would not be easy to live with. He was her betrothed, she thought suddenly. In less than a month's time, once the banns had been called, he would be her husband. She felt panic claw at her stomach. What had she done? David? David of all people?
But she would not retract. Her word had been given. He needed her, and heaven knew she needed him too, or the life he could offer her anyway.
He was going to be her husband.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts and your book," he said gravely, handing it to her and getting to his feet. "You would like to be alone, wouldn't you?"
It was an unanswerable question. "Thank you," she said, taking the book.
"I'll see you at luncheon," he said. "Shall we tell my father and Louisa together then?"
Her stomach lurched. It would be real, irrevocable, once someone else knew. "Yes," she said. "You announce it, please, David."
"Until later, then," he said.
When he was gone, she lifted the book with both hands against her mouth and closed her eyes. She could not stop herself from remembering that when Julian had proposed marriage to her and she had accepted, he had whooped with delight and very improperly lifted her off her feet and twirled her about until they were laughing and dizzy. And then he had kissed her. . . .
******************************************************************
******
"I would like a word with you, David," the earl said when he rose from the luncheon table.
82 Mary Balogh The two men had said very little during the past ten minutes, since David had announced that Rebecca was to marry him and remove to Stedwell with him in one month's time. Louisa had scarcely stopped talking—and sparkling with excitement. She was talking animatedly about bride-clothes to Rebecca when the earl got to his feet. And then she flushed and scrambled to hers.
"I am so sorry, William," she said. "I forgot myself."
"David would probably not believe that you are normally very quiet, my dear," the earl said.
"Have I been talking too much?" Her flush deepened. "So many happy things have been happening in the last few days. David's coming home and my discovery that he is not an ogre after all; my visit to the doctor and his confirmation of my hopes; and now Rebecca betrothed— to David. Why isn't everyone prattling?" She laughed.
"David?" the earl said.
The countess laughed again. "It takes a woman to appreciate a wedding," she said. "Rebecca, do come to my room and I shall have tea brought up." She linked her arm through Rebecca's.
The earl's manner was not so festive. He crossed to the window of the library a few minutes later as David closed the door behind them, and stood looking out, his hands clasped at his back.
"David," he said, "have you considered carefully?"
"About my marriage?" David said. "Yes, Papa. Very carefully.''
"Why are you doing this?" the earl asked. "Is it for Julian's sake?"
With his father at least he did not have to dissemble— or not entirely so anyway. Yes, it was for Julian's sake. Or at least for the sake of what he had done to Julian. But the reason was simpler than that—and far more complicated. And that at least he could admit to his father.
"I love her," he said.
The earl turned from the window, his eyes hard. "Oh, yes," he said.
"I know that, David. I've always known that. She was intended for you, you know. That was the reason for all those visits as the two of you were growing
Tangled83
up. But she chose Julian instead. Marrying her now is the last thing you should be doing."
"Because she chose him rather than me?" David asked. He had not known that Rebecca had been meant for him. It was a new and rather painful realization.
"Yes, because of that," the earl said. "And because of the reason she did, David. She was besotted with him. She has not even begun to recover from his loss yet. She is unhappy and lonely and upset now because of Louisa's condition."
"Then I will soothe her unhappiness and loneliness," David said,
"and give her a
But she would not retract. Her word had been given. He needed her, and heaven knew she needed him too, or the life he could offer her anyway.
He was going to be her husband.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts and your book," he said gravely, handing it to her and getting to his feet. "You would like to be alone, wouldn't you?"
It was an unanswerable question. "Thank you," she said, taking the book.
"I'll see you at luncheon," he said. "Shall we tell my father and Louisa together then?"
Her stomach lurched. It would be real, irrevocable, once someone else knew. "Yes," she said. "You announce it, please, David."
"Until later, then," he said.
When he was gone, she lifted the book with both hands against her mouth and closed her eyes. She could not stop herself from remembering that when Julian had proposed marriage to her and she had accepted, he had whooped with delight and very improperly lifted her off her feet and twirled her about until they were laughing and dizzy. And then he had kissed her. . . .
******************************************************************
******
"I would like a word with you, David," the earl said when he rose from the luncheon table.
82 Mary Balogh The two men had said very little during the past ten minutes, since David had announced that Rebecca was to marry him and remove to Stedwell with him in one month's time. Louisa had scarcely stopped talking—and sparkling with excitement. She was talking animatedly about bride-clothes to Rebecca when the earl got to his feet. And then she flushed and scrambled to hers.
"I am so sorry, William," she said. "I forgot myself."
"David would probably not believe that you are normally very quiet, my dear," the earl said.
"Have I been talking too much?" Her flush deepened. "So many happy things have been happening in the last few days. David's coming home and my discovery that he is not an ogre after all; my visit to the doctor and his confirmation of my hopes; and now Rebecca betrothed— to David. Why isn't everyone prattling?" She laughed.
"David?" the earl said.
The countess laughed again. "It takes a woman to appreciate a wedding," she said. "Rebecca, do come to my room and I shall have tea brought up." She linked her arm through Rebecca's.
The earl's manner was not so festive. He crossed to the window of the library a few minutes later as David closed the door behind them, and stood looking out, his hands clasped at his back.
"David," he said, "have you considered carefully?"
"About my marriage?" David said. "Yes, Papa. Very carefully.''
"Why are you doing this?" the earl asked. "Is it for Julian's sake?"
With his father at least he did not have to dissemble— or not entirely so anyway. Yes, it was for Julian's sake. Or at least for the sake of what he had done to Julian. But the reason was simpler than that—and far more complicated. And that at least he could admit to his father.
"I love her," he said.
The earl turned from the window, his eyes hard. "Oh, yes," he said.
"I know that, David. I've always known that. She was intended for you, you know. That was the reason for all those visits as the two of you were growing
Tangled83
up. But she chose Julian instead. Marrying her now is the last thing you should be doing."
"Because she chose him rather than me?" David asked. He had not known that Rebecca had been meant for him. It was a new and rather painful realization.
"Yes, because of that," the earl said. "And because of the reason she did, David. She was besotted with him. She has not even begun to recover from his loss yet. She is unhappy and lonely and upset now because of Louisa's condition."
"Then I will soothe her unhappiness and loneliness," David said,
"and give her a
Similar Books
