Page 51 of The Marquess and the Maiden

He laughed, but there was no humor to be found in the sound. “You think you’ve been easy? Damnation, Harriet, you’re the most stubborn of females. You refuse to see what is right in front of you.”

“So you removed my choices?”

“I did what I had to do.”

“You are unbelievable!” she shouted.

“We all know what you did, son. This was an intentional compromise,” his mother said.

He shrugged. “It was the inevitable conclusion. I merely sped things up.”

“I told you no,” Harriet said. “In no uncertain terms. You asked to marry me and I said no. How is that inevitable?”

“I would have persuaded you, eventually.”

“You are the most arrogant—”

He put his fingers to her lips. “Let me stop you before you say something you’ll regret.”

“You intentionally compromised me,” she said blankly. She could no longer feel her hands and feet; everything seemed to have gone numb.

“You refused to take my proposals seriously.”

“You refuse to take no for an answer!”

“When it comes to what I want. That is true.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what I want. A marriage in name only. I’ll do my duty and give you an heir, but then that’s it. After that, you will never touch me again.” Then she turned away and stormed out of the room. Not caring that she’d spoken of such things in front of both of their mothers.

…

“We will have to make the announcement soon,” Harriet’s mother said.

“Of course, we can’t allow these people to leave for London without making a formal announcement,” his mother said. “Tonight’s final ball will become an engagement party. It shall be divine.”

“It will be the talk of the town.”

“Indeed. Everyone will be clamoring for details of how the Marquess of Davenport had fallen so hard, he couldn’t wait.” His mother clapped her hands. “It shall be perfect.”

“I should go and speak with Harriet,” her mother said.

He waited until they were alone and faced his own mother. “What are you talking about ‘fallen so hard?’” he asked.

“You. Being in love with Harriet,” his mother said.

He rolled his eyes. “Why do women insist upon making everything about love?”

“Oh, admit it, Oliver. Your affection for her is so obvious. You can’t keep your eyes off her. Not to mention you have done everything imaginable to keep her in the same room as you.”

“I hate to break this to you, Mother, but I compromised Harriet because I want her in my bed. She’s the only woman I’m able to tolerate being in the same room with for more than ten minutes. She’s intelligent and beautiful, and for whatever reason my presence doesn’t seem to frighten her. Those are the reasons I am marrying her. Love has nothing to do with it.”

His mother smiled and nodded, but said nothing else before leaving the room.

Love. That was ridiculous.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her because he desired her. Since their first encounter a month before he had thought of little else besides all the different ways he could take her. Yes, it had been a damned long time since he’d had the company of a woman, but once he’d seen Harriet and her lush curves begging for his touch, he’d known no other woman would sate him.

…

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