Page 71 of Rescued from Betrayal
“He viewed her more as a little sister for years, bringing her bits of candy at Sunday services and listening to all her childish woes. Then we took a tour of the continent and when we returned she was a full-grown woman. He has never recovered since.”
Melior’s hungry expression reminded him of the matchmakers in London. “It would be hard not to notice her with those bright cheeks and that ready smile. And while freckles are not fashionable in London, I find them charming on her nose.”
“Should I be jealous that you find her freckles so charming?”
She bumped her shoulder against him. “I find your freckles equally as charming.”
He pulled her to a stop, a look of faux shock on his face. “I have freckles?” It was a ridiculous statement since he knew the bridgeof his nose had a few quite prominent marks, but he loved the lighthearted moment between them.
Melior chuckled as she pushed him back into motion. “Do not play the fool with me. I have heard you lament them for years.”
“You have? And all this time I assumed you were not listening.”
She smiled sadly. Then in a voice remarkably like Lady Kendall she said, “A lady should never show undue attention to any man she does not wish to encourage.”
“Does that include simple pleasant conversation?”
“According to my mother it does.”
“And do you hold to her ideals?”
Melior tucked her chin in. “I used to think she was the authority on such matters, but not anymore.”
“And what changed that?”
“Being thrown out of my own home without a single thought. I have been at Havencrest for over a month and still I have not received a letter from either of my parents or my so-called friends for that matter. If I am as special as they led me to believe, why does my worth hinge on my marriage?” She clasped her bonnet to her head as the breeze picked up. “I am only a commodity to them, one that needed to be molded into the most marketable woman in the ballroom.”
Frustration at Melior’s self-serving parents led his next words to be sharper than comforting. “You are not a piece of sellable goods, Melior.”
“That is kind of you to say.”
He pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. “It is the truth. Had you been penniless, I would have found you just as valuable.”
“And if I had no beauty?”
He swallowed. Her fine features had been the first thing to capture his attention, but he had to believe his feelings weredeeper than the superficial. As he searched his soul, he realized how much he’d focused on her outward appearance.
She began walking again. He caught up to her and grabbed her elbow. The mask of pain on her face filled him with guilt.
“I am a weak man,” he said softly. “Like most of my sex I cannot unsee your beauty, but I would like to think I would value your heart and generosity had you been born with a plain face and an unremarkable figure.”
Her shoulders lifted. “Thank you. Iamgrateful I married you and not Mr. Fairchild. He saw me only as a prize to be won.”
“And Lord Caraway?” He did not know why he asked the question. It was an idiotic venture in the least, and masochistic at its worst.
She sighed. “To be honest, I think I was in love with the idea of being married to Lord Caraway more than the man himself. He is a kind gentleman, but he is that way with all ladies. And with his youth and fortune he could have his pick. If we had made a match, it would probably have been for the status and dowry that I could bring to the union, not because I made any memorable impression on him.”
Her face pinched and clear regret appeared in her eyes, but his heart rejoiced. All this time he thought he’d been battling to secure her already promised heart, and now…
“Do you think there was another woman he preferred?” He blurted out.
“I am unsure. Why do you ask?”
Should he share his suspicions with her? She had said he wanted her to be forthcoming with things pertaining to her life. “Do you know that Mr. Fairchild and Lord Caraway are connected by shared family?”
“I had heard as much.”
“Are you not suspicious of him, now knowing that Mr. Fairchild accepted payment from someone?”
