Rose frowned. ‘But that’s not—’
‘What I will require is that for the next year, you will spend two weeks of each season at my home so we can get to know one another.’
Rose’s heart gave one loud beat that she heard even through the dull sounds of the rotors. ‘Why? What’s the point of that?’
‘I don’t think you understand what you are offering, little maid. I don’t think you know what being a wife means, let alone being a mother. So, I will offer you the chance to find out.’ His gaze was very direct and very compelling. ‘If at the end of the year, having spent some time with me, you still wish to give me children, then we will remain married. If you do not, then I will have the marriage annulled and you may go on your way, your debt fulfilled.’
She bit her lip. It wasn’t completely what she wanted, and it would mean feeling in debt to him for a whole year instead of getting the kid thing over and done with now. And it was strange that he should be the one with scruples about it. After all, she had no problems with being married to a stranger, so why should he?
Then again, she wouldn’t have to live with him. She would have a year of complete freedom...
She almost couldn’t imagine it. ‘So,’ she said slowly, wanting to be sure. ‘I’ll have a year on my own. To do...whatever I want? Go wherever I want?’
‘Yes. I will arrange all the documentation you will need, including finances. I can also arrange for someone to help you set up a bank account, find a job, a place to live, all the things you’ll need to start building a life for yourself.’
A little thrill of excitement went through her, the sensation so alien she almost didn’t recognise it. A job. A place to live. A bank account. All the things that most people had, that she didn’t, that meant she was actually going to have a proper life.
But it also meant more than that.
She hadn’t told him the whole truth about her plans for when she escaped—she’d told no one, not even Athena. Never reveal anything, that was the key, that’s what she’d learned over the long years in the compound. Be quiet and don’t draw attention. Never give anyone anything that they might use against you, including your secrets. Never betray your emotions.
Yes, she had dreams of wanting to see Paris, but that wasn’t the whole of it.
What she wanted was to find out who she was and where she came from, and maybe, one day, the family she’d been stolen from.
She’d told him she had no family, but the truth was, she really didn’t know if she did or not. She had no memories at all of her life before being taken to the compound. There was only one thing she could remember and that was looking at some kittens in a shop window and someone saying, ‘Wait here. I won’t be long.’
Presumably that meant someone had been watching over her—a family member or a friend maybe—but she really had no idea who.
You might not have anyone.
That was a possibility. She might have been some street kid with no one, whom no one even knew she existed, but that thought was too depressing for words and so she tried not to think about it.
The main thing, though, if she wanted to find out who she was then she would need his help. She would need the money and documentation he offered, as well as someone to help her navigate her new life.
It seemed almost too good to be true.
Rose took a silent, steadying breath. ‘You’d really do all of that for me?’ she asked cautiously, not wanting to get her hopes up. ‘And all you require is marriage?’
A strange half-smile twisted his mouth. ‘I wouldn’t say “all,” Rose. Being my wife might not be easy for you.’
She wasn’t sure what being a wife involved—if Vasiliev’s wife was anything to go by, it seemed to involve a lot of shopping and lying around not doing terribly much—but it didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. How hard could it be? Maybe she’d even like it. Maybe at the end of a year, she’d want to stay married to him.
‘Can’t be any worse than my life in the compound,’ she said.
Oddly, something that looked like amusement gleamed briefly in his eyes. ‘I suppose that’s true. But, Rose, you must be certain that this is what you want.’
‘Of course I’m certain,’ she said, and she was.
Perhaps she’d be able to navigate all of that on her own, perhaps she wouldn’t; either way, things would be a lot easier with his help. And she was tired of having nothing. Tired of being a victim, of being prey. She never wanted to be prey again. And allying herself with this man would certainly ensure that wouldn’t happen.
Being his wife was hardly a high price to pay. It was only for a year and she wouldn’t even have to live with him.
His scarred and ruined face remained impassive. ‘In that case, I accept your offer.’
Another strange little thrill coursed through her.
Are you sure this is a good idea? You don’t know anything about him.