Page 12 of The Gentleman Was Right
The smile slid off his face. “I’m sorry for your loss. Was it recent?”
“Almost a year now.”
He nodded. “I lost my father when I was hardly more than a boy. I didn’t know him well. He was not terribly invested in the lives of his children, but once he was gone everything changed. Sebastian left and I…well…my sisters were young, so I did the best I could to be there for them.”
His words were raw and honest, and Violet didn’t understand why he was being so truthful. It occurred to her that it might be a strategic decision designed to lower her defenses, and she absolutely hated that it was working. Shewantedto tell him about her father, but instead she said, “You’re close to your sisters.”
“Of course. They are my family.”
“Family is important to you?”
“Yes. I would do anything to protect them.” He glanced at Isabelle.
Violet followed his gaze. “Family is important to me, too, but my sister is not the reason we’re here.”
“But youarerunning from someone?”
“Yes.” She froze as soon as the word was out. With her confirmation, it wouldn’t take much for him to figure out who she was running from.
“Let me protect you from…him?”
She blinked at his sincere offer, and suddenly the thing she’d been certain she’d never reveal couldn’t be contained. She started speaking, even though five minutes ago she would never have imagined telling him any part of the truth. “Before my father died, I became betrothed to his protégé. My future was settled. I would marry Basil, and we would live happily ever after. We didn’t expect father would die so suddenly. One day he was well. The next he was gone.” She took a breath, refusing to allow her eyes to cloud at the memory.
“Basil and his mother moved in with us almost immediately. It made sense at the time, and I was grateful for their support. They had only been with us for a handful of days when I discovered—” She stopped, unwilling to confess the full truth of what she’d learned. “When I decided that I no longer wanted to marry Basil, it was too late. And now, no matter what I say, he refuses to break our betrothal and will not believe me when I tell him I will never marry him. He insists I simply need more time, and nothing I do convinces him otherwise.
“I lack the knowledge and the resources to do more than repeatedly refuse to marry him. When it became apparent I could not convince him, Isabelle and I ran away. We ended up here, and Mrs. Eggington thought we were Lord Greydon’s sisters. I was feeling a bit desperate, so I corrected her. Partly, at least. With a few well-placed lies and omissions, I convinced her we were your cousins. We have remained at the cottage ever since.” She drew a shaky breath. “I’m sorry for the deception, but I will not be forced to marry a man I detest.”
Violet was exceedingly grateful that she’d had the wherewithal to characterize Basil as a man she detested rather than a man she used to love. It was difficult, even now, to admit how completely smitten she had been with him. She had given him her heart without realizing he didn’t deserve it, and she would never forgive herself for being so foolish.
* * *
“He is searching for you?” Edward asked, his instincts shouting at him to protect her from whatever evil Basil wished to inflict upon her. Only a complete scoundrel would force a woman to marry against her will, and Edward would do whatever necessary to save her from such a fate.
“Presumably. We’ve had no indication otherwise, but we also haven’t seen any sign of him, so maybe not,” Violet answered.
“We have had no communication with him at all,” Isabelle added. “He could have someone spying upon us constantly, or he could have no earthly idea where we are.”
“If he knew we were here, he would have come to fetch us.”
Annoyance clouded her voice rather than fear, and after a moment’s contemplation, Edward knew what he could do. Enthusiasm thrummed through his extremities. “I’ll marry you.”
He could not have conceived a better distraction from his life or a better reason to marry. It was almost embarrassing how excited he was at the prospect of a wife who needed him. After Basil was thwarted, he would be able to support her the way he had his sisters. She would rely on him to keep her safe and happy for the rest of her life.
It was beyond brilliant.
The perfect solution to her problem.Andhis.
She bolted out of her chair, her hands flying to her hips. “Are you daft?”
“Of course not,” he responded as reasonably as he could in the face of her outrage.
If he had taken the time to think about it, he wouldn’t necessarily have assumed she would be pleased by the offer, but he wouldn’t have expected an outburst either. She had been so tightly controlled since they met that he had not realized she was capable of such indignation.
He smiled in an attempt to reassure her and tried to explain, “If you were already married to me, you wouldn’t have to marry him.”
“I understand your logic,” she huffed. “But youaredaft.” She blinked rapidly a couple of times, as if she were trying to hold back tears. He was not unfamiliar with tears, but he could not imagine why his offer would make her weepy.
“I’m not daft. It is a perfectly reasonable solution. I can’t believe you haven’t considered marrying someone else already. If you’re married, Basil cannot marry you regardless of whatever arrangement has been previously agreed to. He will not have any control over what happens to you or your future. We can evict him and his mother from your house immediately, and your life can return to normal.”
