Her gaze deepened with understanding. Bits and pieces of arguments she had overheard as a child came back to her all at once. “It’s because Edward loved my mother and I remind him of her, isn’t it?” At his shocked expression, Sharisse became angry. Now at last she knew the reason for his obstinacy. “Yes, I knew about that.”
“How?”
“You and Mother were never quiet in your disagreements, Father, and I can remember many that involved Edward Parrington. I thought you were jealous because he knew Mother before you did. But now I wonder how many of those arguments stemmed from your guilt, Father.”
“That’s enough, Sharisse!”
“I don’t think so,” she continued. “That’s it, isn’t it? You still feel guilty for winning her away from your best friend. And you were willing to sacrifice both your daughters to make amends for your guilt!”
“That’s utter nonsense.”
“Then why,” she demanded bitterly, “are you stubbornly holding on to a plan that has long since lost its point for Stephanie or me?”
“Because you were perfectly willing to have Joel until your sister said she wanted him. Such nonsense. Did it never occur to you that she only wanted what was yours?”
“You’re saying that she might not really love him?” Sharisse frowned. Her father wasn’t aware of all the things Stephanie had done in order to get Joel. “No, I can’t believe that. She loves him.”
“She’s a child, Sharisse. She maythinkshe’s in love at the moment, but she will feel the same way about a dozen men before she’s ready to marry, and that won’t be for several more years. No, her hasty marriage will be dissolved. I will not have well-laid plans ruined on the whim of a child.”
“You won’t reconsider?”
“No.”
Sharisse slumped in her chair. She had tried to keep Lucas a secret, but it wasn’t to be.
“That’s too bad, Father.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Even if you did manage to annul Stephanie’s marriage, I still couldn’t marry Joel. I didn’t want to tell you this, at least not right away, but you leave me no choice. I already have a husband.”
“You’re lying,” he said flatly.
Sharisse opened her reticule and placed her marriage certificate on the desk.
He picked it up carefully and read it. Then he dropped it back on his desk. “I’ll have that annulled, too.”
Sharisse shook her head slowly. “You can’t do a thing, Father. I don’t know about Joel and Steph, but Lucas and I had our wedding night, if you know what I mean.” She didn’t have to admit that had happened before the marriage. “I don’t believe an annulment is possible unless I deny the marriage was consummated.”
Her father turned with fury. “Then it will be a divorce!” he shouted.
“And suffer the scandal?” Her voice rose as his did.
Her mouth was set firmly, and her eyes sparkled defiantly. Marcus knew he was beaten. There wasn’t a thing he could do, not if her marriage had been consummated. For that matter, he hadn’t bothered to ask Stephanie if she and Joel…Lord, how had everything gone from bad to disastrous?
Sharisse relented a little as she saw how defeated he seemed. “If you will be reasonable and let Stephanie and Joel stay married, then I will agree to having my marriage annulled. I can find some other man you will approve of. You can do as I suggested earlier and change your plans about the inheritance. To be honest, I’m in no hurry to get married again. Let Joel and Steph inherit what was going to be mine, Father.”
“You said you were intimate with your husband. How can you annul the marriage?”
The subject was embarrassing enough without elaborating on it. “He won’t contest it. I don’t have to be exactly truthful about what passed between us, do I? Can you arrange it with a lawyer?”
“Anything can be arranged,” he said hastily. “But let me get this straight. You’re saying this Lucas Holt doesn’t care what you do?”
“That’s putting it rather bluntly, but in essence that’s true. You see, neither of us really wanted to get married. It was a matter of circumstances, my living under his protection, people assuming we would marry, the preacher coming along—oh, Father, it’s a long story. I would rather not get into it right now,” she ended with a sigh.
Marcus would have none of it. “Don’t think you’re not going to tell me about this man.”
“There’s nothing really to tell,” she said. “He’s a rancher.”
