Page 17 of Notorious

He continued. “And then there is Eva. I ask you this, Miss Clare—can you imagine my sister sitting by quietly while I did villainous things to you?”

A choked laugh broke from her at the notion, and his eyes widened.

“What?” she demanded, immediately suspicious. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

He pushed out his full lower lip and slowly shook his head from side to side, his expression bemused, his eyes never leaving her face. “It is nothing.”

Drusilla stared at him hard, looking for answers. All she found were more questions. Why was she arguing? Just to save face? Well, she’d probably never manage that feat. He was watching her with a speculative look she found annoying—yet also invigorating.

“What about you?” There, how would he enjoy it if she turned the tables?

“Me?”

“Yes, you have said nothing about your own concerns when it comes to this marriage.”

“I have none,” he said.

“I believe you are lying.”

That made him laugh. “Only you, Miss Clare—only you would call me a liar to my face.”

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Drusilla would have given her entire fortune to spend five minutes inside his beautiful, mysterious head, even though it would most likely be a painful experience for her. Already the blend of emotions inside her was bewildering. The knowledge that he would soon be her husband was, like a rose with thorns, both delightful and painful. She could never, ever, ever let him see either emotion.

She gave him an arch look. “You are taking a bride with the stink of the shop, Mr. Marlington. It is an association that will not endear you to the circles you are accustomed to move in.”

“Such matters hardly concern me. Besides, my connections will make any concerns irrelevant.” He gave her a mocking smile. “Although you probably find that difficult to credit.”

“I am fully aware of your connections. And how will His Grace of Carlisle feel about your marrying a cit?”

“My grandfather will support whatever decision I make.”

Drusilla somehow doubted that.

“And we already have the support of my stepfather and mother who are—” He hesitated, a slight smile curving his lips. “Well, unorthodox but not without powerful friends and influence of their own. Come, what else should I be concerned about?” he prodded.

She chewed her lip, trying to think of something else—anything else—that might save her from a lifetime of unrequited love.

When she remained mute, he gave a dry, humorless laugh. “I thought as much.”

Drusilla glared at him. “What?”

“It is not my concerns that worry you, but your own, Miss Clare. Does the ton’s reaction to our marriage really cause you such anxiety?”

“Of course it is not the ton that concerns me, Mr. Marlington.”

“Then what is it? Is it my background? The fact I am not wholly English?” Her face heated at his suggestion, and his pleasant smile shifted into one that was distinctly unpleasant. “Ah, so is it the fact my father was the infamous Sultan Hassan?” She opened her mouth to deny it, but he didn’t let her. “You must tell me if that is the sticking point, Miss Clare, because there is not a thing in the world I can do about my parentage, even if I wished to. My father might have done bad things, but he was my father and I loved and respected him. I will not refute him any more than I already have by abandoning my country, my name, and my people.” He cocked his head. “Or perhaps you cannot see yourself married to a man who once practiced a religion most in this country would view as heathenish?” He paused, and then launched one last salvo. “A man who was raised to expect more than one wife?”

Drusilla bit the inside of her mouth hard enough to taste metal.

His laughter dripped disdain. “Ah, so that is it—the English preoccupation with harems.”

“I’m afraid I don’t find that to be a laughing matter.”

“Trust me, Miss Clare, neither do I.” He gave her a hard look. “Is that your concern? That I will keep a harem hidden away in our cellar or attic?”

“Of course not!”

“Perhaps you were not aware, Miss Clare, but when I moved from Oran—from my home—to England, I not only changed the pronunciation of my name to make it more palatable to my new countrymen, I also changed my religion and my way of life. I changed everything to live in this country, Miss Clare. Believe me, my right to have more than one wife was the least of the many things I gave up.”