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She got to her feet instead. ‘Can I have another drink first?’
‘Help yourself.’ He gestured to the sideboard. ‘There should be some more wine somewhere.’
‘Would you like some?’
‘No, thank you, I’m trying to accustom myself to sobriety.’
She rummaged in the sideboard for a few moments and then sat down again with a full glass. ‘The night of the ball, my father told me not to talk to you, let alone dance.’
‘Really?’ Another surprise. That was interesting...
‘But then we were introduced and you were friendlier than your brother. Not that I didn’t like him, but...’
‘But he was a little less than charming.’
‘Yes, although at least now I know why. You were much friendlier.’ She took a sip of wine and licked her lips. ‘You didn’t tell me how small I was either.’
‘Didn’t I?’ He was so distracted watching her tongue brush along her top lip that he honestly couldn’t remember. At that moment, he was having a hard enough time following the conversation at all.
‘No. Usually it’s the first thing people say to me.’ She peeked up at him. ‘Doesn’t it bother you?’
‘Your height? Not at all, but then it occurs to me that you’re the perfect size for a walking stick. I can lean on your shoulder.’
She gave him a look that was part amused, part admonishing. ‘Are you never serious?’
‘I told you, I’m trying to learn.’
‘Sometimes I wondered if my size was the reason my father behaved the way he did.’ She sounded thoughtful. ‘Maybe he genuinely thought I was too small to look after myself. Maybe if I’d looked more like a woman...’
‘You do look like a woman...’ he dropped his gaze appreciatively ‘...especially tonight.’
‘But it would explain why he treated me like a child.’
‘He treated you like a child because he was a miserable, self-centred old man and took it out on everyone else, you especially.’
She looked at him strangely. ‘Is that why you were so angry at him at the ball? I didn’t understand at the time.’
‘I suppose so. I thought what he’d told you about fortune hunters was cruel, too. He implied that you weren’t worth marrying without a fortune. Believe me, Violet, there are plenty of other reasons.’
‘You agreed with him.’
‘What?’ He felt genuinely shocked. ‘When?’
‘When he asked if you’d marry me without a fortune and you said no. Not that I expected you to say yes,’ she added quickly.
His brow furrowed. ‘That wasn’t because of you. I would have said the same about anyone. I told you, I never wanted to marry.’
‘Until now.’
‘I’m willing to give it a try.’
‘For the money.’ She gave a small sigh. ‘Just as he said.’
Lance felt a fresh stab of guilt. Damn it all, the last thing he wanted to do was to prove her father right about anything, but he’d promised her honesty.
‘Surely that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends?’
‘No, I suppose not. It’s really quite ironic when you think about it. Neither of us ever expected to marry and yet here we are.’ She paused and then nodded emphatically. ‘All right, Captain Amberton, I accept.’
