“Ah,” she said, voice quiet. “So that is what this is.”
Evan lifted a brow. “Have you figured it out by yourself already? My, you’re quite the smart girl. Go on, then. Enlighten me.”
“You do not want a wife,” she tried to keep her voice steady. “You want a shield.”
His lips curved—not in denial.
“In my position,” he said, “a proper wife is an asset. And you are as proper as they come. Marrying you ensures my business partners will trust me. It ensures I am welcomed into the fold of the aristocracy. It ensures that doors previously closed will now be open.”
So that was all she was to him. An asset.
He was utilizing her reputation, just as she had utilized his.
“And in return,” she swallowed roughly, “what do I get?”
“That much is apparent, dear. You will be a duchess. And your life will be comfortable, and you shall never have to worry about your finances ever again. You will have an army of servants to command as you wish, and you will live in the most lavish of homes.Thatis what you get in return. Quite a fair trade, I’d say.”
She let out a short laugh. “So, I am to guide you through society. How fortunate for you that I was available for purchase.”
Evan’s gaze darkened slightly.
“You misunderstand me.”
“Do I?” she shot back.
Evan exhaled.
“It will not help you if you wish to rage at me, Isadora,” he said lazily. “We both knew what this was. And if you truly expected something else?—”
“I expected nothing,” she cut in, her voice sharp.
He studied her for a long moment, and then—he smiled.
“Good. Because this was what you agreed to, need I remind you?” he said. She felt her stomach drop. “You asked me to get your sister out of a bad marriage before it happened and offered that you would do anything in return. Or am I recalling things incorrectly?”
Damn him.She could not argue with him, for he was exactly right. That was what she had agreed to.
“That’s what I thought,” he smirked,annoyingly.“So, then, is it really that much of a sacrifice that I only ask you to be my duchess in name?”
His tone shifted as he said the words, and suddenly, she realizedwhypeople were so afraid of him. There was something menacing in his tone, something that made her lose track of her thoughts entirely.
“I…” She stared back at him. She should have been scared now, but somehow, she was not.
She only objectivelysaw why he was a man to be feared, but she did not fear him.
Huh. How strange.
“Finish your thoughts, sweetheart,” he goaded, clearly having the upper hand here.
She glared at him in return. “What is there to say? It seems that you’ve laid everything out yourself.”
“Very well,” he smirked. “Then, can you at least sound a little happier about it? Remember, you did this for Penelope.”
Isadora wanted to argue with him, but she had run out of her cards for the night. What could she even say to him at this point that would not sound like her begging for his attention?
No. She refused to stoop that low.
You’ve gotten your victory, Your Grace,she thought to herself. Perhaps her own turn would come another day.
