Page 81 of The Rules of Matrimony
“But both of us consented to this marriage,” Amie said, stepping nearer to Ian until her shoulder touched his.
The action lent him a sense of unity.
“But if one of you is insane, that is different,” Mr. Withers argued, addressing Ian and ignoring Amie. “The marriage between John Wallop, 3rd Earl of Portsmouth, to his solicitor’s daughter, Mary Anne Hanson, was annulled after nearly twenty years of marriage once they proved the earl mad. Your Lordship, Mr. Nelson has a reasonable case against your wife.”
Amie tensed next to him, and Ian’s own temper flared. “You have a lot of nerve, Mr. Withers, coming in here and even hinting that my wife, a viscountess, is insane.” There had to be a lot of money on the table to convince the solicitor to even make such threats.
Mr. Withers had the decency to give a look of chagrin. Ian had powerful friends, and there was no way Amie’s relatives would seal their claim. Unfortunately, the rumors and gossip would do sufficient damage regardless.
Ian made a show of unfolding the paper in his hands, desperately racking his brain for a way out of this mess. He stared at his own frill-less handwriting and Amie’s contrasting elegant signature. They had been two different souls from the beginning, but they had fit rather perfectly together ever since.
But that revelation did not accompany words to save them.
“Can you deny that this note was written by your hand, Your Lordship?” Mr. Withers asked.
Ian didn’t want to answer, but withholding the truth when it could be proved otherwise was pointless. He shook his head.
Mr. Withers turned to Amie. “Can you deny that it wassignedby your hand, Your Ladyship?”
“No.” The simple answer was spoken without hesitation. The direct way she said it reminded him of the day she’d turned down his proposal, so certain no one could save her from her predicament. She’d been wrong then and was now too.
The right words came to him in that moment. “It is a private letter, but since it has been shared without our permission, let me put the matter to rest for you. You have discovered the rules from our engagement.”
“Rules from yourengagement?” Mrs. Tyler shrieked.
“Indeed. We did our best to keep a proper distance from each other, though I admit to some struggle on my behalf.” He met Amie’s gaze, her face still lined with worry, and the truth he’d been holding back slowly slid out. “Her beauty captured me, and I was taken with her from the start. She is like a diamond in a bed of river rocks. It is a wonder we could follow any rules at all.” He stared into her wide, disbelieving eyes, losing himself in them as he often did. The sudden desire to tell her he loved her burned on his lips.
“You said this was a marriage contract,” Mr. Nelson bellowed, his hot gaze skewering Mrs. Tyler.
The heated statement stopped Ian from uttering words to Amie he knew he would never be able to withdraw.
“Cousin?” Robert put his hands together and stalked toward Amie. “This cannot be true. You can be honest with us. You were taken in by this man and ill prepared for such a union. We are here to help you.”
Ian’s fist tightened. If Robert came a step closer to Amie, Ian would punch him in the nose.
Amie’s words restrained him. “I knew exactly what I was doing when I married Lord Reynolds. We are happy together, and we do not appreciate your interference.”
Happy, he repeated in his head. Yes, they were happy.
“Amie, dear,” Mrs. Tyler said, “we want the best for you. If you plea madness, we can undo everything.”
“Mama,” Amie cried. “Listen to yourself.”
Mrs. Tyler fidgeted with her hands. “I don’t think you’re truly mad, but your engagement was not made in the usual way. I have been beside myself worrying that I made a big mistake. After all, it was I who made the announcement.”
Amie squeezed Ian’s hand with more strength than he knew her capable of. He understood exactly what she was trying to communicate. Mrs. Tyler could not, under any circumstance, reveal how she had betrothed Amie to a dead man. Then they might have two cases of madness on their hands, and more evidence against their marriage.
“Mrs. Tyler,” Ian begged. “That day in the graveyard when you met my mother was the most providential day of my life.” He couldn’t believe he was saying this, but it was no act. “I don’t know if I have ever thanked you for your part in bringing Amie and me together. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”
The fervor in his voice surprised him. He had not known the depth of his feelings until it was cast from his mouth into the room like little seeds blossoming into full-grown truths. He might not have let himself love her or live with her, but no one else could ever be Lady Reynolds. Amie was the only one for him.
Mrs. Tyler’s sad expression wilted away into a smile. “Oh, goodness. That is so romantic.” She clutched the hem of her neckline. “I ... I daresay I might have been ... no, I am quite certain—I made a mistake.”
He gave a firm nod. “Indeed, you were mistaken.”
Amie reached for his arm. “You need not doubt again, Mama. We are happy together.”
That word again.Happy.
