necessary.”
“Oh, but I’m afraid it was. You see, now your engagement has been announced formally,” his father said, grinning at him. “Maybe you should go explain it to your bride. She seemed a little confused.”
Reggie could only glare at him for a second. “You haven’t given me much choice, but this doesn’t mean that you’ve won,” he said, then turned and started to follow Janice.
“One more thing,” his father said, his voice full of confidence. “Don’t make any plans for Tuesday; I think it will be a good day for a wedding.”
He paused for just a second but let it go and pushed his way through the crowd, the sound of his father’s satisfied laughter following him all the way to the door. He stopped and waited for a second before stepping out on the balcony, giving himself a chance to calm down before he talked to Janice. After several deep breaths, he took a couple of steps out into the darkness, then stood, letting his eyes adjust, but it wasn’t hard to spot Janice in the moonlight standing by the railing.
The white dress glimmered, a contrast to the dark, wavy hair spilling down her naked back, and his groin tightened just looking at her. A wave of possession washed over him, shocking him and making him take a step back before slowly approaching her. His heart pounding, he walked up behind her, not sure what to say but aware of each breath she took, wanting to touch her but afraid to.
When she turned and threw herself into his arms, he was so surprised, it took him a minute to put his arms around her. He could feel her shaking and trembling, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to get control, and deep inside, his instincts began to stir to life again. After taking a deep breath, she finally looked up at him, tears still in her eyes, a surprised look on her face, and pulled away from him.
“I’m sorry,” she said, walking back over to the railing and looking out at the grounds bright in the moonlight. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m just so confused.”
“This is a lot to take in,” he said, approaching her slowly and standing next to her. “I should have warned you back in Stoney Bridge.”
“Warned me about what?” Janice asked. “I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Maybe we should sit down,” he suggested.
She let him lead her over to the bench under the eaves of the house and sank down, shooting him confused looks. “I feel like I should be mad at you but I’m not sure why.”
He sighed and sat down next to her. “I think you’re going to find that out right now,” he said, trying to figure out where to start.
“It sounded like your father and my father were talking about us getting married,” she said, looking up at him. “Please tell me I’m wrong.”
When he didn’t answer right away, she scooted away from him. “That’s not going to happen,” she said.
“I don’t think we’re going to have much choice,” Reggie said. “That speech they just gave was a formal announcement to the clan that we’re engaged.”
Janice shot to her feet. “That can’t be right. How can that happen when I haven’t even agreed,” she said. “Where’s Jacob?”
“I’m right here,” Jacob said, stepping out of the shadows.
“Please tell me what’s going on,” Janice pleaded.
Reggie had to fight the urge to go to her as his instincts kicked in again, but he stayed where he was. “I’m afraid Reggie’s right, Janice; we never should have let you come back here,” he said. “On the day you were born, our father and Philip Stuart signed a marriage contract betrothing you to Reggie.”
Janice looked back at him, a mixture of shock and something he couldn’t name on her face, then she stammered, “They can’t make me marry you,” she said. “I’ll just leave.”
“Look around, Janice,” Jacob said. “It may look like you’re free, but there are guards everywhere, and I bet if you tried to leave, they would stop you.”
She crossed over to the railing and looked out at the grounds, and then over to the front of the house. “I didn’t notice them before,” she said, turning to face them. “So, either I marry you or what?”
Reggie shrugged his shoulders. “From what I overheard, you can either marry me or someone from the council, and I promise you, it won’t be any of the numerous men you danced with