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Her father’s response, however, was unwavering. He spoke with a tone of firm resolve, refusing her request. I strained to hear his words, but they were muffled, and I could only catch fragments of their conversation.
I heard enough. She was never going to want me. She was trying to get out of the match. That stung. It made me feel like chopped liver. I didn’t understand what I had done to offend her, but she didn’t like me. There was no chance we were going to have a love match. This was a waste of my time.
It was time to go. I was too far from the front door, but I had to get out. I spotted glass doors at the end of the hall and walked toward them as quickly as I could. I hoped to escape before I had to look her in the eyes. I pushed open the door and felt the cool breeze.
“Theo,” I heard her call my name. I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I just kept walking.
18
EMILIE
As Theo stepped out of the house, a mix of emotions swirled within me. I knew he had overheard my conversation with my father. I never meant for him to hear any of it. I didn’t want to marry him, but I didn’t want to hurt him, either.
“Theo,” I called out again.
I followed him outside. The estate boasted a sprawling garden. It was a place of serenity and beauty that had been a source of solace for generations of my family. I spent a lot of time in the garden myself. I spotted Theo up ahead. He had a determined walk as he moved along the manicured pathways.
I quickened my steps to catch up with him. “Theo, please stop for a second.”
He finally came to a halt, his shoulders slumping slightly as he turned to face me. His expression was a mixture of frustration and resignation, and I felt a pang of sympathy for him. I hated that he was hurt. That was never my intention. I knew he was a good guy. He didn’t deserve to be stuck with me.
“What?” he asked, his arms thrown up. “You don’t need to explain. I get it. You’ve been saying it from the first moment we met. I wasn’t listening. I hear you now.”
“I don’t think you understand what you heard.”
“I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a total idiot,” he said. “I get it.”
I didn’t know what to say. Lying and saying I didn’t say it would make both of us look foolish. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged and shook his head. “I’ll let your father know it’s not going to work.”
“No!”
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to.”
“Theo, it’s not you—”
He laughed. “Oh no, don’t give me that speech.It’s not you, it’s me.”
“But it is,” I said. “It is me.”
His gaze met mine, and there was a weariness in his eyes that tugged at my heart. “Emilie, I know this match was arranged out of duty and tradition. I understand that you may not want a husband who tries to woo you, court you, or show any form of affection. You made that very clear.”
“Only because I have to focus on rebuilding my family’s legacy,” I said.
“We can have a silent, distant marriage if that’s what you desire. I won’t force you into anything you’re not comfortable with. I would ask you to be discreet if you’re going to have affairs and I guess I’ll do the same.”
“No,” I whispered. “No, that’s not what I meant.”
“I told you what I wanted,” he said. “It’s occurred to me that was a silly dream. The dream of a hopeless romantic. I don’t get that luxury. Like you, I have a duty. I thought we could find some common ground, but now I know. We can’t break this match. I would love to. I would love to find a woman that could love me back, but it isn’t going to happen. So, here we are. I refuse to be miserable, which is why I propose we do the wedding thing and tell people the baby thing is just not coming. You can live your life and I’ll stay in South Carolina and run my family’s business. We’ll attend a couple of functions together a year and that will be that.”
For a moment, I considered the prospect of a marriage that defied convention. It would be a marriage that was based on distance and formality. It was a tempting proposition, a path that would allow me to retain a sense of independence and control over my destiny. It was the perfect solution.
But as I looked into Theo’s eyes, I couldn’t deny that a connection had already begun to form between us. There was a genuine warmth and kindness in him that I had come to appreciate.
“Theo, I appreciate your offer, and your understanding means a great deal to me, but I believe our journey together, as challenging as it may be, is an opportunity.”
“An opportunity for what?” he asked.
