“Come.”
As soon as he heard his father’s voice, dread and loathing twisted down John’s spine. Caroline squeezed her fingers on his arm, and he pulled her into the room with him. “Father, I want you to meet Miss Caroline Storme. She is my fiancée.” Damn, saying it aloud made it all too real, and it was the first time he’d referred to her in that context.
But it made him proud, also.
“You’re engaged?” The baron glanced up from the ledgers he worked. “How the devil did that happen? I saw you a handful of days ago. You were adamant you would never marry.”
“Yes, well, circumstances have changed. Life offered this opportunity, and I took it.” His father didn’t deserve to know anything more than surface facts regarding Caroline. That protection welled again when it came to her.
“I see.” His father bounced his gaze between them. “Please, won’t you sit?”
That meant an extended stay, but when Caroline perched on the edge of the nearest chair that faced the large mahogany desk, he stifled a sigh. “Thank you.” He dropped into the matching chair beside Caroline’s. “We’ll wed in a few days. I’m merely waiting on a signature for the license.”
A grunt came from his father. “I had hoped you’d marry an heiress, or at least a woman with connections throughout the ton.”
“We don’t always get what we wish for,” John said quietly. “Besides, I am happy with my choice in brides. It matters not to me how large or small her dowry is. That is not the purpose of the union.” He glanced at Caroline, who stared at his father with a look of distrust. God, she was wonderful. “I believe she and I will rub along well.”
“Only time will tell.” The baron narrowed his eyes on her. When she looked back, he scoffed and flicked his gaze to John. “Is she a mute? Has some sort of deficiency?” He shook his head in apparent disgust. “You couldn’t even choose a decent woman to take to wife. What a disappointment you’ve proven, even in this.”
John bristled. “There is nothing wrong with her.” He curled on hand into a fist. “Miss Storme is everything kind in this world. She deserves to be given the same.”
“Bah.” His father waved a hand. “A mousy woman will not influence anyone. You’ll need connections and alliances if you want to survive once you take the title.”
“If that is true, it’s your fault, and I don’t want the damned title!” His roar echoed off the walls. No one sent his dander up like his father and his thirst for coin and power.
Caroline peered at him with round eyes full of surprise. Then she returned her attention to the baron. “A person’s mental state is not determined by whether one speaks or not.” The words were slow and precise, but they weren’t jumbled. “However, it does say much about one who speaks without purpose or the intent to learn.”
Dear God, she is amazing!She’d dressed him down in dulcet tones without resorting to an angry diatribe. Yes, marrying her and giving her the ability to be herself was the right thing to do. John’s chest swelled with pride. He flashed her a grin. “Miss Storme is a creative genius. Connections aren’t needed. She’ll make a sensation in the ton merely with her talents.”
“Hmph.” His father tapped a finger to his chin. “Miss Storme, are you related to the Earl of Hadleigh?” There was a gleam in his eye John didn’t quite trust.
Caroline nodded. “He is my cushion.”
“What?” The baron frowned.
“Cousin,” she corrected with a blush staining her cheeks.
“I see.” His father summarily dismissed her as he landed his gaze on John. “What’s her dowry? Enough to sink into my properties?”
As if his father would receive a farthing. “I haven’t seen the contract.”
“Ah.” For a long moment they stared at each other. “Will you live in London?”
“I haven’t discussed any of that with my betrothed.” Did that mean their union was already doomed? The fact bothered him more than it should, but a glance from Caroline reminded him that there was plenty of time for learning.
And nothing mattered except setting her free.
*
Caroline frowned atthe man who sat behind the desk as he blathered on, lecturing really. This was John’s father, but she didn’t care for him. His eyes held secrets and he never smiled. There was no happiness in his tone when he spoke to John.
My fiancé.
The man she was to marry. That tiny little word held so much promise that she let it roll over and over inside her head. He intended to wed her, like one of the heroes in the books she adored. A life with a happily ever after and rides into the sunset. Which would prove a problem, for she didn’t much care for horses. But she did like John. She trusted him, and he shouldn’t be here with the man who was his father.
“I will live wherever John goes,” she told the room at large. Caroline met his gaze. “I feel safe with you.” Even as he sat in the chair beside hers, his big presence brought comfort and the sensation of being protected, and nothing or no one would ever again lock her away.
When he grinned, her heart fluttered. “I appreciate that.”