“What is it?” She stretched her neck so that she could look up into his face. He tried to keep his eyes upon the road in front of him but could not help watching her closely when he next spoke.
“Before your wedding to Flavion, another marriage ceremony was performed. Flavion and Daphne Cunnington married approximately six months prior to your own wedding. Flavion is a bigamist. Your marriage is invalid. It is not legal, nor can it be recognized by the Church.”
Cecily went very, very still upon hearing these words.
When she eventually spoke, a sense of awe came into her voice. “It is as though it never happened, then?”
Stephen nodded. “Except that there are all sorts of repercussions for both you and Flavion to confront. I shall not shield him from any of them this time. It is time he faces the consequences of his actions.”
“What sort of repercussions?”
“Firstly, your dowry must be repaid to your father,” he said carefully. This was the only area where he would assist Flavion. Not for Flave, but for his Uncle Leo. He would not let the earldom become insolvent again. “And secondly, he has a wife out there who has not been acknowledged as such… You shall have to concede your title to Miss Cunnington. In addition to that, I imagine, he is going to encounter some legal difficulties. Bigamy, you might guess, is illegal.”
“I will no longer be a countess?” She seemed to be considering the concept from all angles. “That is one thing I shall happily shed. It has brought me nothing but trouble.”
“As an unmarried woman, Cecily, you will be ruined.” Taking a deep breath, he expressed the desire of his heart. “But I shall marry you. You will not be forced to live in disgrace.”
She examined him closely. Stephen forced himself to look forward and watch the road. Just over one month ago, she had been willing to take drastic measures in order to escape the institute of marriage. If she knew how lonely he’d been without her, how much he’d longed for her, she might choose to sacrifice her newfound freedom out of pity. If she married him, he wanted it to be her choice. A decision she would make without any pressure from him. “You won’t have to worry about a title, as my wife, but I can offer you a comfortable home. And travel, if you wish. You would be more than welcome to come with me to India, and China — if you desire, that is. You’ll never lack for anything. And, after a few years have passed, I believe you may even be allowed to re-enter Society. You’ve told me this is not important to you, but in the future, you might change your mind. I will do everything in my power to help you get past this scandal.” Although it had not been her fault, Society would ostracize her for the acts of a faithless man.
“And so, for all of these reasons, you would have me marry you?” She looked put out. No, she looked fit to be tied. They had arrived onto his cousin’s property and were not very far from the grand house.
“They are not inconsequential, I believe.” He swallowed hard. If the stiffening of her spine and the tightening of her jaw was anything to go by, she was none too pleased by his proposal. Or perhaps — the thought struck him belatedly — it was the manner in which he presented it. He should have waited until she’d had time to process Flavion’s betrayal. He ought to have given her time to consider her future, given light of these new circumstances.
He ought to have gotten down on one knee and poured out his heart.
Cecily pulled away from him abruptly. “Stop this horse. I wish to get off.” Surprised, Stephen merely looked down at her but allowed the mare to continue trekking toward their destination. “I mean it, Stephen. Stop so that I can get down, or I shall jump off while we are moving.”
At these rather alarming words, Stephen brought Phoenix to a halt but also grasped Cecily more tightly around the waist. “I did not mean to offend you, Cecily. I haven’t made this offer rashly. I have considered your options and honestly believe marrying me is a tolerable solution to all this.”
At these words, she pushed herself farther away from him and leaned forward as though to jump.
Phoenix was not a small animal. In fact, she was one of the larger horses Stephen had ever owned. Stephen did not loosen his grip upon Cecily.
But Cecily was determined — determined, confused, and spitting mad. “Let me down, Stephen! So help me…” Whereupon she threw all of her weight toward the right side of the horse in a very effective effort to free herself of his grasp.
“Damn it! Cecily!” Unwilling for her to injure herself, both of them, or the animal, Stephen loosened his grasp just enough for her to slide off the mount safely. Once on the ground, she turned and, without looking backward, marched across the meadow on foot. As she stormed away, her arms flailed angrily in the air.
“A house!” Even several yards away, he could hear her cursing and grousing to herself. “Scandal! A tolerable solution, he says! Who does he think I am? And he says he doesn’t want to offend me! Well, he can just go to the devil…” Her words drifted away as she increased the distance between them.
Hell and damnation.That was not at all how he’d planned this.
She wasnotgoing to allow herself to cry. She’d done far too much of that recently and was thoroughly disgusted with herself as it was.
And now this! She hardly knew what to think.
She was not married. She was unwed.
And she was pregnant.
But she would not,she most definitely would not, become another cast-off burden of Flavion’s for Stephen Nottingham to bear.
She had already been married to one man who did not love her; she was quite unwilling to repeat the experience.
Well, she had thought she had been married…
As she drew near the manor, her anger with Stephen subsided, and the reality of what Flavion had actually gone and done,deliberately, suddenly washed over her. Marrying her while already married to Miss Cunnington, had been unconscionable. It was dastardly, villainous — criminal! Cecily may have committed adultery, but that had not been premeditated… well, mostly not…
But Flavion! He had married her and consummated the marriage while wed to another woman! To Daphne Cunnington! No wonder the lady had bristled at having to address her as the countess!
