“Nor do I ever encourage anyone to approach me. Perhaps this is something I ought to work on, but I am far more comfortable being left alone.” He paused to study her, stifling yet another urge to take her into his arms.
She was wrong about his not smiling whenever he saw her.
It was often aninwardsmile. Still a smile, and one he felt in his heart but dared not show to others. And was he not inwardly smiling right now? The girl was irresistible with her bright eyes and soft lips that were a temptation for any man.
“Temple, how could you have been betrothed and yet never been kissed?”
She blushed. “It was not a love match, merely a matter of convenience. My beau was a young solicitor fairly new to our village who wished to consolidate ties with my father.”
“And hopefully take over his practice?”
She nodded. “He’d moved to the village a year earlier and was eager to establish himself in our small community.”
“What went wrong?” Jonas shifted closer, eager to hear. For the life of him, he could not imagine anyone breaking a betrothal to this girl.
She cleared her throat. “Turns out he was having relations with the blacksmith’s daughter and got her with child.”
“What?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, I did not blame him. Truly, we had no feelings for each other, and it was becoming painfully evident that we each wanted out of this poorly conceived arrangement. I had only done it for my parents.”
“To give them hope.”
“Yes, but there was not a glimmer of it from either of them. This is what hurt most. I did not care that the young solicitor preferred the blacksmith’s daughter over me. Nor did I care that he got her with child, although I strongly urged him to do the right thing and marry her.”
“Did he?”
“Oh, yes. Her father would have come after him with his hunting rifle otherwise.”
“As any good father should to protect his daughter. Although she was quite the fool to give herself to a man who was already betrothed to another.”
“I suppose people do stupid things when they are in love.”
“I wouldn’t know,” he grumbled.
“She did love him, truly and sincerely. They are married now, and I hope he cares for her as much as she does him. As for me, I was relieved to end it. What I found harder to accept was that I no longer mattered to my parents.”
She took a deep breath and then let it out in a ragged sigh. “I had always dreamed of marrying for love. But I let go of that dream in the hope I could restore my family to a semblance of what it once had been. Feeling their sudden lack of love made me aware of how important love is in one’s life.”
“I can see that it is vital for you,” Jonas said, but he knew that he could live without it. He was better off on his own, with only his demons to keep him company.
“I had no objection to ending the betrothal, and sincerely wished them every happiness. The blacksmith’s daughter was certainly in love with him. I could see it in her face. And I think he cared for her, too. They won’t do so badly together.”
“This is what you want for yourself,” Jonas remarked.
She winced. “I think it is too late for me to fall in love now. Hence, this ridiculous bargain of ten kisses with you. I plan to take full enjoyment, because this is likely to be the last exciting thing ever to happen to me.”
“No, Temple. Do not ever give up on the hope of love.”
“Why not? Have you not done the very same thing?”
He tensed, not wanting to discuss his situation. “It is different.”
And itwasdifferent. He had come to a truce with his demons and was comfortable with his isolated existence.
“No, it is completely the same,” she insisted.
“Ailis, leave it alone,” he warned.
