angry with me—”
“The word is
furious
.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Very well, I know you’re furious. I appreciate your feelings. I apologize for any inconvenience I caused, but I was desperate and needed you to help me.”
“And now you expect me to say thank you for an enjoyable evening and walk away?”
She lifted her chin even though her cheeks burned as if on fire. “Yes.”
The corners of his lips lifted into a smile that turned the expression on his face even more daunting. “You should know that’s hardly possible.”
“Your Grace.” She stepped closer to him to give her words more emphasis. “To avoid an unimaginable marriage I made a decision to give up my virginity. I would do it again without hesitation. I expected nothing from my actions other than to escape a life with a man I detested. It was not my intent then, nor is it my intent now, to demand anything from you. I most assuredly did not intend to trap you into assuming responsibility for me.”
“What did you think I would do?”
Grace shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest, I gave you little thought. I expected you would treat me as you did any other of Madam Genevieve’s women. I expected you to spend the night with me and forget me.”
“That is hardly possible knowing that the woman I slept with was a virgin.”
Grace swallowed. “I regret you realized that. Genevieve said she would give you—”
“Yes. I know. She expected the potion she gave me to mask the fact that you had never lain with a man before.”
Grace lowered her gaze to the floor. A niggling confusion stirred within her. His being here was not a complete coincidence. She should have known even Hannah couldn’t stand up to him. Well, it didn’t matter. She was through talking. Through trying to explain why she’d been so desperate to sleep with him. Through letting him think he was responsible for her because of one night.
“I would appreciate it, Your Grace, if you left me now. I apologize for deceiving you, but I had no choice. I hoped you would wake up the next day and not give me a second thought. I assumed you would not care to discover my identity or seek me out. I cannot imagine why you have. I deeply regret that you found me.”
Grace held her ground, lifting her head in a show of determination. “I intend to forget what happened between us, and I ask that you do the same.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes,” she lied. “As far as I’m concerned, that night never happened.”
“What if you’re with child?”
The room spun around her and Grace reached out a hand to the wall to steady herself. “I’m not.”
“Are you sure?”
She gasped for air. “Of course. It takes more than once to conceive.”
He laughed. “That belief has made mothers out of more young women than not.”
She turned her face away from him.
“Have you resumed your monthly courses since we made love?”
Grace felt her cheeks burn hot.
“Have you?”
“No. But it isn’t time.”
“How much longer until you know for sure?”
Grace shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“You wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t tricked me into your bed.”
His words were meant to hurt and they did. “I’ve already apologized, Your Grace. Please, leave and forget we met.”
“How much longer?”
She fisted her hands in frustration at his mortifyingly personal questions. “I don’t know. I’m not as…predictable as some women.”
“Bloody hell.”
He’d whispered the words, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. The way he shot his fingers through his thick, dark hair emphasized it.
“Please leave, Your Grace. You are not responsible for me. I will not let you think you are.”
“And if you find you’re
enceinte
?”
She clutched her hands around her middle. “I’m sure I’m not.”
“And I have no intention of taking the risk that the next Raeborn heir might be born illegitimate.”
The
“The word is
furious
.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Very well, I know you’re furious. I appreciate your feelings. I apologize for any inconvenience I caused, but I was desperate and needed you to help me.”
“And now you expect me to say thank you for an enjoyable evening and walk away?”
She lifted her chin even though her cheeks burned as if on fire. “Yes.”
The corners of his lips lifted into a smile that turned the expression on his face even more daunting. “You should know that’s hardly possible.”
“Your Grace.” She stepped closer to him to give her words more emphasis. “To avoid an unimaginable marriage I made a decision to give up my virginity. I would do it again without hesitation. I expected nothing from my actions other than to escape a life with a man I detested. It was not my intent then, nor is it my intent now, to demand anything from you. I most assuredly did not intend to trap you into assuming responsibility for me.”
“What did you think I would do?”
Grace shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest, I gave you little thought. I expected you would treat me as you did any other of Madam Genevieve’s women. I expected you to spend the night with me and forget me.”
“That is hardly possible knowing that the woman I slept with was a virgin.”
Grace swallowed. “I regret you realized that. Genevieve said she would give you—”
“Yes. I know. She expected the potion she gave me to mask the fact that you had never lain with a man before.”
Grace lowered her gaze to the floor. A niggling confusion stirred within her. His being here was not a complete coincidence. She should have known even Hannah couldn’t stand up to him. Well, it didn’t matter. She was through talking. Through trying to explain why she’d been so desperate to sleep with him. Through letting him think he was responsible for her because of one night.
“I would appreciate it, Your Grace, if you left me now. I apologize for deceiving you, but I had no choice. I hoped you would wake up the next day and not give me a second thought. I assumed you would not care to discover my identity or seek me out. I cannot imagine why you have. I deeply regret that you found me.”
Grace held her ground, lifting her head in a show of determination. “I intend to forget what happened between us, and I ask that you do the same.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes,” she lied. “As far as I’m concerned, that night never happened.”
“What if you’re with child?”
The room spun around her and Grace reached out a hand to the wall to steady herself. “I’m not.”
“Are you sure?”
She gasped for air. “Of course. It takes more than once to conceive.”
He laughed. “That belief has made mothers out of more young women than not.”
She turned her face away from him.
“Have you resumed your monthly courses since we made love?”
Grace felt her cheeks burn hot.
“Have you?”
“No. But it isn’t time.”
“How much longer until you know for sure?”
Grace shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“You wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t tricked me into your bed.”
His words were meant to hurt and they did. “I’ve already apologized, Your Grace. Please, leave and forget we met.”
“How much longer?”
She fisted her hands in frustration at his mortifyingly personal questions. “I don’t know. I’m not as…predictable as some women.”
“Bloody hell.”
He’d whispered the words, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. The way he shot his fingers through his thick, dark hair emphasized it.
“Please leave, Your Grace. You are not responsible for me. I will not let you think you are.”
“And if you find you’re
enceinte
?”
She clutched her hands around her middle. “I’m sure I’m not.”
“And I have no intention of taking the risk that the next Raeborn heir might be born illegitimate.”
The
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