Page 35 of A Spinster's Unexpected Marriage
“Yes, now.” Lord Granton lifted an eyebrow. “Unless there is anything that would prevent you from doing so?”
“I… I am only to dance with Lord Billington,” Martha answered, her voice a little tremulous. “That is all.”
Lord Granton frowned. “For what dance?”
“The waltz.”
His frown grew deeper. “I see.” Clearing his throat, he looked away from her. “We have time to go and speak with your father, then.”
Without a word to Miss Stockton, he began to lead her away though Martha’s heart began to thud furiously, panicking a little over what it was he was doing. Where had such a statement come from? Why was it that he was now determined to set a date for their wedding, to have the banns read? Surely it could not be because of what he had overheard from Miss Stockton?
“Wait a moment, if you please.”
The Marquess paused, turning to look at her with one eyebrow lifting. “Yes?”
“Might we speak?” Martha gestured to the quiet corner near them. “For only a few moments before you talk to my father?”
With a nod, the Marquess led her to the shadows and Martha quickly withdrew her hand from his arm, turning so she could face him directly. Her heart was still beating rather furiously, her eyes filled with nothing but him as he looked back at her with a steadiness in his expression which she could not understand. Why was he not questioning this as she was? Why was he not coming to her with a desire to bring about an agreement from her parents that the engagement should be ended? She had thought he would be panicked, upset or frustrated to hear that she would be refused should she ask to end the engagement but instead, all he expressed was a steadiness and a calm behaviour which she could not understand.
“Why are you doing this?”
Lord Granton blinked. “Doing what?”
“Asking to speak with my father, seeking if the banns could be read!” Martha exclaimed, throwing up her hands though she did attempt to keep control of herself so as not to garner any attention. “This is not what we thought to do. This was not our plan!”
“And yet, it seems that this is what we must do.” Lord Granton sniffed. “Your parents will not permit the engagement to come to an end so, therefore, all of our hopes, all of our notions about being broken apart by someone such as Lord Billington have now come to an end – and there is nothing to be done.”
Still utterly astonished, Martha stared at him for a long moment, trying to understand what it was that he meant by such a thing. Surely it could not be that he was giving up! For what purpose would he do that?
“I do not know why you appear so astonished,” he continued, when she said nothing. “Did you not think that this was always a possibility? Did you not see that the chance that our future would always be together?”
A great fear began to wrap around Martha’s heart. She had always hoped, always believed, that she would be able to break free from Lord Granton but now, with him appearing to accept that theywouldmarry, what was there for her to do? She would be married to a rogue, wed to a gentleman who had nothing to his character save for his selfishness and arrogance.
But he has changed,whispered a voice within her heart.He has shown you more devotion and affection than you had ever expected.
“My mother believes the lie that you and I have offered to theton,” she whispered, as Lord Granton shrugged. “She believes that you care for me a great deal.”
He said nothing, though his blue eyes seemed suddenly clearer, devoid of the shadows which she had seen there only a few minutes before.
“You cannot simply believe that there is reason enough to give up hope!” Martha cried, no longer able to contain herself, hating that there was a sense of relief – perhaps even of happiness – threatening to capture a hold of her heart. “Youcanstill free yourself from this, Lord Granton. All you need to do is – ”
“And what if I do not want to release myself from our engagement any longer?”
The question had her stop dead, her whole body now frozen in place. Her legs felt heavily weighted, her arms being pulled towards the floor, her chest tight and her breathing ragged. She could say nothing, his words ringing in her ears as she stared at him – but Lord Granton did not look away.
“I have considered everything,” he said, his hand suddenly going to find hers, his fingers pressing at her own. “I have thought about it all and now I consider that, mayhap, being wed is no great trouble after all.”
Martha’s breathing stopped entirely for a few moments as he came closer to her, his head lowering just a little, his breath warm on her cheek.
“You may not believe this, Martha, but there is a sudden interest in the thought of being wed to you,” he continued, his voice a little softer now, a gentleness about his eyes which she could not help but notice. “If our plan with Lord Billington – or with any other gentleman – is not to succeed, then mayhap our best hope is to look to the future and accept that we are to be wed.”
“No.”
The word came out as a squeak and in an instant, Lord Granton’s expression changed. Martha closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of him as she fought to find a way to explain what she meant.
“I do not think that we must look to the future,” she tried to say, her voice quavering. “I cannot be wed to a rogue.”
“What if I am a reformed rogue?”
