“I was at a tavern the other night,” he began before launching into his story. “I overheard who I later discovered was your father, talking to another man about you. I’m not ashamed to say I listened in. When I realized the plan, I knew I had to do something.”
“Why not just tell me this?” she asked, leaning in closer, biting her lip in a way that tugged at something deep within him.
He looked down, unable to meet her gaze, for then he might reveal something all too vulnerable. “I didn’t want you to learn what your father had done,” he admitted.
“That is very kind of you,” she said, before looking forward, “but unfortunately, I know all too well now what I am worth to my father. The amount of his debt.”
“Did your father defend his actions?” he asked.
“Not really,” she said with a sad smile. “He thought I would understand how important it was to his business that his debts not become known.”
“As though it was up to you to save him.”
“Yes, in essence,” she said before cocking her head, studying him. “So, you were willing to give yourself, your chance of marriage to another, tometo protect me and to keep me safe?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
“That is… actually more romantic than anything else you could have done.”
“Even my song?”
“Even your song,” she said, before sighing and surprising him by leaning her head onto his shoulder. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arm around her, pulling her in next to him, allowing her to rest on him and take whatever support he could offer.
“I’m sorry he did that to you,” Tommy murmured.
“Thank you.”
“I still mean it, you know,” he said into her hair. “I would like to marry you.”
She leaned back, looking up at him. “What’s in this for you?”
He met her gaze, soaking in the deep blue of her eyes, as he decided that, for once in his life, he would answer as honestly as he could.
“Two reasons. First, you don’t deserve this. I don’t want to see this happen to you. If I can provide you with another option, even if it’s not one that you were expecting or necessarily wanting, then I’d like to give that to you. Second, I wantto get to know you better. I’ve been wanting it for a long time. How am I supposed to do that if you’re married to someone else?”
Her tongue darted out over her lips as she searched his face as though trying to determine the authenticity of his words. “What if you get to know me and decide that you don’t like me?”
“Somehow, I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Do you evenwantto be married?”
He shrugged. “Hadn’t thought too much about it yet. Was too busy having fun. But I have a feeling that I might enjoy being married to you. And if we both understand what this is, that we can have freedom, then I’d be fine with that.”
She was silent for a moment, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times as though there was something she wanted to ask, but thought better of it.
“What is it?” he urged her gently.
“Nothing.”
“Go on. Ask away.”
Her eyes darted away from him as tendrils of hair blew across her face with the gentle breeze. “What exactly do you mean by… freedom?”
“Freedom to do what we please, to not have to answer questions to one another,” he said with a shrug, although he could tell that she wasn’t satisfied with his answer. It took him a moment to determine the heart of her question. “Ooooh, you are wondering whether we can take other people to bed.”
Even though it was dark, he had this feeling that her cheeks were turning pink. He loved her innocence and tried not to smile in case she thought he was laughing at her.
“I-I suppose I just wanted to understand the details.”
