Page 72 of A Stranger’s Gamble

“I did not pretend to marry you. We are married.”

Sophie inclined her head. “As you wish. You saved my life by marrying me.”

“I likely save my own life, as well.” he murmured.

“We had no intention of marrying one another,” she said.

He lifted a brow. “I had every intention of marrying you.”

“You did not—and you know it.”

“I signed the marriage contract,” he said with far too much nonchalance.

“You did that to bother me.”

He laughed. “Forgive me, my dear, but a man does not sign a marriage contract to ‘bother’ a woman. Your father would have ruined me in court. I admit, I wanted to teach you a lesson—but not at my expense.”

“You told me that Lord Monthemer didn’t want to marry Sophie Shaw,” she insisted.

“What did you expect?” he asked. “I saw your companion Beatrice when she descended from your carriage, and she looked very displeased. Now that I know the story, I cannot say I blame her. How often did you have her pretend to be you?”

“I deduced that you knew she wasn’t me in Lady Ella’s garden.” Sophie regarded him. “Did you tell my father I was pretending to be Beatrice?”

“Of course not.”

She had thought not. Her father hadn’t said anything to her.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because a husband doesn’t tattle to his wife’s father.”

“He doesn’t?” she asked. Matthew hadn’t been above complaining to her father for some perceived wrongdoing. A strange nervousness rippled through her stomach. Oh, she recognized that feeling and she wasn’t falling for that again. Adam was no different than Matthew.

“It’s stupid to marry for money,” she blurted.

He chuckled. “Spoken like a woman who has always had money.”

Sophie pinned him with a glare. “Pray, do not play the pauper. You have been rich most of your life.”

“And now I am not.”

“There are plenty of rich heiresses. Why not marry one of them?”

“I got to know and like you,” he replied.

She blew out a frustrated breath. “You did not ‘get to know me.’ You danced with me once at Lady Seafield’s soiree.”

“I also danced with you at the oyster cellars and accompanied when you bought oranges and medicine for you aunt. And lest you forget, I rode with you in the carriage with Lord Emerson,” he said.

“You didn’t really think he intended to offer for me?” she asked.

Adam shrugged. “Why not? You are a beautiful woman.”

“And rich,” she said.

“And rich.”

“If you are concerned about the money after I annul the marriage, you need not fret,” she said.