mistake of eloping with Louise and been forced spend the rest of his natural life miserable with her. He might spend the rest of his natural life miserable with scars covering his upper body and a limp because, like the besotted fool he’d been rumored to be, he’d tried to run down his intended’s carriage to beg her to take him back. all the while, he’d been riding a poorly saddled (and trained) horse. But at least he could endure his misery better without her around.
It was nearly three years after his accident before he saw Emma again. He’d known she’d been coming to visit Caroline and Olivia. also had known her real reason for coming had only been for Caroline. She had tolerated Olivia―only because she had to, in order to see Caroline. Emma had formed a strong connection with Caroline ever since Father had brought Caroline to stay with them after her mother had passed. It was as if the two had become the sisters which neither of them had in a biological sense.
When he first saw Emma after three years, he’d been nervous about how she’d react to seeing him and how he’d react to her. As soon as she walked through the door he had his answer. She was stunning. Everyone said Emma and Louise were almost interchangeable. Not to him. Where Louise’s eyes were a dull moss green, Emma’s sparkled like emeralds. Louise’s hair was a few shades darker blonde than Emma’s. But the biggest difference was their personalities. Louise had been full of brittle and forced smiles, and Emma’s smiles were real, full of love and laughter. Emma was just as beautiful inside as she was out and it made his heart ache. If only he hadn’t proposed to Louise and had gone to Cambridge and on Grand Tour before turning his eyes to the female sex. Then he’d have never gotten tangled up with Louise and her web of deceit. Instead, his eyes would have passed her up and landed on the biggest prize in England: Emma.
But as it was, he could never have Emma. She’d forever wonder if he still secretly loved her sister. Who could blame her for thinking it? He’d acted besotted with Louise for almost a year before falling off the horse while chasing her down. He’d heard the rumors Louise spun and didn’t care enough to try to disprove them. In a sense she was right, he was running her down to resolve things. But it wasn’t because of any great love for her or jealousy she’d broken their engagement in order to marry the duke.
In the ten years since he saw Emma for the first time since his accident, he’d fallen further and further in love with her. Every time she came to Ridge Water, he’d try to talk to her before remembering who he was and who she thought him to be. She’d always been kind to him and was one of the only people who’d never grimaced or flinched when first seeing him.
He sat up straight and rested his head against the back of the chair while he stretched his legs out and his hand idly massaged the muscles in his upper thigh. They always seemed to knot up when he used the stairs or walked around more than usual, which was exactly what he'd been doing since Emma had come to stay with him. He sighed. He'd been gone from his room so long he knew if he didn't get back in there soon, Emma would come looking for him and hurt her leg.
Marcus stood and lumbered over to the door. He may have been fool enough to agree to sleep in the bed, but that was as far as it would go. She'd sleep under the counterpane; he'd sleep on top. She'd have his robe on; he'd have all his clothes. Nothing would happen between them.
When he entered the room and saw her beautiful face lying with her cheek on the pillows, he briefly entertained the idea of stuffing a wall of pillows between them to help him keep his distance but dismissed it as going too far—childish even.
Sitting on a plush ottoman, he took off his boots and pushed them off to the side before removing his coat, cravat, and waistcoat. He hung the unneeded clothes over
It was nearly three years after his accident before he saw Emma again. He’d known she’d been coming to visit Caroline and Olivia. also had known her real reason for coming had only been for Caroline. She had tolerated Olivia―only because she had to, in order to see Caroline. Emma had formed a strong connection with Caroline ever since Father had brought Caroline to stay with them after her mother had passed. It was as if the two had become the sisters which neither of them had in a biological sense.
When he first saw Emma after three years, he’d been nervous about how she’d react to seeing him and how he’d react to her. As soon as she walked through the door he had his answer. She was stunning. Everyone said Emma and Louise were almost interchangeable. Not to him. Where Louise’s eyes were a dull moss green, Emma’s sparkled like emeralds. Louise’s hair was a few shades darker blonde than Emma’s. But the biggest difference was their personalities. Louise had been full of brittle and forced smiles, and Emma’s smiles were real, full of love and laughter. Emma was just as beautiful inside as she was out and it made his heart ache. If only he hadn’t proposed to Louise and had gone to Cambridge and on Grand Tour before turning his eyes to the female sex. Then he’d have never gotten tangled up with Louise and her web of deceit. Instead, his eyes would have passed her up and landed on the biggest prize in England: Emma.
But as it was, he could never have Emma. She’d forever wonder if he still secretly loved her sister. Who could blame her for thinking it? He’d acted besotted with Louise for almost a year before falling off the horse while chasing her down. He’d heard the rumors Louise spun and didn’t care enough to try to disprove them. In a sense she was right, he was running her down to resolve things. But it wasn’t because of any great love for her or jealousy she’d broken their engagement in order to marry the duke.
In the ten years since he saw Emma for the first time since his accident, he’d fallen further and further in love with her. Every time she came to Ridge Water, he’d try to talk to her before remembering who he was and who she thought him to be. She’d always been kind to him and was one of the only people who’d never grimaced or flinched when first seeing him.
He sat up straight and rested his head against the back of the chair while he stretched his legs out and his hand idly massaged the muscles in his upper thigh. They always seemed to knot up when he used the stairs or walked around more than usual, which was exactly what he'd been doing since Emma had come to stay with him. He sighed. He'd been gone from his room so long he knew if he didn't get back in there soon, Emma would come looking for him and hurt her leg.
Marcus stood and lumbered over to the door. He may have been fool enough to agree to sleep in the bed, but that was as far as it would go. She'd sleep under the counterpane; he'd sleep on top. She'd have his robe on; he'd have all his clothes. Nothing would happen between them.
When he entered the room and saw her beautiful face lying with her cheek on the pillows, he briefly entertained the idea of stuffing a wall of pillows between them to help him keep his distance but dismissed it as going too far—childish even.
Sitting on a plush ottoman, he took off his boots and pushed them off to the side before removing his coat, cravat, and waistcoat. He hung the unneeded clothes over
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