Page 74 of The Rules of Matrimony
He did. He dropped his hand with great reluctance. “Very well. I will have a plate sent up in case you change your mind.”
“Thank you, Amie,” Lady Kellen said. “I have a good feeling about this. I think he’s warming to you.”
Ian wouldn’t have gone as far as that. His father likely desired a distraction while also wanting his wife to have a break from his side.
Amie looked up at Ian. “Will you find me before I leave tonight? I did hope to speak to you about something.”
Did it have to do with her unexpected day? He couldn’t help but wonder. “Certainly.”
She thanked him and disappeared from the room. At least he finally knew right where she was, and that alone was satisfying.
“Ian?”
Ian blinked and turned to his mother. “Yes?”
“I spoke to you just now, and you didn’t even hear me.”
She sounded more like herself, but there were still tired lines pressed around her eyes. “Forgive me, I was thinking about someone—I mean, something.”
Mama laughed. “Of course you were. Let’s eat our dinner so you will be free to join her later.”
He didn’t bother correcting his mother. She was happier believing that he was in love with Amie. And heaven knew that his mother deserved more happiness than ever. Despite all his fuss and obstinance against the subject, deep down, he knew love was exactly what he felt. The only thing holding him back was his lack of trust in himself. He was his father’s son, and hurting Amie was out of the question. He’d already been doing it without even intending to. It was hard to imagine himself capable of anything else.
Chapter 37
“You came.” Lord Kellen soundedgenuinely impressed. She had not thought he would ever be impressed by anything she did.
“I am happy to help.” She moved around the bed and picked up the book she had left on his bedside table the day before, noting that he had more color in his cheeks than the last time she had been in here. “Would you like me to start where we left off yesterday?” She took the seat beside him, all the while feeling his stare on her face.
“You are rather daring for a penniless widow’s daughter.”
She swallowed. “I would not call myself daring at all.”
“Did it not take bravery for you to face me again?”
It took a great deal of courage. Every step ascending the stairs had been like a fateful walk to meet Madame Guillotine. “Perhaps I wondered why you would request that I read to you when you clearly did not appreciate it before.”
“Ah, curiosity is an interesting quality. It is both good and bad, but in this case, I will still reward you with a point for coming here.”
“Is this a competition of sorts?”
He pursed his lips. “More of a test. For starters, why did you choose that particular story to read to me? Did my wife select it for you?”
She shook her head. “I found it in the library on my own.”
His brow rose. “Is that the truth?”
Confused, she nodded.
“I believe you.” He did not say anything for a moment. Was that her cue to begin reading? She started to open the book when he spoke again. “I read that same story to Ian when he was a boy.” Ofall the things, she hadn’t expected him to say this. “Ian likely doesn’t remember. He chooses to see me as the villain in his life. I’ve not spoiled him with affection, that much is true, but what good I have done is erased from his mind.”
She tightened her grip on the book, unsure of what to say. It turned out, she didn’t have to say anything. Lord Kellen wasn’t finished.
“There are a few things in life a father can do for his son that truly matter. Setting him up with a secure future is perhaps the greatest of them all. When I die, Ian will have my title, my lands, my seat in Parliament. A man could thrive on this alone. But without the right companion, he could curse it too. I wanted to give him the perfect wife—a woman equal to him. A gift that he would someday look back on and truly thank me for.”
Her earlier convictions about fighting for her marriage began to wane. Had she not imagined for a small moment that she was Ian’s equal? Clearly, Lord Kellen could not even imagine the possibility. Her day had contained so much turmoil that she couldn’t capture the same feelings of confidence she’d found yesterday.
“But then you came along,” he added. “I wasn’t prepared for you. Your pretty face and strange manners swayed him. Now my son will forever be against me.”
