sufficient introduction? He had chosen her as the most congenial candidate to hand, and she could exonerate him from any mercenary motives, since she had nothing, and Samantha had so much, unless Sam had turned him down and this was the rebound, but from her own observations that was extremely unlikely. She was bewildered and excited by his offer, but as for accepting it, that required a lot of thought.
‘You’ve mentioned an attachment to a fellow in Kent,’ Gray continued, ‘but I suspect he's a myth.’
‘Oh no, he isn’t, he’s very real, but he preferred someone else.’
The admission caused her no pain. She had not thought of Tony at all during the past few weeks, and his image was becoming blurred. Gray was twice the man he was, and completely overshadowed him.
‘So you came up to Scotland to heal a broken heart,'’ Gray’s tone was mocking. ‘The surest way to do that is to put someone else in his place.’
‘I’m not fickle,’ she flashed, and wondered if she could be judged so for having got over Tony so quickly.
‘Perhaps you weren’t so deeply involved as you thought,’ Gray suggested softly. ‘One usually isn’t.’
‘Have you ever been in love?’ she countered.
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled whimsically.
‘Off and on, but we weren't discussing love,’ he spoke the word with contempt, ‘but marriage.’
Of which love should be a part, but Frances did not say it. Though she thought she had gauged his feelings correctly, she did not want to hear Gray say that love did not come into a marriage of convenience such as he was proposing. He was so much more experienced than she was, with only her modest little affair with Tony behind her, and was obviously scornful of the tender passion.
As she still did not speak, he told her:
‘As well as everything else, I need the protection of a wife.’
Frances laughed at what seemed to her an absurd statement.
‘ You to need a woman’s protection!’
‘Oh, but I do. I hate to say it, but the more emancipated members of your sex are unscrupulous in the pursuit of their desires. I appreciate modesty in a woman, Fran, and you aren't blatant. I don't want to find myself compromised through some unpremeditated folly. I would never leave a girl in the lurch, however much she had herself to blame, and I’m fairly strongly sexed. You see the danger.'
Frances knew exactly what he meant, though she found his words distasteful. Women did pursue him and he was no Saint Anthony; if he made one pregnant he would feel he must right her. Frances admired his chivalry, rare in these days, though she did not appreciate his candour. She marvelled that a man who was supposed to be adept in erotic dalliance could approach her so bluntly. He might be paying her the compliment of complete frankness, but women liked a little camouflage. As if he guessed her thought, he said:
‘I’m as good at concocting pretty speeches as any man, and I’ve uttered a lot of silly nonsense in my time, but I believe you’re a sensible girl, Fran, and would prefer sincerity. If I declared I loved you to distraction and couldn’t live without you, would you believe me?’
‘No, I wouldn't,’ she agreed, thinking how much she would like him to make such a declaration. Nothing could be less loverlike than the way he sat calmly facing her expounding practical reasons for their marriage. 'I would hate you to pretend what you don't feel.’
‘Good. We understand each other.’ He moved impatiently. ‘Well, are you going to accept me?’
'I can’t decide in five minutes,’ she protested. ‘You've taken me completely by surprise.’
‘Have I?’ He looked astonished. 'I don t generally waste a lot of time on a girl unless I have . . . intentions.’
So that had been the underlying motive for the swimming lessons, which she had put down to good nature. Used to feminine adulation, he would consider so many hours in his company would have made him irresistible, and
‘You’ve mentioned an attachment to a fellow in Kent,’ Gray continued, ‘but I suspect he's a myth.’
‘Oh no, he isn’t, he’s very real, but he preferred someone else.’
The admission caused her no pain. She had not thought of Tony at all during the past few weeks, and his image was becoming blurred. Gray was twice the man he was, and completely overshadowed him.
‘So you came up to Scotland to heal a broken heart,'’ Gray’s tone was mocking. ‘The surest way to do that is to put someone else in his place.’
‘I’m not fickle,’ she flashed, and wondered if she could be judged so for having got over Tony so quickly.
‘Perhaps you weren’t so deeply involved as you thought,’ Gray suggested softly. ‘One usually isn’t.’
‘Have you ever been in love?’ she countered.
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled whimsically.
‘Off and on, but we weren't discussing love,’ he spoke the word with contempt, ‘but marriage.’
Of which love should be a part, but Frances did not say it. Though she thought she had gauged his feelings correctly, she did not want to hear Gray say that love did not come into a marriage of convenience such as he was proposing. He was so much more experienced than she was, with only her modest little affair with Tony behind her, and was obviously scornful of the tender passion.
As she still did not speak, he told her:
‘As well as everything else, I need the protection of a wife.’
Frances laughed at what seemed to her an absurd statement.
‘ You to need a woman’s protection!’
‘Oh, but I do. I hate to say it, but the more emancipated members of your sex are unscrupulous in the pursuit of their desires. I appreciate modesty in a woman, Fran, and you aren't blatant. I don't want to find myself compromised through some unpremeditated folly. I would never leave a girl in the lurch, however much she had herself to blame, and I’m fairly strongly sexed. You see the danger.'
Frances knew exactly what he meant, though she found his words distasteful. Women did pursue him and he was no Saint Anthony; if he made one pregnant he would feel he must right her. Frances admired his chivalry, rare in these days, though she did not appreciate his candour. She marvelled that a man who was supposed to be adept in erotic dalliance could approach her so bluntly. He might be paying her the compliment of complete frankness, but women liked a little camouflage. As if he guessed her thought, he said:
‘I’m as good at concocting pretty speeches as any man, and I’ve uttered a lot of silly nonsense in my time, but I believe you’re a sensible girl, Fran, and would prefer sincerity. If I declared I loved you to distraction and couldn’t live without you, would you believe me?’
‘No, I wouldn't,’ she agreed, thinking how much she would like him to make such a declaration. Nothing could be less loverlike than the way he sat calmly facing her expounding practical reasons for their marriage. 'I would hate you to pretend what you don't feel.’
‘Good. We understand each other.’ He moved impatiently. ‘Well, are you going to accept me?’
'I can’t decide in five minutes,’ she protested. ‘You've taken me completely by surprise.’
‘Have I?’ He looked astonished. 'I don t generally waste a lot of time on a girl unless I have . . . intentions.’
So that had been the underlying motive for the swimming lessons, which she had put down to good nature. Used to feminine adulation, he would consider so many hours in his company would have made him irresistible, and
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