Page 10 of Forbidden Earl

Right.Well, he felt small but he needed to finish this conversation. He sipped his wine. “Okay, and the glasses? When did that start? You had laser sharp vision whenever I did anything you didn’t approve of.”

She picked up her glasses that she’d left beside her bowl. “I’m a programmer, Remy. I stare at the computer screen all day and to be on equal footing with my peers, casual attire and glasses are the standard uniform.”

Yet everyone else he knew with glasses all looked lost and glazed over when they took their glasses off, but Cassidy stared at him like she saw straight through him, as she usually did. He tugged at his white collar and wished he’d changed out of his suit. “I guess.”

The three turned their attention toward finishing their meal without further conversation. Once he was done, he wiped his lips with his napkin, sat back in his chair, and lifted his wine glass. “Will you admit to being happy to leave your family home?”

She tugged her ear and then picked up her wine. “It’s still my responsibility.”

He leaned closer again. “Our responsibility.”

“No, my.” She shook her head. “You don’t need-”

Did she really expect him not to be concerned? She lived next to his estate. “You’re to be my wife and that estate will pass to you and then one day to our child which means our child will have as much land as the throne. I’d like to start the reforms my grandmother and I did for our villages within your estate as soon as possible.”

“Your towns and villages are flourishing,” she conceded and sipped from her glass. “I don’t know. My father isn’t the most responsible.”

True. Her father was a gambler, but Cassidy wasn’t like him at all. He met her gaze and repeated Grannie’s lessons. “It’s not about him. It’s about building prosperity for the villages and towns under our peerage. One of my villages now boasts multi-million dollar townhomes and is one of the most desired parts of Avce to be in. We need to start with the people who depend on your family.”

She nodded, looking from Grannie back to him. “How?”

He patted Grannie’s hand. “We’ll do what Gigi and I did right after Prince Antonio secured the throne by marrying Princess Kristin. We gave money to every business that had been closed under the Russian occupation with the expectation that the owners either reopen their business or start a new one.”

She slid her glasses back on, her demeanor intent. “So you gave out loans?”

Economics under his grandmother’s tutelage had always interested him and he’d double majored in accounting and finance. His job was to ensure prosperity for others and he took it seriously. “It wasn’t a loan. No one had to repay me anything, but we receive more long-term than the lion’s share when any business prospers through taxes.” She nodded with approval. “You’ll enjoy yourself, Lady Cassidy.”

“Why do you care if I enjoy myself at all?”

Cassidy and Grannie seemed so at ease with each other which brought peace to his home. Lucinda had been on his last nerve, always complaining about his Grannie’s opinion. This evening had been interesting when he’d been bored for a long time. “You accepted Grannie’s wish to be my wife.” And dare he admit that he was excited by the prospect?

“I heard Lucinda said no to your proposal because of the prenuptial agreement you gave her. Will I be signing something draconian?”

Cassidy Bright was actually wife material where Lucinda had been an act of desperation. “There is a huge difference between you and her.”

She snorted as if making a joke. “She was drop dead gorgeous to start?” In the same breath, she ducked her face, an act that normally would tumble her hair, but this time revealed the vulnerable tremble of her chin. Lucinda was predatory in nature while Cassidy was an open book.

He put his glass down and turned toward Grannie, who appeared to have dozed off, and returned his attention to Cassidy. She deserved the truth. “I trust you and despite what you think, you’re a true lady. If you can keep your hair out of your face though, you’ll make me happy.”

She put her glass down without taking a drink. Instead she nodded her acceptance. “Remy, I trust you too. Thank you.”

“Let’s go.” He stood. “Let’s let Grannie rest. I’ll walk you to your room.”

She did the same. “Tonight was nice, Remy. It was good to catch up.”

“Indeed.” He closed the door once they left Grannie’s room. They returned to the grand room and walked up the flight of stairs without words. Cassidy fit in here and his quest for a bride was done.

Chapter 5

No one screeched her name this morning to wake her up and deal with a family catastrophe. Her mother, father and sister were all silent, but Cassidy turned over in her bed and stared at herself in a mirror that hung across the room. She realized that it was quiet because she wasn’t at her old home, Astori Manor, anymore.

She wiped her eyes and took a minute to feel the softness of the freshly washed sheet. She really was about to marry Remy. A laugh formed in her belly, but she didn’t let it out.

All those years when the computer program gave her Remington’s name as her true love, where she had avoided him as an adult, meant nothing. At the end of this, they were a business deal.

Last night he’d been clear regarding the benefits she brought to this marriage and it was true. One day she’d be her parent’s heir. She’d tried to run their household as best she could, but her responsibilities always weighed her down. Too much to accomplish on little money and no respect for her efforts.

She threw the sheet aside. There was no time to lollygag just because her bed was cozy. Work called and she thrived on handling important projects at the castle where she didn’t have to think about her life for eight whole hours in the day.

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