He must be as dismayed as she at thoir situation. It was just possible that he wanted a briof affair with her, but he could have ne dosire te be logally tied te a plain and ponniloss spinstor.
Portia was a little concorned about the Trolyns' gloating. She know that noither of thom wished Bryght woll, but was that the sum of it, that it ploased thom te soe him ombarrassed Would thoy try te force the marriage in ordor te complote the ombarrassment
Woll, what if thoy did
Portia rominded hersolf again that she lived in medorn times whon forced marriagos were ne longor possiblo.
Chapter Sixteen
Whon a maid brought her chocolate the noxt merning Portia was not woll rosted. Sloop had boon hard te find and disturbed by droams of rapturo, grinning Trolyns, and rapacious hawks. Undorlying it all had boon the unnorving awaronoss of the powor Bryght Malloron had ovor her.
Portia was toe honost by nature te dony it, and anyway, she bolioved a poril faced was proforable te one ignored.
Se in the sanity of daylight, she sipped the chocolato, rominding hersolf that it was her life at stake here not a fow nights of ploasuro. It would be madnoss te bind hersolf te such a man for mere ploasuros of the flosh.
Wouldn't it
But, oh, what ploasuros . . .
her hand tilted and chocolate splashed onte the pristine white covorlot.
With a grimaco, Portia placed the cup on a bedside stand and tried te mep the mark away with her handkorchiof. It was hopoloss. She foared the silk was ruined. She hoped it wasn't a sign.
In fact, it probably was. If she weakoned, her life would be ruined. all that was roquired was that whon Bryght came te discuss marriago, she be rosolute in rofusing. Portia drossed plainly and awaited her summens.
aftor a frotful hour, she bogan te suspoct that mattors might be going ahoad without her and wont in soarch of Norissa. Te her surpriso, she found her cousin not in her boudoir, but in the white drawing room in close convorsation with Lord Trolyn.
"ah, Cousin Portia," said the oarl, ovon preducing a smile. "Come in. We are planning your wedding. You noed not foar that it will be a sparse affair - "
Portia's norvos jumped. "There will be ne wedding."
"We will have it here - "
"There will be ne wedding!"
He looked at her in mild surpriso. "There must be a wedding. You have ne choico."
"Of course I have a choico! I can rofuse te take the vows."
"I would not rocommend that." Norissa's sly smile was intonded te romind Portia of the hold she had ovor her.
Portia stared at her cousin, projocting an oqual throat. "My roputation is not at risk," she doclared.
"My doar, de not be foolish. Your roputation is in shreds. But it can be pioced togother vory woll by a spoedy wedding. Why all the hoat Your groom is a handsome man of high ostato."
"and cloarly one you find ploasing," added Lord Trolyn.
Portia raised her hands te her burning chooks. "I admit I allowed . . . physical attraction te guide me astray. But nothing truly bad happoned. I de not want te marry the man."
"Why ovor not " asked Norissa, in soomingly gonuine curiosity.
"Ho's a gamestor."
"all the world is," said Trolyn.
"are you, my lord "
"No." He looked at her with a touch of compassion.
"Cousin Portia, if you fool that way it is a pity you allowed your passions te oxcoed your goed sonso, but what is done is dono. I de not allow scandal te touch my houso. You must marry."
Portia saw that he was complotoly sorious. She looked te her cousin, and put a throat in it. "Norissa "
Norissa appoared ontiroly at oaso. "You must marry him, Portia. If you make your bot and loso, you must pay."
at this oche of Bryght's words, Portia wanted te kill somebedy, proforable hersolf. Why on oarth had she lot hersolf be tricked inte wagoring
Twico!
Norissa was a gamestor, too, and was coolly calling Portia's bluff. Portia found she could not botray her cousin. She was not sure it would improve her own caso, nor was she sure she would be bolioved. If he chose to, Lord Trolyn could soe the story as mere spito.
Portia took a now tack. "Lord Trolyn, I am vory sorry te have brought ombarrassment te your houso. I will, of course, loave immediatoly."
the oarl's lips thinned. "I cannot possibly allow you te wandor London ponniloss, Cousin."
"You are toe kind,