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Authors: Wendy May Andrews
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or two. And it has been determined that the nuptials shall take place next week. It will require a special license, but given the gossip that is sure to result after last night, we thought it best to sew things up quickly, before everyone leaves Town for the winter.”
Jumping to her feet, Elizabeth felt she could do nothing but repeat her father’s words. “Next week?” she declared in horror. “But that’s not nearly enough time.” She broke off before she allowed the rest of her thoughts out of her mouth. It wasn’t nearly enough time to come up with a plan of how to get herself out of the wretched situation.
It would seem the earl had read her mind as he smiled at her with a trace of amusement. “Your mother has assured me that it will be plenty of time to arrange the necessary details. It is actually perfect timing, if you ask me. Then we can start our life together at Heath comfortably ensconced in the country before the spring session of Parliament.”
Elizabeth could feel a sense of panic threatening to close her throat, and she made herself inhale slowly and rhythmically for a few moments while her mother and the earl discussed her future as though she weren’t even present. It was becoming a farce. How is it possible? she wondered wildly. Just weeks ago, days even, she had felt as though she were in complete control of her life, despite her mother’s constant harping about marriage. Now she was sitting here like a spectator allowing her mother and a veritable stranger to determine her future just because she had the lack of sense to agree to meet him for a private conversation. She stood up abruptly.
“Enough,” she tried to say it loudly but she was fairly certain it had barely come out above a whisper. But the earl had heard. She wondered if she would ever feel comfortable calling him Justice. Or if she would live long enough to get to that level of comfort. She fought the bubble of hysteria threatening to choke her again.
“Are you ready to go, my dear?” he asked solicitously, his intelligent gaze scouring her face, making her feel like squirming.
She didn’t bother answering, merely striding toward the door. This tension is turning me into a shrew, she thought with a twinge of guilt she immediately dismissed. Perhaps he would become disgusted with her and cry off before the week was out. She couldn’t prevent her hopeful smile at that thought.
“What are you thinking now?” he asked her in his low voice, once again crowding too close for her comfort. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or not, but she thought she could feel the heat radiating from him as he stood at her back. She did not want to feel pleasure at his proximity, and she refused to think of how his low, deep voice made her belly flutter. She decided to be honest with him and did so in as flat a tone as possible.
“I was wondering how I can get you to break our engagement.”
Obviously her honesty surprised him as he released a bark of laughter before he quickly regained control of his features. “You are certainly going to keep me entertained,” he commented with a cheerful grin.
Elizabeth didn’t bother trying to hide her put upon sigh. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt his warm palm settle on the small of her back. She could feel the flush steal over her entire body as she felt consumed with embarrassment. Clearly it could go from bad to worse. She was grateful that he pretended not to notice, or at least forbore to tease her about it. But he left his hand where he had placed it. She thought about squirming away from his touch but decided it was tolerable.
* * *
A s he lifted her into his curricle for the second afternoon in a row, Justice wondered how long it would take his companion to forgive him for the nature of their relationship. It was not an ideal way to enter into a marriage, but he could not find it in himself to be disappointed that she would be his wife. He knew it couldn’t
Jumping to her feet, Elizabeth felt she could do nothing but repeat her father’s words. “Next week?” she declared in horror. “But that’s not nearly enough time.” She broke off before she allowed the rest of her thoughts out of her mouth. It wasn’t nearly enough time to come up with a plan of how to get herself out of the wretched situation.
It would seem the earl had read her mind as he smiled at her with a trace of amusement. “Your mother has assured me that it will be plenty of time to arrange the necessary details. It is actually perfect timing, if you ask me. Then we can start our life together at Heath comfortably ensconced in the country before the spring session of Parliament.”
Elizabeth could feel a sense of panic threatening to close her throat, and she made herself inhale slowly and rhythmically for a few moments while her mother and the earl discussed her future as though she weren’t even present. It was becoming a farce. How is it possible? she wondered wildly. Just weeks ago, days even, she had felt as though she were in complete control of her life, despite her mother’s constant harping about marriage. Now she was sitting here like a spectator allowing her mother and a veritable stranger to determine her future just because she had the lack of sense to agree to meet him for a private conversation. She stood up abruptly.
“Enough,” she tried to say it loudly but she was fairly certain it had barely come out above a whisper. But the earl had heard. She wondered if she would ever feel comfortable calling him Justice. Or if she would live long enough to get to that level of comfort. She fought the bubble of hysteria threatening to choke her again.
“Are you ready to go, my dear?” he asked solicitously, his intelligent gaze scouring her face, making her feel like squirming.
She didn’t bother answering, merely striding toward the door. This tension is turning me into a shrew, she thought with a twinge of guilt she immediately dismissed. Perhaps he would become disgusted with her and cry off before the week was out. She couldn’t prevent her hopeful smile at that thought.
“What are you thinking now?” he asked her in his low voice, once again crowding too close for her comfort. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or not, but she thought she could feel the heat radiating from him as he stood at her back. She did not want to feel pleasure at his proximity, and she refused to think of how his low, deep voice made her belly flutter. She decided to be honest with him and did so in as flat a tone as possible.
“I was wondering how I can get you to break our engagement.”
Obviously her honesty surprised him as he released a bark of laughter before he quickly regained control of his features. “You are certainly going to keep me entertained,” he commented with a cheerful grin.
Elizabeth didn’t bother trying to hide her put upon sigh. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt his warm palm settle on the small of her back. She could feel the flush steal over her entire body as she felt consumed with embarrassment. Clearly it could go from bad to worse. She was grateful that he pretended not to notice, or at least forbore to tease her about it. But he left his hand where he had placed it. She thought about squirming away from his touch but decided it was tolerable.
* * *
A s he lifted her into his curricle for the second afternoon in a row, Justice wondered how long it would take his companion to forgive him for the nature of their relationship. It was not an ideal way to enter into a marriage, but he could not find it in himself to be disappointed that she would be his wife. He knew it couldn’t
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