”

“I don’t know,” Conor admitted. “That might be true. The rumors certainly are salacious. But in truth, I’ve never asked anyone else to marry me. I don’t know if they would have or not.”

“So why me?” Astrid asked, still feeling breathless. “Was it just because my father offered?”

He rubbed his thumb slowly over the back of her hand as he answered. “When your father offered me your hand,” he said, “I was sure I must be dreaming. I had admired you long before that day, Astrid.”

“But…no. That doesn’t make sense,” she whispered. “When had you even seen me?”

“You sat in that window every day. One had only to look.”

“You saw me in my window seat,” she said faintly.

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