AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But it was his turn to stiffen. “I’m well aware you don’t wish to marry.”
That wasn’t what she’d said at all. Her gaze snapped to his, her gaze narrowing in confusion. She was already unsure of how to proceed. “I never said I didn’t want to marry.”
“Didn’t you?”
She shook her head. “No. I said I wasn’t certain if my life’s focus should be research or marriage. I suppose I can research as a hobby but there’s no half measure with matrimony, is there?”
“I suppose there isn’t,” he answered. And then he reached for her hands, clasping them in his. “And you’re right to decide first. A man might feel terribly foolish if he cares for you, but you have a different agenda entirely.”
She looked into his eyes then. Was he attempting to tell her something? Much as he’d supported her research, he’d not want to a wife with aspirations like hers? “Are you speaking of yourself or others?”
“Both, I suppose. Some men may be happy with an arrangement of convenience, I suppose, but others need more.”
Her heart skipped a beat. What was he trying to say? “Which sort of man are you?”
“Me?” he cocked his head to the side. “Why do you wish to know?”
When had things gotten so muddled? Yesterday, they’d understood one another perfectly. Should she confess that she might want to marry him? That she’d developed real feelings for him? Would he reject her? He was acting oddly, and she didn’t quite understand why. She searched her mind for an appropriate answer and finally blurted out, “My mother wishes to see me wed and yours—”
“We’re not engaging in a fake courtship to trick our mothers.” His voice had taken on an edge she hadn’t heard since he’d called her a hoyden all those years ago.
She blinked several times as hurt made her shrink a bit. “I didn’t suggest we should.”
His gaze narrowed as he studied her face. “And your reasons for seeking me out so often during this party?”
Now, she was not only confused, she was beginning to grow angry. Some fire that had been lacking sparked and she pulled her hands from his. “What does that mean?”
“You know very well.”
She didn’t. But she was about to find out.
* * *
Alex hadthe real sense that something had gone terribly wrong.
He’d been sure so sure of his doubts as he’d walked up that hill. Both Ben and Rangeley had confirmed his suspicions.
But as Tillie’s hands landed on her hips, her gaze growing hard, he realized he might have hopped, skipped, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
It was so unlike him…
But that kiss had scrambled his thoughts and he’d been left him feeling vulnerable. He could see that as anger flashed in her eyes.
“I have sought you out, because,” she said, her chin notching a little higher with every word, “your advice has been excellent, your company engaging, and your interests fascinating.”
Those were really good reasons and as her spine straightened, his curled, his shoulders dropping. “I see.”
But she wasn’t done. One finger came up and poked him in the chest. “I’m aware that you have never felt the same about me but that doesn’t mean you can go falsely accusing me of engaging in some farce without your knowledge or consent.”
“I can’t?”
“No.” She poked again. “I hardly knew Rangeley and I asked his permission.”
That was an excellent point. Why hadn’t he thought of that before now? He winced at his own foolishness. “Tillie.”
“Don’t you dare Tillie me.” She stepped closer her gaze narrowing. “I know I’m prone to trouble but I’m a grown woman and the only scheming I engage in is to subvert my mother’s plots.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I thought you knew me better than this. All right, perhaps you do know me well. I have been known to cause a bit of trouble, but I thought you liked me better than this. I thought you liked me for who…” her words trailed off.
And then he saw them. The tears shimmering in her eyes.
