he’d found on a wharf and took up against the side of a warehouse. She was his wife, legal and binding, even if the ceremony had been performed by a man who shod horses.
“Why did you marry me, Richard?” she demanded.
“You told me I would, so I did,” he said, his tone flat. His eyes bore into her. “Certainly that pleases you?”
Her spine stiffened. “Nothing about this pleases me. The romantic gesture of a surprise wedding fell away when I realized that I am now forever tied to a man who cannot give his wife a single word of kindness on their wedding day.”
Richard leveled his frown on her. She inwardly blanched.
“If you wanted kindness, you should have picked anothergroom. This marriage is one of convenience, nothing more. I have done my duty by you.”
Brenna felt the slap of contempt as if he’d hit her. The night they’d shared meant nothing to him. Nothing. She blinked back tears. He’d not see her cry.
She felt foolish for thinking they would be happy. She’d known of his feelings about marriage. She did not expect grand declarations of love and devotion to come into their arrangement. However, she had expected him to accept the marriage with grace, as a gentleman would.
What a fool she was.
Turning away, the last vestiges of hopeful innocence faded. She’d mistaken his desire for her body as something more. She’d thought she was falling in love. Had she been worldly, she would have recognized the difference between the two.
It was a mistake she’d not make again.
For the next two days, they shared rooms and beds, but there was no intimacy. They were two strangers who spoke only when required. When they made their last overnight stop before reaching London, Brenna had come to a grim conclusion. The marriage was over.
She’d spent these last reflective hours looking into her heart and realized that she could not, would not, live within a marriage of convenience. She wanted love, and she’d find her way to it, even if she had to hunt down every eligible bachelor in all of London to find her perfect match.
“I have decided not to tell Father about our marriage,” she said, her voice firm. He lifted his eyes from his supper. “Now that I am in no danger of being forced into a marriage to Chester Abbot, I will spend the next few weeks searching for an acceptable man to marry—a man who will love me desperately and with whom I can grow to love in return. Once I have made my choice, I’ll grant you permission to have our marriage annulled. It should be easy to complete, as I will never share your marital bed.”
“You cannot be serious.” He stared, incredulous. “If your precious society found out that your husband had your marriage annulled, you’d be shunned.”
“That is why you will arrange it quietly.” Brenna’s cheeks flushed. How could she have ever wanted to marry this man?She never thought Chester Abbot could ever be a superior choice to what she had in Lord Ashwood. She was incorrect. “I will only tell Father if I am unable to find an acceptable replacement and he forces the issue. Otherwise, you will be rid of me, and your life will continue as it was.”
R ichard could not believe what he was hearing. Brenna did not want to be his wife? After all she’d done to get him to agree to the marriage, and the noble effort he’d made to correct his mistake for taking her innocence, she was setting him aside?
Blast. He’d been honest about his feelings on marriage from the start. Still, he
had
ruined her and done his duty by her, despite his misgivings. What more did she expect from him? She was the one who’d first proposed the arrangement.
“You are no longer a virgin,” he said tightly. “How will you explain that to your husband?”
She lifted her pert nose. “That is my concern.”
“And if there is a child?” he pressed. The idea of another man playing father to his child, or sharing a bed with her, left him cold. Despite his callous treatment of
“Why did you marry me, Richard?” she demanded.
“You told me I would, so I did,” he said, his tone flat. His eyes bore into her. “Certainly that pleases you?”
Her spine stiffened. “Nothing about this pleases me. The romantic gesture of a surprise wedding fell away when I realized that I am now forever tied to a man who cannot give his wife a single word of kindness on their wedding day.”
Richard leveled his frown on her. She inwardly blanched.
“If you wanted kindness, you should have picked anothergroom. This marriage is one of convenience, nothing more. I have done my duty by you.”
Brenna felt the slap of contempt as if he’d hit her. The night they’d shared meant nothing to him. Nothing. She blinked back tears. He’d not see her cry.
She felt foolish for thinking they would be happy. She’d known of his feelings about marriage. She did not expect grand declarations of love and devotion to come into their arrangement. However, she had expected him to accept the marriage with grace, as a gentleman would.
What a fool she was.
Turning away, the last vestiges of hopeful innocence faded. She’d mistaken his desire for her body as something more. She’d thought she was falling in love. Had she been worldly, she would have recognized the difference between the two.
It was a mistake she’d not make again.
For the next two days, they shared rooms and beds, but there was no intimacy. They were two strangers who spoke only when required. When they made their last overnight stop before reaching London, Brenna had come to a grim conclusion. The marriage was over.
She’d spent these last reflective hours looking into her heart and realized that she could not, would not, live within a marriage of convenience. She wanted love, and she’d find her way to it, even if she had to hunt down every eligible bachelor in all of London to find her perfect match.
“I have decided not to tell Father about our marriage,” she said, her voice firm. He lifted his eyes from his supper. “Now that I am in no danger of being forced into a marriage to Chester Abbot, I will spend the next few weeks searching for an acceptable man to marry—a man who will love me desperately and with whom I can grow to love in return. Once I have made my choice, I’ll grant you permission to have our marriage annulled. It should be easy to complete, as I will never share your marital bed.”
“You cannot be serious.” He stared, incredulous. “If your precious society found out that your husband had your marriage annulled, you’d be shunned.”
“That is why you will arrange it quietly.” Brenna’s cheeks flushed. How could she have ever wanted to marry this man?She never thought Chester Abbot could ever be a superior choice to what she had in Lord Ashwood. She was incorrect. “I will only tell Father if I am unable to find an acceptable replacement and he forces the issue. Otherwise, you will be rid of me, and your life will continue as it was.”
R ichard could not believe what he was hearing. Brenna did not want to be his wife? After all she’d done to get him to agree to the marriage, and the noble effort he’d made to correct his mistake for taking her innocence, she was setting him aside?
Blast. He’d been honest about his feelings on marriage from the start. Still, he
had
ruined her and done his duty by her, despite his misgivings. What more did she expect from him? She was the one who’d first proposed the arrangement.
“You are no longer a virgin,” he said tightly. “How will you explain that to your husband?”
She lifted her pert nose. “That is my concern.”
“And if there is a child?” he pressed. The idea of another man playing father to his child, or sharing a bed with her, left him cold. Despite his callous treatment of
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