“I know you have passion and fire, and that we are compatible in that regard.” He leaned in close and cradled her cheek, brushing his thumb across her lips. “Our marital bed would be very satisfying.”
He dropped his hand and didn’t miss the turn of her face, as if she wanted to follow the caress. “But I also know you arevirtuous and loyal. That once you marry, you’ll belong only to your husband. The only reason you dallied with me yesterday was because you thought I was your fiancé. You are not a flirt, although you are quick-witted and smart. You want security and stability, but you are not blinded by status and material things.”
“How do you know all that?” she whispered.
“Simply by observing, I guess. I saw the horror in your eyes when you discovered I was not your betrothed. If you were interested only in status, you would not be considering throwing away the heir to a dukedom for his younger brother. You’d be begging me not to say a word of what transpired between us.”
“But I could have hidden vices. What if I’m exceedingly vain?”
He smiled, amused, and brushed a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. “A vain woman would not have come to meet me dressed in her plainest clothes and with her hair half undone.”
She trembled slightly, either from the caress or his words. It charmed him. But she wasn’t done.
“I could have a wicked temper.”
He laughed aloud. “I hope you do. It would just make it all the sweeter to channel that fire into passion.”
“I could be selfish.”
“Hmm. I don’t think so. You accepted a betrothal to a man you didn’t know to please your parents. Yet you are now considering breaking that betrothal despite it being an advantageous marriage. But it’s difficult for you to do it. Not because you don’t want to give up the privilege of one day being a duchess, but because you don’t want to disappoint your parents. A selfish person doesn’t act like that. Are you done trying to convince me you are a bad choice?”
“Am I that transparent, then?”
“To me, you are. I see you, Josephine. But those are only the tangible qualities. There are other, more ethereal things I can’t explain. Like how I know I will never get tired of seeing yourface in the mornings. Or how I can look into your eyes, full of laughter and passion, and I can imagine our future children. How when I touch you or kiss you, I feel a connection that goes beyond the physical. Don’t you feel it too?”
“I do. But how can I trust that? I haven’t had any other experience with men. I thought I had been kissed before, but yesterday I realized a quick peck stolen in haste in a corner of a balcony is not a real kiss. You are the first to awaken these feelings in me. How do I know they are enduring? Other than you being the brother of my fiancé, I know nothing about you.”
“Ask me anything you want.” He stretched his arms out, indicating he was open. “Upon my honor, I’ll answer truthfully.”
“Are you a rake?”
Of course, she would start with the hard questions first. “I won’t deny I’ve had experience. But I don’t go about seducing every woman I meet. I am discerning. And before you ask, when I marry, I plan to be faithful.”
“I learned you are in the army. Do you like it?”
“The lifestyle suits me for now. I am a good officer and feel I can be useful and make a name for myself there.”
“Would you expect your wife to follow the drum?”
“If she wishes to. It can be a good life, Josephine. Full of adventure and new and exciting places. I think you would enjoy it. But if you wish to live in England, we can arrange for that too.”
“Where would we live? What would we do? What if our families disinherit us?”
“I foresee conflicts ahead, I’m not going to lie. It will be difficult to break your betrothal. But, in time, they might come to understand. You need not worry that we’ll be penniless without our families’ support. I may not be as rich as my brother, and will probably never be the duke, but I’ll come into an inheritance from my mother’s portion when I turn twenty-four, which isa couple of months away. It would be enough for us to live comfortably.”
“You tempt me almost more than I can endure. But as you said, it will be difficult to convince our families. It will cause a great upheaval. Everybody will be mad at us. Shouldn’t we wait a bit? Get to know each other better?”
He sighed. “I already know what I want. And it’s you. But if you need more time, fine. How long?”
“What?”
“How long do you need to make a decision?”
“I don’t know. My head is spinning right now.”
“You know I wanted to ask your father for permission to court you. My intentions are honorable, Josephine.”
“But I’m betrothed to your brother,” she replied helplessly.
