Page 67 of The Beauty and the Boxer
Meredith shook her head.
“A divorce would cause a scandal and just asBeatrice is about to make her debut. I cannot do that to her. Notnow.” Meredith was being honest. As much as she felt like she wasprotecting herself from whatever heartbreak she might find withJack, she also didn’t wish to ruin her sister’s season, or causeher mama any more stress. She took a deep breath. “As I told Sarah,I am perfectly content remaining under her employ.”
“So, you would rather remain in this fauxspinsterhood of yours?”
She clicked her tongue as her eyes began tosting. She didn’t have much of a choice.
“I suppose it would be too much to ask youto wait?”
Instantly his fingers encircled her wristsand he held her in an almost punishing grip. She inhaled sharply,but it wasn’t from fear. She was simply desperate to be held byhim.
“Wait for what?”
“For my sister to wed?” she said, her tonehopeful. “It may be a year, possibly two—”
“A year?” he repeated, staring at her likeshe was mad. When she didn’t answer him, he shook his head,obviously incredulous. He seemed unable to answer for severalmoments before shaking his head. “What would this year belike?”
“Well, we could court properly, I suppose.With letters and chaperoned walks.”
He stared at her.
“You would wait a year or more for us to betogether?”
“And you wouldn’t?”
It was a stalemate of sorts. Meredith knewit was torturous to ask him to wait, especially when it seemed shewas choosing her sister’s chance at happiness over her own. Butperhaps she was right to put forwards such a test. If the feelingsthey felt for one another were genuine, a year hardly seemed aterrible penalty.
Jack’s shook his head.
“If it did go past a year, Meredith, I thinkI’d go mad.”
“It would only be a year, possibly less,”she said suddenly. “Beatrice will make her debut in six months.She’s a bright, beautiful young lady. If she has any luck, she’llbe engaged within the first few months, married by summer andthen—”
“And then you’d petition the courts for adivorce?” Meredith nodded. “And what would we do in the meantime?Besides drive ourselves mad with not touching each other.”
Meredith frowned.
“If your only concern is touching, then Idon’t see why we’re even having this discussion,” she said in arush.
That earned her a withering glare from himand in the next moment, Jack had her pressed against him, his mouthhovering over hers. Her eyelids fluttered shut as she smelled thedelicious scent of him. Dipping his head slightly, he rubbed hislips against hers.
“You wouldn’t last a day,” he whispered.
Meredith’s eyes snapped open. Furious thathe would use her own reaction to him against her, she wrenchedherself out of his arms and grabbed the lapels of her robe with onehand, holding it beneath her chin.
“I should have known better to ask you towait.”
“You think it’s easy to ask that of me, whenI had to wait my whole life to get the things I wanted. I had towait an eternity to become someone who mattered, and now that I amthat someone, you ask me to wait even longer for something thatshouldn’t be this difficult,” he bit out, shaking his head. “Ishouldn’t have to.”
Her eyes lit with fire as she stared at him.The tear in her heart was temporarily eased by the fury she felt.Standing with her shoulders back, she stared him directly in theeye and spoke.
“Then I believe we are done here.”
They stared at one another for a long time,lines in the sands drawn, each simmering in their own bitterness.Jack moved first, seemingly unwilling to stay any longer in thesame room as her. But she wouldn’t be bested. Instead, she made herway directly for the door.
“To hell with this,” he said behind her,before she could leave. “Remain a spinster for a thousand years,Meredith. It won’t bother me any.”
“Very well,” she said over her shoulder.“Good night, Jack.”
