She glanced back at him. He was looking straight ahead at the dirt road. Well, she had anticipated the question days ago.
“I am recently widowed, Mr. Holt.”
That got his attention, but she paled as his eyes pierced her. She hadn’t thought of that! Was a virgin a requirement of his? Being an impoverished widow had seemed the perfect story, a good excuse for being a mail-order bride.
“I’m sorry if you were expecting a young innocent,” Sharisse said softly. “I will certainly understand if you—”
“It doesn’t matter.” Lucas cut her short.
He looked back to the road, furious with himself for reacting that way. It really didn’t make any difference. Hadn’t he considered the possibility that she might not be a virgin? So why did it bother him?
“Was he the man in the picture?” Lucas asked after a while.
“Was he…? Good heavens, no. That was my father.”
“Is your father still living?”
“Yes. But we’re—estranged. My father didn’t approve of my husband, you see. And, well, he’s not a very forgiving man.”
“So you couldn’t return to him after your husband died?”
“No. There wouldn’t have been a problem if my husband hadn’t left me destitute. Of course, I wouldn’t have married him if I’d known he was so heavily in debt,” she added primly. “But…” She sighed. “I come from a wealthy family, you see. It wasn’t as if I could work to support myself when I saw how bad things really were. When I saw your advertisement, it seemed the very solution.”
“You’re leaving something out.”
“No, I don’t think so.” She began to panic.
“You’re not exactly what anyone could call a plain-looking woman,” he told her pointedly. “If you felt you had to marry again, why go so far away? You must have had offers closer to home.”
Sharisse smiled at the assumption. Of course there had been offers of marriage, many offers, ever since she’d turned fifteen. But they were all made by men who coveted her wealth or who were otherwise unacceptable.
“Yes, I was approached by several men.”
“And?”
“They weren’t to my liking.”
“Whatisto your liking?”
Sharisse squirmed.
“I don’t like arrogance in a man, or rigidity. I appreciate sensitivity, a gentle nature, good humor, and—”
“Are you sure you’re describing a man?” Lucas couldn’t resist.
“I assure you I have known such men,” she said indignantly.
“Your husband?”
“Yes.”
Lucas grunted. “You took quite a risk, settling on me. What if I don’t possess any of those qualities?”
She groaned inwardly. “Not even one?” she said faintly.
“I didn’t say that. But how were you to know?”
“I…I’m afraid I wasn’t thinking along those lines. I just felt anything would be better than the choices I had at home.” She gasped. “I didn’t mean to imply…I mean, of course I hoped for the best.”
