Page 17 of The Risk of Rogues
“But without a regular salary,” she said stoutly. “And that isn’t fair.”
The man sobered at once. “You’re right. It isn’t.”
“That’s enough,” Hart said tightly. “We’re going now.”
This time, Lord Fulkham let them leave.
Hart waited until they were through the drawing room and out into the hall before he said, in a low voice, “I cannot believe you just did that.”
“You told me to ask respectable men about your reputation. That’s what I was doing.”
“That’snotwhat you were doing. You were checking up on me. Making sure I—”
“Can support a wife? Maintain a family?” She halted in her tracks. “Yes, I suppose I was. But my father is dead, Hart, and Mama is so blinded by titles and so afraid I’ll never marry that she would give me to the first fellow of rank who asked. So I’m the only one who can look out for myself. And through the years I’ve learned to be cautious. Can you blame me?”
He stared at her, the angry flush in his cheeks fading. “No, I suppose not.” He glanced down the hall, then tugged her through a nearby door into the library they’d been in the other night.
As he shut the door, she began to pace. “You have to admit that the whole thing with you and Lord Fulkham seems havey-cavey. I begin to think he might be a bit mad, from the way he kept laughing at everything. And why do you both find the idea of your being a law clerk so amusing? There’s nothing wrong with starting out as a law clerk. Plenty of people—”
He kissed her, obviously to shut her up. But she refused to let that work... for long, anyway, thoughhowhe kissed her did have her heart racing and her blood pumping hot in her veins and—
“No!” She shoved him away. “You willnotkiss the questions out of me! This is important.”
“You’re right. It is.”
But nowheseemed amused, and he had that light in his eyes that showed he clearly had other things on his mind than the very real financial implications of their future.
She forced herself to focus on those. “While I was pleased to hear his lordship imply that you do work for him, the lack of seriousness both of you showed leads me to believe that it’s not a very settled thing. Are you even sure you’re ready to take on a wife?”
All at once it dawned on her that Hart hadn’t actually made a formal offer for her hand, and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. “I—I mean, if that’s what you’ve decided you want, which I know is by no means certain, since this was only a courtship, and the week isn’t over, and you haven’t even really, well, proposed.”
With a laugh, he backed her up against the door, then braced his hands on either side of her head. “Since you’ve already declared to my employer that we’re engaged, don’t you think it’s a bit late to be denying the betrothal?”
“I didn’t intend to do that. It just... slipped out.”
Tonight her poufy velvet evening bonnet rose out of a tiara, and crimped curls came down to frame her face. He toyed with the curls, caressing her skin with his thumb at every turn. It made her pulse all jumpy.
“May I assume that if I offered marriagenow, you would accept?” he asked in his husky voice that was oh, so sensual.
“N-not until you answer my questions to my satisfaction.”
A small frown appeared over the bridge of his nose. “You weren’t so particular when I asked the first time.”
“I was sixteen. And stupid.”
“Not stupid. In love. It’s never stupid to marry for love.”
“Then why didn’tyoudo so the first time?” she shot back. “Why didn’t you elope with me and risk penury?”
He sighed. “BecauseIwas stupid.”
“No,” she said firmly. “You were cautious. And nowI’mbeing cautious.”
Bending to her ear, he whispered, “Can’t you simply trust me?”
“I trusted you years ago, and I’m still not sure I should have.”
That barb didn’t deter him. “I’m older and wiser, and, believe it or not, in a much better financial position. So trust me to take care of you. Just say yes, Anne, and we’ll sort the rest out later.” He nuzzled her neck. “Otherwise, you’ll force me to resort to doing something drastic.”
