Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

Author:Laura Lee Guhrke
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2012-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Annabel’s eyes widened in shock. Her lips parted as if she intended to reply, but no words came out, and she closed her mouth again. She looked away, and when she returned her gaze to his, a frown etched deep between her brows. Christian decided he’d better explain his reasoning before she told him to go to hell.

“The fact that I objected at the wedding implies something between us, and the only way to deal with that now is to acknowledge it as true. By becoming engaged, your reputation would be saved. We’ll claim a whirlwind romance aboard ship, that sort of thing. Many will call you mercenary, playing a duke against an earl to see who came out on top, but trust me, once you’re engaged to me, they won’t hold it against you. In fact, they’ll probably consider it quite a well-played coup on your part, and they’ll admire you for it.”

“Wait!” She held up one hand to halt his flow of words. “You want to marry me?”

“God, no.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, he grimaced, cursing his idiotic lack of tact. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Yes, you did. You don’t want to marry me, either.” She gave a little laugh, shaking her head as if at the irony. “That’s pretty much the story of my life.”

He sighed. “Hell, all I seem able to do today is either offend you or apologize for offending you. Annabel, the fact that I have no desire to remarry has nothing at all to do with you. What I am proposing is not that we marry, merely that we become engaged. It will put paid to the gossip, and after a long enough engagement—about a year, I should say—”

“A year? Be tied to you for a year in a phony engagement?”

“It has to be long enough to be convincing. After a year, you break it off.”

“And look like I’ve jilted my second fiancé after humiliating my first?”

“A woman is always justified in breaking an engagement, but nonetheless, I shall give you ample cause, something public enough and bad enough that nothing could possibly reflect upon you. God knows,” he added, raking a hand through his hair, “that’s the least I can do. And with my reputation, no one would be surprised. Of course, your conduct shall have to be impeccable—Caesar’s wife, and that sort of thing—so it would probably be best if you steered clear of society. Unless we go out together, of course.”

“I see.” She looked at him thoughtfully, as if she were thinking it over. He deemed that a hopeful sign. “And what about your conduct?” she asked after a moment.

“Mine?” The question took him back a bit, for he knew she wouldn’t like the answer. “Well, my conduct is irrelevant,” he said with reluctance, “since my reputation isn’t at issue. I suppose it ought to be,” he added hastily as her frown deepened. “But it isn’t. Not very fair, I grant you.

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