Page 40 of The Wicked Marquess Takes a Wife

His brows rose. “Do you want me to court you, then?”

“You do not want to court me, and neither do I want you to.” Elizabeth was beginning to feel worse than she had yesterday afternoon.

“You are right, I do not. I want my wife to obey me completely, and you will only cause me pain.” He folded his arms across his broad chest. “You will do what I want in exchange for my silence.”

She swallowed, realizing that he was in earnest. “My father will never believe you.”

“I am not going to tell your father. I will have it published.”

“It would be dismissed as a rumor.”

“Would it?” He raised one brow.

“You are not cruel enough to do it.”

He clucked his tongue. “You contradict yourself, my dear.” He pulled her list from his waistcoat pocket which she found surprising because she could not recall seeing him put it there. “Item the fourth, he is the cruelest man I have ever met, and he—” He looked up at her. “You did not complete it but if you claim that I am the cruelest man you have ever met, then you should know that I will have the world know you disguise yourself as a commoner and attend prizefights.”

He had truly trapped her this time. “Rhys, this is not fair.”

“Well, you should have thought of that before you declared this war. Accept this offer and rest, Elizabeth. Do we have an agreement?”

Elizabeth did not know how she could keep her sister safe from him now. Irene could fall in love with him, and Elizabeth was certain Irene would not be happy because Rhys was not the sort of man who cared about a woman’s sensibilities and her desire to be understood and respected.

“Yes.” She marched past him to the table and picked up her reticule then she walked out of the library as though she had not just lost against him. When she touched her neck, she found the pearl necklace she had worn that evening missing, but she could not return to Rhys for it.

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