Lizzie, My Love by Sara Bennett

Author:Sara Bennett
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: 0
Published: 2012-05-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

SHE woke alone, and lay a moment wondering if her head was going to come off, or whether it already had. The light from the shutters was like daggers, and she squeezed her eyes shut with a soft groan. It was half an hour before she dared try to get up, and then it took much effort and much groaning before she was dressed. She kept remembering bits and pieces of the night before, and hardly dared to allow the thoughts to come filtering through.

Zek’s astonished face, and his kisses, and other things which made her turn pink and white by turns. And something more she hardly dared even to consider was real. Zek asking her to marry him.

She was sitting on the bed, trying to gather enough courage to go out into the house when a knock sounded like an avalanche on her door. She went white, and staggered up, crying for them to stop. Mary peeped in, her face carefully devoid of emotion.

“Mr. Gray wishes to see you, Miss Banister, in his office.”

“Thank you, Mary,” she smiled wanly. “I’ll be there directly.”

She made her way by slow degrees to the office, knocking softly on the panels. His voice was too loud, but she gritted her teeth and entered, feeling like a schoolgirl called up before the headmaster.

He was standing by the window, and she blinked as he turned. He was smiling, however, his eyes reading her face correctly. “Feeling a little out of sorts, Lizzie?” he murmured.

“You look very pleased with yourself,” she retorted sharply, and was sorry for it when her head began to pound.

He came and took her hands. “Lizzie, do you remember last night?”

She went pink, and bit her lip. “I don’t know. I think...”

He laughed softly, making her go pinker than ever. “Exactly. And apart from that, you agreed to marry me.”

“I...” She shook her head, but his grip on her hands tightened. “Zek, are you sure? I mean...”

Can you be faithful, or don’t you intend to try? she wanted to ask him. I love you, and if you break my heart I doubt I could bear it, she wanted to cry. But she said neither, standing mute with her head throbbing.

“You said you were unhappy,” he cut in rather sharply. “I didn’t realize the prospect of marriage to me would be equally depressing.”

“Oh no!”

He was frowning, however, his eyes searching her face. “Surely it would be no worse than your present situation? And besides... since we’ve already anticipated the ceremony—and I don’t take virgins for sport my girl, let me tell you!—we have no choice.”

She hung her head, realizing then what she had not realized last night. He was marrying her because she had told him they thought her his mistress. Last night he had gone to Angelica and explained matters to her, and then returned to tell Lizzie his decision. No argument of hers could have moved him. He did not love her, He never had. She had offered her body and he being what he was had taken it.

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