A Deceptive Wager (Marriage by Design #3) - Ruth Ann Nordin Page 0,48
feet were propped up on an ottoman. He didn’t look up from his book. He simply turned the page and continued reading.
She sighed. She wished she could do that. After a moment, she gave up and closed the book, an action which made him jerk straight up in his chair. She would have laughed if he didn’t constantly annoy her.
She put the book on the table in front of her, stood up, and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
She almost didn’t tell him, but he jumped out of the chair and followed her. With a groan, she said, “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be out in public where everyone can see me. I can even go with a friend if it’ll make you feel better.”
“Oh no, you don’t. Just because Miss Britcher had a family emergency, it doesn’t give you liberties to run all over London. If you insist on going for a walk, I’ll have to go with you.”
“I don’t like being with you.”
“I don’t like being with you, either, but neither one of us can trust the other. We’re stuck together until you give me an heir.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms and met his gaze. “Give me the blasted heir so I can finally stop being your prisoner.”
“I can’t just give you an heir.”
“Who else is going to do it?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “No one.”
“Then why not just get it over with? I’m tired of waiting for you to decide the time is right. Miss Britcher let you know I’m not with child, so you are assured that I’ll have yours.” Frustrated when he didn’t answer her, she closed the doors to the drawing room and faced him. “Go on then. Do whatever you need to do to get me with child.”
His face went as white as the cravat around his neck. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not? You’re a gentleman, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course, I’m a gentleman. But I’m not the kind of gentleman who can force myself to try for an heir. I need time.”
“Time for what?”
“Time to prepare myself for what I need to do.”
“What do you need to do? Maybe I can help so we can get this over with.”
He blinked as if he’d never heard a more absurd suggestion in his life.
“I assume since I’m necessary to have this heir, then I have a role to play in this, too,” she said.
He shook his head. “I have to be ready. Now isn’t the right time.”
“Then when will be the right time?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just something I’ll know when the time is right.”
She didn’t hide her exasperation. Really, what was it with him? Why did he have to constantly give her a hard time?
“Let’s go for a walk,” he finally said.
She rolled her eyes as he strode to the doors.
“Maybe you’ve been through this before, but I haven’t,” he said, turning back to face her. “I know what I’m supposed to do, but all of this quarreling doesn’t make me inclined to do it.”
“Well, I don’t have the slightest idea of what I’m supposed to do or what you’re supposed to do. All I know is that we’re supposed to be alone, and then something is supposed to happen.”
He shot her a skeptical look.
“I know you don’t believe me,” she snapped. “You think I’ve done this with other gentlemen, and there’s nothing I can say to change your mind.” She pointed her finger at his face. “You, my lord, are a terrible husband. Other gentlemen at least give their wives a chance before they assume they have lovers. But you’ve convicted me already without any evidence.”
“You’ve convicted me, too.”
“I never believed you had anything to do with a lady. You hate ladies so much that it’s impossible to see you dance with one, let alone share a kiss.”
He gasped. “Then why hire Mr. Stonewall to watch me?”
“I did that to show you what it was like to be watched by Miss Britcher.”
“That’s a deceitful thing to do.”
“Well, how do you think I felt? A married lady being told she must have a chaperone because her husband assumes she has lovers hiding in every nook and cranny of a room? I’m the laughingstock of London. Everyone knows about it.”
“They do not.”
“They do, too,” she said. “But, of course, you don’t believe me. You’ll never believe anything I say.” She