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Did the woman have some unseen power to read his every thought? “Please forgive my curiosity. You are beautiful, well-accomplished, and can be amenable...when you wish to be.”
Her attention snapped to his, and he winked. To his delight, her eyes rounded in surprise, then a blush painted her cheeks. “I could say the same for you, sir.”
“Truthfully though, I cannot make sense of it. Your Father shared an explanation of his own at the ball, but I desire to know the truth from your own lips.”
His eyes dropped to her mouth at the mention of it.
“If I promise to give you an answer, will you tell me why you haven’t married?” she asked.
“Of course. I never married because I was too focused on my next big adventure. I knew I would settle down one day, but I wasn’t in a hurry. Apparently, my parents thought I was taking too long.”
Her lips raised at the corners. “That is precisely what your mother told me, that you were waiting too long to find love.”
“Of course she did.”
“I hope you will not be angry with her for too long. She means well, though I’m certain you already know that.”
Charles did know that, but he couldn’t deny he was softened further due to Marie’s kindness toward his parents. How could he have ever accused her of misusing them?
“I suppose it is my turn now,” she continued. “However, I’m afraid I do not have a straightforward answer for you in regard to why I have remained unmarried for so long. My parents spent many years in London, Bath, and now Surrey in order to find me a husband. I do not boast when I say plenty of gentlemen have expressed interest in me, but the problem was I never had interest in them. After the initial attraction, I grew tired of each one, and they, in turn, grew tired of me.”
Her eyes took on a far-off look as she stared up into the leaves above them. “My father feared I was too fastidious in attempting to find the perfect gentlemen. But I wasn’t looking for perfection. I was looking for friendship. Companionship. Love. But love never came. He encouraged me to improve my accomplishments to make up for my age, but in the last year or so, it became clear that once my advanced years became known, no gentleman would pursue me beyond safe flirtation in a ballroom.” She eyed him with raised brows. “That is why I always enjoyed balls, for there, I could pretend for one blissful evening that my future was not so very bleak after all.”
She finished, and Charles was rendered silent. What could he say to make matters better, when he’d only ever proven to make them worse?
She’d wanted the marriage because she could not find love elsewhere—not because no man would love her. And now that she finally had some semblance of security, he’d suggested an annulment. How could he, in good conscience, go through with it now?
But then, she’d said she’d wanted to pursue that course, as well. Unless she’d merely been going along with him to avoid humiliation herself.
He absentmindedly removed his gloves, his palms growing warm as he anticipated her answer. Which reply he preferred, he couldn’t be sure. But he knew he needed to find the truth before they spent another day together as husband and wife.
“Marie, do you still wish to remain married?”
Chapter Fifteen
How could Marie answer such a question?
She wished to remain married only if Charles did, but she couldn’t bear the guilt that would come if he stayed with her out of obligation rather than his own desire.
“Please be honest,” Charles said softly. “We have already made our vows, so you may rest assured I will remain faithful to you until the end.”
A lump grew in Marie’s throat. This was the sort of man she’d always wanted to marry. Selfless, honorable, kind. If only Heaven had allowed her the opportunity to meet him under different circumstances, ones that didn’t include a forced arrangement and an accidental marriage.
But the time for tears had passed. She cleared her throat and pulled on that stoic personality of which Father so approved.
“I am certain we can both agree that neither of us wish to shackle the other in this marriage.”
He nodded. “Yes, that is just how I feel.”
“Then,” she continued, “perhaps we might agree to maintain true to our vows and try a little harder to become friends until Mr. Page writes to you and reveals whatever future awaits us.”
Charles appeared to mull over the information. “I suppose that is the most logical solution. But do you think we are capable of that? Being friends, I mean.”
She tipped her head from side to side, as if weighing the options. “Only time will tell. If I were a gambling woman, which I am not, I would say we are far less likely to drive each other mad now.”
“Speak for yourself.”
He winked at her again, and her stomach dipped with pleasure. If she wished to escape this marriage unscathed, a wink from her husband—who very well could turn out to be not her husband—should not affect her in such a way.
