“You would have finished me at the same time. I just thank all gods we were still dressed.”
“Barely.” Now it was Will’s turn to smile.
“I am serious, Will. We can never let this happen again.”
“Sit down,” he said. “Even a prizefighter needs a few minutes to catch her breath.”
She sat and let the flames chase away the chill she was beginning to feel.
“Where did you find the strength?” he laughed ruefully, kneeling before her, taking her hands in his.
“You didn’t give me much choice. Twenty seconds more, and the story of my fall from grace would have been all over the ton.”
“Only if he had lived through it.”
“Will!” Rose did not hide her shock.
“He struck you! What do you expect me to say?” He let go of her hands then and rose to his feet.
“He was drunk!” she said.
“He is a violent bully. I can't believe you are taking this so calmly."
Inside, Rose did not feel calm at all. She felt like a desperate animal trying to claw its way out of a trap. However, there was no benefit in voicing her fears. There was no escape.
“A man like that will do it again. You are not safe here with him.”
“He won’t do it again,’ Rose insisted. “He would not dare.”
‘You cannot be sure of that!”
“If he does, I will make my feelings known again.”
“But I won’t be here to protect you.”
“Did I need protection? I handled it.”
“Rose! How can you even consider continuing with this farce? As your husband, he will have the right to strike you or worse.”
Rose looked up at Will, seeing the same fear and repulsion in him that she herself felt about marrying Ernest. But it was too late.
“Tonight, two hundred people watched us get engaged. We are betrothed already.”Will stared at her, saying nothing until she turned her head away.
“Did this mean nothing to you?” He asked hoarsely, extending his arm to encompass the room.
Rose’s eyes flew to his. “Of course it did.”
“Then why?” He asked.
Rose returned her gaze to the fire, trying to blot out the images of his mouth on her breast, of his hand on her thigh.
“There are so many more factors to marital arrangements than lust.”
“Lust? You believe this was lust?”
“Whatever it was, it was uncontrolled,” she said sadly.
“Rose!”