Page 82 of The Rules of Matrimony
How it rang in his mind.
“Truly, dear?” Mrs. Tyler asked. “Then, you do love each other?” Her smile bloomed ever wider, and Ian did not correct her. He couldn’t. In the end, she did not give him the chance to say anything. “Oh, Mr. Nelson,” Mrs. Tyler cried. “I let my emotions get away with me again. It was a contract from theirengagement, don’t you see? My daughter is finally happy.”
“But she would be far happier with me,” Robert cried, stomping his foot like a child. Ian half-expected tears from him at any moment.
“We will investigate this,” Mr. Nelson said, though his forehead furrowed in confusion.
Mr. Withers clutched his satchel to his middle. “Without the mother’s testimony, Mr. Nelson, we might not succeed.”
“I warn you,” Ian threatened, staring both the solicitor and Mr. Nelson down. “You will be the laughingstock of London if you try. Anyone who disparages my wife will see ruin.” He switched which hand held hers and put his arm around her. He’d never felt more protective in his life, but no one wanted to know what sort of damage he was capable of with such emotion stirring through him.
All three men who came in full of indignation were suddenly reduced to scared little mice. Ruination was not a threat to take lightly, and Ian would follow through if they dared press him. They scurried from the room with their proverbial tails between their legs, leaving Mrs. Tyler alone with them.
Amie stepped out of his arms and hurried to her mother. “Oh, Mama!” The two of them embraced and cried together. He did not quite know what to make of it. He missed Amie’s body pressed to his side, and the sound of her soft cries tore at him.
While he sensed the tears were of gratitude and relief, they still affected him. He wanted her to behappy. The same mantra he’d repeated over and over in his mind from the beginning only intensified the longer he knew her: He couldn’t hurt her.
He clenched his hand to keep from reaching to comfort her himself.
He couldn’t hurt her.
He wasn’t his father or his grandfather.
He couldn’t hurt her.
He would say this as many times as it took.
He wanted her to be happy. More than anything.
Chapter 40
Ian cared for her. Amiehad sensed it, hoped for it, but still could not believe it. She had seen the sincerity in his eyes as he’d proclaimed her beautiful and confessed to being taken with her from the start. How was that possible after the mint leaves, her wild unkempt hair, and the fact that her own mother had created an engagement between them?
A small laugh escaped, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
“What’s so amusing?” Ian asked from his position opposite her in the carriage. They were on their way to his parents’ townhome. Tomorrow was the day his committee would present their proposal to change the criminal law to the House of Commons. As soon as they’d sent over the cases they’d compiled, Ian desired to check on his family. There would be another committee meeting by the day’s end, but he had to reassure himself of their welfare first.
He was a good man.
Good enough that she had no reason to lie to him about why she had been laughing. “I was thinking of yesterday.” The mere mention of it seemed to send a current of energy between them.
He rubbed his cleft chin as if honestly trying to recall what exciting thing had happened only a dozen hours ago. “Oh, when I admitted to being afraid you’d kick me in the face again?”
He was a good man, but his sense of humor still needed some work. “No, I did not find that part at all amusing.”
He grinned, and she stared at it a mite longer than necessary before finishing her thought. “I was referring to how well your plan worked. You are an excellent rule breaker. No wonder you refer to yourself as a Rebel.”
“As long as we convinced everyone, that is all that matters. By the cheerful way your mother hummed through breakfast, I think we are safe where she is concerned.”
“Mr. Withers acted as though he needed her testimony to pursue anything.”
“A relief, indeed. If anything more comes of it, I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me. We’ll face it together.” He paused, his face taking on a serious demeanor. “I want you to know I don’t normally break my own rules.”
“Perhaps you have a talent for it that you have yet to discover.” She wondered if he took her meaning. There was no reason for them to keep staying apart from each other.
“I hope not,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I want to be a man of integrity.”
The carriage pulled to a stop, and it was hard not to show her disappointment. She could see him building up walls between them again. They had come so far. She couldn’t understand it. “I give you permission to hold my hand, then, so your integrity is not at risk. I rather liked the look on Robert’s face when he saw us come into the drawing room yesterday.”
