Page 3 of Married Off by the Duke
“I concur. Grant me my inheritance and let me go my own way,” Emma said brightly.
Max snorted. “No. However, since neither of us finds joy in each other’s company, let us find a way to quit this arrangement.”
“The fastest way to do that would be to give me what’s mine and let me go.”
“You’re a woman.”
“You noticed!”
Max’s jaw tightened. Yes, he had noticed she was a woman from their very first encounter. Technically, Emma was no beauty. No individual aspect stood out as an exceptional trait. Taken together, though, the whole of her composition tempted him more than any other woman he’d ever met.
Her small frame was well-proportioned, though her torso was regrettably concealed by a high neckline. Max did enjoy a nice bosom, and he’d been curious about hers for six long, frustrating years.
Her hair might be an unremarkable shade of brown, but it was sleek and thick, like a mink’s fur. His hand lifted involuntarily as if to stroke it. Horrified, Max clasped his hands behind his back to prevent them from wandering.
“I have no doubt you, like any woman, would fritter away your inheritance within weeks, thus forcing me to rescue you from your own folly. No ward of mine ends up in the workhouse, no matter how irresponsible she is. I won’t have your behavior reflecting poorly upon me.”
An outraged gasp. For once, Miss Willis’ quick tongue appeared to be momentarily tied. Max pressed the advantage.
“You shall therefore endeavor to find a husband at the earliest available opportunity. Understood?”
“Or what?”
“What do you mean, what?” Max thought he’d been perfectly clear on this point.
“What if I don’t wish to marry? What will you do to me if I defy you?”
He laughed. Emma’s cheeks flushed red.
“You have no hold over me besides money,” she said. “Give me what’s mine and let me go. I’ll never darken your doorstep again.”
His laughter ebbed. A strange feeling twisted in his stomach. He should do it. There was no one stopping him from handing her a small pile of banknotes and being rid of her for good.
But if he did, he’d never see her pale blue eyes light up with mischief again.
A lump lodged painfully behind his sternum.
“Money, Miss Willis, is the only thing standing between you and destitution. I think you’ll find that living without it is highly uncomfortable.”
“You wouldn’t know.”
“No. Nor do I intend to find out. I have no appetite for bed lice, thin gruel and holes in the soles of my boots, which is what you would find in a workhouse. I enjoy being comfortable. Believe it or not, I want the same comforts for you. My father promised to provide for you and protect you until your twenty-fifth birthday or marriage, whichever came first. I do not wish to endure four more years of guardianship any more than you do.”
She stiffened as if he’d struck her.
“Since I am so odious to Your Gracelessness, I shall remove myself from your exalted presence forthwith.”
Emma stormed away in a swirl of skirts. Max blew out a breath. That had gone even worse than expected, and his expectations had not been high.
One thing was certain: he had no control where Miss Willis was concerned. None. The sooner she was out of his life, the better.
For both of them.
CHAPTER 3
Carriage rides were the worst part of Emma’s thus-far unspectacular season, for the sole reason that they forced her into proximity with her loathsome guardian. Tonight, he was taking her to a soirée to meet a widowed judge.
“Try smiling,” Max commanded.
