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“I’m glad you approve. While you are my guest, you will be treated like royalty. Only the best, I assure you. Please make use of the house, enjoy the gardens. Axle will assist you in ordering clothes, shoes, whatever you’d like.”
“Mmm. Do you treat all your prisoners this well?”
“Only the ones destined to become my mother-in-law.” I take a bite of my steak while she assesses me.
“I see. So that’s what this is all about. You want to marry Louisa.”
I swallow, then say, “Exactly.”
Blinking at me, she asks, “Why?”
“I’d like to achieve what my uncles couldn’t. I want access to your territory.”
“So it’s a marriage of convenience?” Her brow furrows and she takes another bite.
“Not exactly. Though it will be convenient.”
“If you wanted an arranged marriage, you should have spoken with my husband.”
My lips pull. “I don’t believe he would have been receptive to a meeting.”
She daintily taps her mouth with her napkin, trying to discreetly hide her smile. “Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Rowan, but Louisa may not be either. She inherited her father’s stubbornness.”
“I’m sure I can persuade her.”
Turning away from me for a moment, she seems to mull it over as she eats. Then she sets down her silverware and asks the question I can see churning in her mind, “I don’t understand. Why put her through this again?”
“Because she’s mine, Diana,” I answer honestly. “She made the vow herself.”
She shakes her head. “She won’t accept you. Not this time.”
“Yes, she will. And if she doesn’t, you’re going to help me convince her.”
“Why would I do that? What do you have to bring to the table that would make this marriage in any way appealing to the Durans?”
“It would prevent a war, for one. I’m sure you’re not aware of this, but your husband has been busy stealing from me.”
“Is that so?” She arches a brow.
“He’s been intercepting some of my shipments, and wouldn’t you know, he suddenly has an increase in supply.”
Diana taps her finger against her wineglass thoughtfully. “Pure coincidence.”
“That’s what I told my men. They have their eyes on someone else. For now.”
Her lips pull up into a smile. “And if I don’t help you with my daughter, you’ll start a war?”
“If she doesn’t accept, I’ll start a war. Which is why you might want to help me. The McKenzies have more men.”
“Quantity doesn’t matter. All that matters is will. And I assure you, the Durans have that in spades.”
“I don’t disagree. Perhaps we are still equally matched, and there’s no way to predict who would win a battle between us. But the one thing I can predict is that there would be bloodshed. Lives will be lost. Your own sons might be among them.”
Her jaw tenses and I see I’ve gotten her attention. But her smile doesn’t falter. “And if she accepts you? What doweget out of that marriage?”
“A contract between our territories. I want to be the sole provider of coke with a twenty-five percent cut for you. That’s it. Everything else is yours. It’s a win-win.”
Sitting back, she narrows her stare on me. “A win-win,” she repeats.
