Page 8 of Marrying the Gardener
“I…am.”
“And were you not attempting to get your hands on me?”
“Well…”
Her eyes lock on mine for many seconds, then she sets the matter quite squarely aside. “So anyway.” She moves her pen to another page and another paragraph. “Once we begin, you will address me by name, with endearments, or with insults. I have a cousin whose husband strictly calls herflubberbecause her BMI is three points aboveunderweight. That is to say, she’s three points into a healthy weight. And this bothers him. Greatly.”
When I swallow, it feels like glass going down my throat.
“If you use insults or endearments with me in private, I will cut off your tongue. Do you understand?”
My fist clenches against my thigh. “Absolutely.”
She turns another page. “I intend to play off our relationship as one that has been standing secretly for several years. I haveenclosed information on our history that I will expect you to study before we tie the knot. As far as my father needs to know, I’m pregnant. You convinced me marriage wasthe right thing to do, and I believed you. Because I’m female and have the mental capabilities of a jellyfish.”
I…am glad I have stopped drinking water.
“My grandfather will be dead before any signs of pregnancy can show, and once he is, it will be too late to change his will when no infant appears. I am the only child of my grandfather’s only son. Implying a possibility that the perfect male specimen might have already set in motion the potential for an heir will lead to further favor in this game.” Another page turns. “While we’re married, I expect you to live with me in my manor. I only want the two of us to know that our relationship isn’t real, which means I expect this act to be maintained in front of my staff. This eliminates some chance of error in case my grandfather gets suspicious, visits, or sends anyone to interrogate my girls concerning you. I have the means with which to control and falsify your work history should he look into it, so don’t worry about that.”
She’s got some incredible trust issues, doesn’t she? “Will your staff not be suspicious themselves, having neither seen nor heard of me until now?”
“Because of your status and my family’s pressure, I’ll tell them that I’ve kept our relationship secret from everyone. It helps that I’ve been averse to all mention of political relationships until now. They can think it’s because I’ve been in love with someone I shouldn’t be. From a psychology standpoint, it should be believable enough that I’ve fallen into the toxic cycle of finding someone just like my father. Now that a pregnancy has changed our access to secrecy, my role will bewoman in love who is thrilled that we can finally be together. Your role will beman.”
My brow jumps. “Man?”
She nods. “You think you own me. You’ve been playing the long game. You’re hyped on your own genius at having finally conned your way into the Nightingale family. Keep the toxicity a constant undercurrent, at home and in public. Make sure you’re subtle enough that it makes sense for me to have fallen for you, though. No one is allowed to suspect a thing. Can you manage that?”
Can I manage that? Sure. Without vomiting though…? I’ll do my best. “I can.”
“We’ll stay married until the executioner of my grandfather’s estate signs off on my due. Given the information I’m privy to, I suspect my grandfather has approximately a month left to live. The subsequent distribution of his assets shouldn’t take more than a year. Are you willing to commit to this ruse for that long?”
Oh, darling… I’m willing to commit my life to you for as long as you want it. “I am.”
Fractionally, she relaxes. “Any questions?”
Trying to stop my hand from quaking against my thigh, I say, “If you hate your family so much, why haven’t you cut them off sooner? Why go through any of this to begin with?”
“Money.”
“Money’s worth your peace?”
Her eyes narrow, and she leans back in the white leather of her chair. “Peace can’t exist without power. Without power, I have no protection. In this world, money is power. Cutting off my family without the ability to stand on my own two feet means blacklisting my name. My family is bitter and petty and full of egomaniacs. I don’t know what my father would do in order to make my life miserable if he perceives that I’ve disrespected him. Without money, and power, I’d have to disappear.”
Disappear. I can’t say I don’t completely understand…
But she’s not entirely correct in assuming there are onlythese options. In her case, she’d either have to disappear…or marry someone with the kind of power she needs to level the playing field with her family.
Someone like aBachelor.
“Any other questions?” she asks.
I press my lips together, control my breath. “No.”
“Do you think you’re suited for this job?”
Am I suited to play an abusive husband? Not exactly. And, yet, I think I’d do just about anything to help this woman. “Acting selfishly is simple enough. Where do I sign?”
She tightens her grip on the pen. “Before that, I have questions. What do you seek to gain from this? I can’t afford your asking costs on this timeline, and for this to work, you’ll need to forego your escort services for at least a year. Anyone who overlaps in our circle will need to be told that they were a means to an end you are no longer interested in. That burns bridges with clients. I can provide favors once I have power, but the way I see it, if you were ambitious enough and had enough clients, you could make millions in a matter of months. No matter how I look at it, this results in a loss for you.”
