John’s friends, her sister, and—Netta squinted—was that a vicar? stood beside the gazebo.
“What is going on?” She looked for John but didn’t see him.
Eleanor rushed to her side and clasped her hands. “I’m so happy for you!” She threw her arms around Netta’s neck. “The Countess of Summerset. How lovely that sounds.”
Netta tugged free. “What are you going on about? I’m not…” The presence of the clergyman started to make sense. Netta fisted her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the sky. “John!”
“Yes, my love?” he said from behind her.
She spun. “Don’t ‘my love’ me. You have some explaining to do.”
“What?” He widened those beautiful blue eyes. “This? I thought you would enjoy the spontaneity of our wedding instead of a more drawn-out affair.”
She grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the side. “Is this a joke? We’ve never spoken of marriage before.” He’d led her to believe he was solidly against the idea. Before she’d met him, she hadn’t been so fond of it, either.
He tucked her hand under his elbow. “We’ve discussed having a long-term relationship.”
“Yes, but—”
“And we already spend all our nights together.”
“Of course, but—”
“And everyone here would be so disappointed if there was no wedding. Our friends dressed in their Sunday best just for us.” He led her to the gazebo and up the steps. “Not to mention the cost of the special license that would be lost if you refused.”
She paused at the top of the stairs. Her brow knitted. It sounded as though he thought she’d refuse. That he needed to convince her to marry him. and putting her on the spot like this was his sneaky way of getting her to agree.
Yes, she’d told him she had no interest in marriage, but that was because she’d never met the man who was her equal. Marriage to John wouldn’t be a cage; he gave her wings.
There were still practicalities to be discussed, however.
“My sister—”
“Will become like my own. Schooling if she wishes it, and an obscenely large dowry, of course.”
Netta pressed her lips together, striving to keep them from curling up. The devious bounder. He would have given Eleanor that in any case, they both knew it. But his flagrant attempts at manipulation did something queer to her heart.
Well, he wasn’t the only one who could manipulate the situation.
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “It’s such a big step. Andpermanent.Marriage doesn’t favor women in our day and age.”
John ran his hand up the back of his head. “Yes, you lose all your rights and property by marrying, but think of it logically. You have very little property to lose. And so much to gain,” he argued. “You’ll have a wardrobe full of new gowns and Pomfret cakes in every bowl in the house.”
She tapped her finger against her lips. “True. Those are definite benefits. But the disadvantages…”
“As my mistress, you are set up in apartments several miles away.”
“Very nice apartments.”
He frowned. “Be that as it may, as my wife, you’ll live under my roof. Have access to this body day and night.”
Her lips lost their battle and twitched. “It is a fine body. But a woman in my position needs to take care.”
John widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. His lavender jacket stretched divinely over his wide shoulders. “Name your terms, you mercenary minx.”
Netta rolled onto her toes, her heartbeat racing in her chest. She was marrying the man she loved. There was nothing more she wanted.
Well…no need to be hasty.
