Nicole Jordan by Lord of Seduction

Author:Lord of Seduction [Seduction, Lord of]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-06-09T16:48:55+00:00

Twelve

Diana stiffened, wondering if she had misheard—or worse, if Thorne’s wits had suddenly gone begging. “What do you mean, wed for real?”

“It’s simple. Our betrothal was conceived as a ruse, merely for show. But this changes things. You will marry me—the sooner, the better.”

“I certainly will not marry you! You promised that our betrothal would only be temporary—”

“That was before this latest contretemps. A scandal will be unavoidable now. The only way to quiet it will be for us to wed.”

Diana stared at Thorne in disbelief, realizing he was entirely serious. “You can’t possibly want to marry me. You have no desire to wed anyone.”

He smiled with sardonic amusement. “Perhaps not, but I intend to give you the protection of my name. That wretched little schemer was right—your reputation won’t withstand a fresh uproar.”

“That doubtless is true, but I won’t let you sacrifice yourself on the altar of matrimony out of guilt, Thorne. I could never look you in the eye again, knowing I had trapped you.”

“You hardly trapped me, love. I’m totally at fault for bringing you here.”

Diana shook her head adamantly. “I don’t hold you to blame. I came here willingly and fully participated.”

“I would dispute that.” Turning, he leaned lazily back against the sideboard and regarded her silently, cocking one eyebrow, as if trying to understand her. “I am making you a perfectly legitimate offer of marriage this time, Diana. I find it hard to credit that you would refuse.”

At that comment, she shrugged in frustration. “Your noble intentions are laudable, but nobility is a terrible basis for marriage.”

“Other than that, what objections do you have to marrying me?”

“What objections do I not have?” She couldn’t believe he was even asking such a question. She didn’t want a marriage of convenience with a rakish husband who didn’t love her. Certainly not a marriage with Thorne, for if any man could break her heart again, it would be he.

“There are dozens, but the biggest is that you don’t love me,” she stated flatly. “And I don’t love you.”

“Love is beside the point at this juncture.”

Exasperated, Diana raised her eyes to the glass-paned roof. “This conversation is wholly absurd. I can manage on my own, without you rushing to my rescue. I have lived with scandal before, and I can do it again.”

“I think you are forgetting Amy.”

She winced then, her heart plummeting. Having her tarnish rub off on Amy was precisely what she had tried to avoid. But Amy was becoming established in society now, Diana reminded herself, so if she could distance herself from her cousin, perhaps Amy wouldn’t suffer too badly from a fresh scandal. In any event, she would not wed Thorne simply to protect herself.

Stubbornly Diana set her jaw. “Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Thorne, but I must decline. We will maintain our betrothal purely for appearance sake, but I have every intention of crying off once Amy’s future is safely settled. For now I intend to return to the ball. I had best find Amy before she hears the lurid gossip from someone else.

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