The Scandal in Kissing an Heir by Sophie Barnes Page A

feared doing so would suggest deeper feelings than she was willing to admit. But she had to know if he cared enough about her to at least try to have a marriage based on trust and loyalty, so she said, “Can you assure me that we will be happy together?”
    He looked perplexed. “You are asking me to promise you the impossible when I have no inkling of what the future may hold for us.”
    “No,” she said, all seriousness. “I am asking you to stop being Mr. Neville the rake in favor of just being yourself. I believe I’ve glimpsed that man a few times already, and I have decided that I rather enjoy his company. So if you can bring him to the surface more, then I believe our marriage will stand a chance.”
    He frowned. “I’m not sure I understand. Being a rake and being myself are one and the same thing.”
    “Are you certain about that?” she asked. She had little evidence to the contrary other than that he’d confessed to embellishing the truth where his past exploits were concerned. But then of course there was the extent to which he’d gone in order to marry her. Yes, he stood to gain from their union, but instinct told her that he’d done it just as much to save her. Squaring him with a steady gaze, she added, “I realize that I have few choices available to me, Mr. Neville, but be that as it may, I have always hoped to marry a man who would remain faithful to me. To be sure, I have no reason to expect such loyalty from you . . . indeed, I imagine the task may prove difficult, but I would like to know that the risk I’d be taking in accepting your offer—the risk of discovery as we make our escape would be worth it and that you’ll at least try.”
    Silence settled upon them for what seemed like an eternity. Their eyes locked unflinchingly on each other, but Mr. Neville was the first to look away. Pushing back from the table, he stood up. “Thank you for the tea, my lady. You’ve given me a great deal to think about.” He looked at her for a long moment before saying, “I will call on you again tomorrow if that is agreeable with you.”
    Rebecca nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She didn’t betray any of the overwhelming feelings that were building inside her as she rose from her own chair and walked across to the window with him, then simply said, “Yes, I would like that.”

Chapter 8

    I will elope with you on one condition.
    The words resonated inside Daniel’s head as he lay in bed later that night, picturing Lady Rebecca in his mind’s eye. What a lovely creature she was, and not the least bit shy about speaking her mind. She’d told him honestly about the reservations she had about becoming his wife, but she’d also shown awareness for his true nature—a gentler, more considerate side that he kept hidden from most behind his roguish façade.
    When his mother had cuckolded his father and fled to America, the devastation her selfish wrongdoing had wrought had awarded Daniel with a front-row seat to the more negative aspects of love. The day after she’d left, his father had enlisted in the army without further thought for his son and had been killed in action shortly thereafter.
    That was what love had done to Daniel. It had destroyed his family and taken away both of his parents. He’d have been a fool to fall victim to it, so he’d resolved to live a life of reckless abandon instead, enjoying life’s pleasures without emotional attachment, choosing to live from one day to the next on the allowance that his aunt and uncle had provided for him.
    He didn’t want to lose that comfortable lifestyle. If he could only convince Lady Rebecca to marry him, then he was sure they could live happily together. She’d made it clear that she wanted a respectable marriage with a husband who would remain loyal to her. She’d also made it clear that she didn’t think Daniel capable of being that man, but she was wrong about that. Lady Rebecca was exactly the sort of woman who would