Bellamy tried to see through the darkness and study her face. But her hood only added shadows, making it impossible to see anything. Which was actually good. Because if any man of low character caught sight of her beauty, she wouldn’t be safe.
“I’ll not be taking no for an answer.” He clamped his fingers tighter around her arm so she couldn’t break loose again. “I’m walking you home.”
“And I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m walking alone.” The animosity was still there, along with frustration.
Was she frustrated because he’d turned down her offer again at having a fake relationship?
She wiggled in an attempt to free herself from him once more.
“You’re a stubborn lass.” He didn’t let go. “Do you know that?”
“It takes a stubborn person to recognize one.”
He supposed he was being stubborn too. After anothernight of listening to Oscar bargain with at least half a dozen more men, Bellamy should have been eager to accept her proposal, especially because he’d been more than a little annoyed after the last customer finally left.
When he’d stepped out of the pub a few moments ago, he’d been hoping to paint and relieve some of his stress. But at the sight of the light in the shed, he hadn’t been surprised to open the door and find Zaira. He should have guessed she wouldn’t accept his silent denial of her proposal, that she’d be back to get an answer.
“I’m sorry you had to come out tonight,” he said softly. “I should have called on you earlier in the day instead.”
“It’s of no consequence to me.” Her tone still held a bite to it.
“The truth is...” He drew in a deep breath and cast his gaze to the sky, as if that could somehow make it easier to say what needed to be said. “I’ll accept your plan for the pretend match.”
She stopped struggling against him and held herself motionless.
“’Tis the sound and reasonable way forward.” All along, he’d known he couldn’t deny her this, not if it would help salvage her reputation. Even so, he’d tried to put it off, tried to think of another way, tried to figure out something else, primarily because he was afraid—afraid of his own attraction to her and afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep it locked away, especially if he had to spend any extended time with her.
However, that was his problem. Not hers. If she only wanted a temporary relationship and truly wasn’t interested in him as a suitor, he would have his own ardor to worry about and not hers. The solution was to stay in control andnot let down his guard when he was around her. He could do that, couldn’t he?
“Are you sure?” she whispered back. “If you agree to it, then you can’t keep fighting with me.”
“I’m not keen on agreeing to it.”
She snorted. “That’s obvious.”
“But I’ll do it.”
She hesitated for several heartbeats. “All right.”
“All right.” He breathed out the tension that had been building inside him since the night of the kiss and Oscar’s pronouncement that he was seeking a match for Bellamy.
This arrangement with Zaira would buy him a little more time. Hopefully when they parted ways, he would have gained back the trust of the Irish community as a competent matchmaker. Then he wouldn’t need to rush into marriage, and he could continue to wait for the right woman to come along.
Zaira seemed to relax even more, as if her worries had been alleviated too. “What comes next, Bellamy?”
He wasn’t exactly sure. But he supposed if they hoped to prove to everyone that they were sincere, they would have to move forward with the same plans any other matched couple would make.
“I’ll tell Oscar first thing tomorrow morn. Then we’ll arrange a meeting with your da to pluck the gander.” He didn’t exactly like the idea of lying to James Shanahan. He didn’t like the idea of lying to anyone. But what other option did they have?
“Do we need all of the formal steps?”
“I can suggest to everyone that we’d simply like to court for a while without signing papers.”
“That would be better, don’t you think?”
“Oh aye. But I have the feeling Oscar will be pushing for everything to be just so.” Oscar would indeed want the traditional meeting—the plucking of the gander—to talk about the details of the match and what each family would be offering the other through the marriage union. He would also want the traditional meal—the eating of the gander—to celebrate the union.
“Then let’s tell them we’re only courting for now.” Zaira’s voice was suddenly hesitant. Was she also considering the seriousness of lying to everyone they knew? “We’ll tell them we’re not ready to be engaged, but we’d like to get to know each other better by spending some time together.”
