Page 54 of The Lord's Compass
“Father, you cannot force this.”
Eric’s stomach twisted at the vehemence in her tone.
“Faith, I thought we were becoming friends, were we not?” he asked.
“A friendship does not make a marriage.”
“It could be worse,” Eric countered, before leaning over the table toward her father.
“Lord Embury, might I have a minute to speak to Faith about this?”
“Go ahead,” he said, sweeping his hand out.
“I was hoping to speak to her alone.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
Her father looked from one of them to the other before sighing once more.
“What difference does it make now, anyway?” he asked, flinging his hands into the air before pushing back his chair, causing it to scrape across the floor before he left the room with heavy footsteps.
“Well?” Faith said, tipping back her chair so that she was able to see him better. “What do you have to say that is supposed to convince me into marriage?”
“Just that, it could be much worse, could it not?” Eric said, hating the bit of vulnerability that crept into his chest. “You and I do get along, now that we have cleared up that little misunderstanding from all those years ago. As far as I am concerned, we are friends, and not only that, but we have a connection. I know I feel a pull toward you. I assume you feel that for me based upon the times we have shared a bed.”
Her eyes didn’t quite meet his, telling him that he was correct in that.
“Perhaps,” she said slowly. “But we are so different from one another. After a time, I am sure that we would havetoo manydifferences. And besides, I?—”
“You what?”
“I do not want to be worried about where you are every evening.”
“Well, unless you are opposed to me spending most evenings with you,” he said, reaching out and gently placing his fingers beneath her chin so that he could tip her face up to look at him, “then I do not think we will have many issues.”
“And what about the other evenings? The ones that you are out? Will you have a mistress? Or a different flavor of woman each night?”
Eric was affronted by that. “Why would you believe I would be with other women?”
“Because youenjoybedding a variety of women?”
“Perhaps I did in the past,” he admitted, knowing he had to be cautious in how he approached this. “But I was only ever with other women because I was not with you.”
“Eric,” she said, her tone making it obvious she did not believe him. “What could you possibly want with me that would be worth so much to you?”
“Well, there is the fact that you are rather ornery and have very strong opinions,” he joked, and she rolled her eyes.
“I thought you were supposed to be convincing me to marry you.”
“I am getting to that part,” he said. “This is the lead up.”
“There is nothing you can say to make me change my mind from the fact that I am better off alone,” she said.
“I agree,” he returned.
“That I am better off alone?”
