give me pleasure to offer your family assistance.”
“I am capable of taking care of my family.”
“I know you are. But we have servants by the score and there must be times when you could use an extra pair of hands to ease the burden for Molly and yourself.”
“Don’t do this, Duff.” She pursed her lips.
“But I want to.”
She shot him a heated glance. “While the last thing I want is to be beholden to you.”
“You wouldn’t be.”
“Of course I would. Do you take me for a grass-green girl? Men invariably want something for their favors.”
“I don’t.”
“Have you been emasculated by your wounds?” she said with deliberate rudeness.
He didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he said with a smile, “Would you like to find out?”
“There, you see? You’re acting exactly like every other man who pretends not to want what he clearly wants.”
“You’re very defensive.”
She gave him a flinty look. “And I shouldn’t be?”
“Not with me.”
“So I can accept all you offer with no fear of you importuning me for more.”
“Why don’t you say it? Importuning you for sex.”
“Very well. You don’t want sex with me?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m only saying I won’t ask for it.”
“Of course you will.”
“No, I won’t.”
Her gaze was mocking. “I don’t suppose you’d care to make a wager on that?”
“You’d lose.”
“I doubt it.”
He smiled. “It’s up to you, but I wouldn’t bet more than you can afford to lose.”
Duff’s utter calm annoyed or insulted her—she wasn’t sure which. But the upshot was she found herself challenging that calm by posing the question, “What would you say to five hundred pounds?” That most of the noblemen she knew could no more control their sexual urges than they could hold back the tides no doubt made her bold.
“What I’d say is, don’t bet so much. Your family could use it more than I.”
“I don’t intend to lose.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Five hundred pounds it is. Do we have some time frame?”
“Forever?” she queried flippantly.
“I’d prefer a more practical limit.”
“Because you have ulterior motives?”
He laughed. “No, because I’d like to collect my winnings.”
“Such arrogance.”
“Not really. I just know what I can and cannot do. And while we’re deciding on the rules, I would like if you would let me help your family in the interim. Why don’t we say—what…two months? Is that enough time to assure you my motives are honorable?”
She didn’t answer for a very long time, not sure she wished to become involved on any level with the Marquis of Darley—scarred by the wounds of war or not. On the other hand, he was offering a type of assistance that would be welcome. And she couldn’t discount the possibility he might be useful to have around should Walingame discover her whereabouts. Lastly, five hundred pounds was five hundred pounds. “Two months?”
“Yes.” He didn’t say unless you ask me before that —a thought that took him so much by surprise, he quickly added, “You decide, of course.”
“Very well. I can always use five hundred pounds.”
He smiled. “Done.” He put out his hand.
She clasped it.
And the bargain was made.
He immediately spoke of other things then, as though their wager was incidental. As though he gave no more mind to it than he did the light breeze fluttering the leaves overhead. He spoke of how he used to come to the ruins as a child and play at knightly battle games with his friends. He showed her where he’d tumbled from the highest point on the partially collapsed nave wall and had frightened his playmates half to death by lying there comatose for several minutes. “My parents forbid me to climb that high after that,” he said with a smile, reaching out to touch the moss-covered wall as though recalling those times long ago.
“And did you mind them?” Annabelle asked, as capable as he of bland
“I am capable of taking care of my family.”
“I know you are. But we have servants by the score and there must be times when you could use an extra pair of hands to ease the burden for Molly and yourself.”
“Don’t do this, Duff.” She pursed her lips.
“But I want to.”
She shot him a heated glance. “While the last thing I want is to be beholden to you.”
“You wouldn’t be.”
“Of course I would. Do you take me for a grass-green girl? Men invariably want something for their favors.”
“I don’t.”
“Have you been emasculated by your wounds?” she said with deliberate rudeness.
He didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he said with a smile, “Would you like to find out?”
“There, you see? You’re acting exactly like every other man who pretends not to want what he clearly wants.”
“You’re very defensive.”
She gave him a flinty look. “And I shouldn’t be?”
“Not with me.”
“So I can accept all you offer with no fear of you importuning me for more.”
“Why don’t you say it? Importuning you for sex.”
“Very well. You don’t want sex with me?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m only saying I won’t ask for it.”
“Of course you will.”
“No, I won’t.”
Her gaze was mocking. “I don’t suppose you’d care to make a wager on that?”
“You’d lose.”
“I doubt it.”
He smiled. “It’s up to you, but I wouldn’t bet more than you can afford to lose.”
Duff’s utter calm annoyed or insulted her—she wasn’t sure which. But the upshot was she found herself challenging that calm by posing the question, “What would you say to five hundred pounds?” That most of the noblemen she knew could no more control their sexual urges than they could hold back the tides no doubt made her bold.
“What I’d say is, don’t bet so much. Your family could use it more than I.”
“I don’t intend to lose.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Five hundred pounds it is. Do we have some time frame?”
“Forever?” she queried flippantly.
“I’d prefer a more practical limit.”
“Because you have ulterior motives?”
He laughed. “No, because I’d like to collect my winnings.”
“Such arrogance.”
“Not really. I just know what I can and cannot do. And while we’re deciding on the rules, I would like if you would let me help your family in the interim. Why don’t we say—what…two months? Is that enough time to assure you my motives are honorable?”
She didn’t answer for a very long time, not sure she wished to become involved on any level with the Marquis of Darley—scarred by the wounds of war or not. On the other hand, he was offering a type of assistance that would be welcome. And she couldn’t discount the possibility he might be useful to have around should Walingame discover her whereabouts. Lastly, five hundred pounds was five hundred pounds. “Two months?”
“Yes.” He didn’t say unless you ask me before that —a thought that took him so much by surprise, he quickly added, “You decide, of course.”
“Very well. I can always use five hundred pounds.”
He smiled. “Done.” He put out his hand.
She clasped it.
And the bargain was made.
He immediately spoke of other things then, as though their wager was incidental. As though he gave no more mind to it than he did the light breeze fluttering the leaves overhead. He spoke of how he used to come to the ruins as a child and play at knightly battle games with his friends. He showed her where he’d tumbled from the highest point on the partially collapsed nave wall and had frightened his playmates half to death by lying there comatose for several minutes. “My parents forbid me to climb that high after that,” he said with a smile, reaching out to touch the moss-covered wall as though recalling those times long ago.
“And did you mind them?” Annabelle asked, as capable as he of bland
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