Page 52 of Her Daring Earl
“I would appreciate it if we could start anew,” she said. “Why do we not do all of this over?”
“Do what over?”
“I’m telling you the news,” she said. He eyed her with uncertainty but eventually nodded.
“Very well.”
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she assumed character.
“Fitz?”
“Yes, Eliza?”
“I have reason to believe that I am with child.”
His expression flickered for a moment as though he was uncertain whether to continue with this charade. Eventually, he gave in to it.
“My goodness, Eliza, that is some surprising news.” He was fairly good at this. Were he not an earl, he could have had a career on the stage.
“I can understand that this might come as a shock.”
“It certainly does.”
“It did to me as well. That’s why I was so overcome when I realized the truth of it.”
“I… assume that I am the only man you have ever had relations with.”
“You assume correctly,” she said, giving him a hard look.
“Well…” He cleared his throat, “since that is the case, there is only one thing to do.”
“Which is?”
He took a breath. “Eliza, would you marry me? Be my wife, and we can raise this child together?”
When she met his eye, understanding formed between them, the understanding that she had been hoping for.
“Yes, Fitz,” she said softly, no longer acting. “I would like that.”
He reached out and took her hands within his. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I am still cross with you,” she said, fixing him a stern look. “I wish you had told me all of this from the beginning.”
“It’s not an easy thing to discuss.”
“But a required one with your future wife. No more misunderstandings, you hear me?”
“Very well,” he said. “I will try my best.” He wiggled his eyebrows in a way that would have looked ridiculous on other men, but somehow, he still made it seductive.
“You know, since you are here, we cannot exactly createmorescandal. Perhaps?—”
“No!” she said, getting to her feet. “Have you not learned your lesson, at least the second time?”
“I cannot get you more pregnant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well,Ihave learned my lesson, at least. And not the lessons that you were teaching me. No more experiments. This has gotten me into more trouble than even I can handle.”
She walked to the door. The truth was, she was not ready to get any closer to him. He had proven how badly he could hurt her, and she didn’t trust him with her heart. Not yet, at least.
