Elizabeth moved her head back so that she could look into his eyes. “Thank you for tonight. I’ll always remember it.” She looked and sounded so grateful. He couldn’t imagine what he’d done for her besides taking her innocence without asking. He shouldn’t be thanked. He should be shot.
He sighed, shaking his head. “Minx-”
“Shhh,” she pressed a finger to his mouth. “I don’t want you to feel guilty about this. It was perfect. This will always be the most passionate night of my life and I will always treasure it. Please don’t be mad. I’m not.”
“Minx,” he began again, “you should be mad…what we did…what I did was inexcusable. I-”
“No, no words, no apologies. Just let it remain this perfect moment between two strangers who found comfort with each other.”
Comfort? It had been a hell of a lot more than comfort. It had been intense, indescribable, and possibly the stupidest thing he’d ever done. He’d just got himself leg shackled to this beautiful stranger.
With real regret, Robert pulled away from her arms and started dressing. “Listen, we need to talk.”
“About what?” she asked, pulling on her stockings. He forced himself to think about their situation and ignore those very beautiful legs of hers.
He shook himself. “Minx, I just took your innocence. We need to marry now. I think, at least, proper introductions are in order. My name is-”
Her small hand quickly covered his mouth. “Please, don’t. I need you to understand. I have no plans on marrying.” When he pulled back to protest, she cut him off again. “I have no wish to marry you. What you did for me tonight was a special gift. I will always be grateful for it. Please allow me to keep this beautiful memory.”
After a long pause, Robert reluctantly nodded. There was no sense in arguing with her. He would never force a woman to do anything that she didn’t want to do. He certainly wasn’t about to thank this woman for the most wonderful night of his life by robbing her of her freedom without justification.
“If that’s what you wish, but I should give you my name in case,” his gaze dropped to her stomach, “you and I made a child tonight,” he finished quietly.
She gasped softly. She hadn’t thought about that. A baby? She wanted children almost desperately. Not that it would ever happen. Her mother told her that it was impossible to become pregnant the first time.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Elizabeth said as she finished fixing her hair, trying to reassure him.
Her only hope was that she looked presentable. Not that it mattered. As soon as she returned to the ball, she was leaving with a headache. After such a wonderful time with him, she didn’t want to ruin the memory of tonight with the insipid men that she knew were waiting for her.
He finished dressing as well. “There’s nothing to worry about? Minx, if you’re carrying my child, I will certainly worry about it. I will never stand by while any of my children are raised without me. I’m not that sort of man.”
No, she somehow knew that he wasn’t.
“Here,” he said suddenly as he searched his pockets. He pulled out a small pencil stub and a small piece of parchment from his jacket pocket and wrote his name on it, knowing that he’d probably be out of the country by the time that she might need him.
For a moment, he thought about delaying his trip for a few months to make sure that she wasn’t pregnant, but he knew that it was impossible. If she looked for him, she’d be able to quickly discover who his family was and ask James for help. James would move heaven and earth to bring her to him so that they could marry immediately for the sake of the baby. He’d pull his brother aside later tonight after they’d left the ball to discuss the matter.
He folded the note several times before handing it to her. “Take this.”
“No.”
“I’m not trying to ruin this. If you should find yourself with child, open it and contact me or my brother, please.” When she didn’t take it, he continued. “If you don’t take it, then I won’t be able to allow you to leave until I have your name.”
With a heavy sigh, she took the folded piece of parchment and placed it in her reticule. “Happy?”
He smiled. “Extremely.”
“How’s my hair?”
The smile took on a different meaning as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Perfect.”
“Shall I go first and make my excuses to leave?”
He respectively nodded. “Thank you for a most wonderful evening, minx.”
“The pleasure was mine, sir,” she said, smiling shyly as she turned away and headed for the door.
Oh, no, dear minx, it was definitely mine, Robert thought as he watched her walk away.
