Ethel’s hands fell from her necklace, and her cheeks turned pink.
“Are you sincerely asking me that?”
“Yes.” Cassian lifted his chin higher in hopes of making himself look more confident than he felt. “I am.”
After a pause, Ethel whispered, “Cassian, why are you being cruel?”
Immediately, Cassian began to chuckle and then let out a sigh. Oh, God, this was hopeless. He and Ethel could barely talk about their favorite hymns. How silly of him to think that he could have a conversation about the purpose of marriage.
Before Cassian could tell Ethel to leave the conversation where it was, Ethel leaned in closer.
In a whispered tone, she said, “Are you trying to trick me into talking about something obscene? Right here in the saloon?”
Cassian’s eyes widened with realization.
“Lord, no, Ethel. I wasnotreferring to thebedroom.”
Ethel’s face reddened. Cassian shut his eyes, his cheeks warming, too. No wonder Ethel had thought that he was being cruel.
“I meant more from a logistical perspective,” he clarified. “Or a practical one. Or—or anemotionalone, even. I simply want to know what you believe marriageis.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders seemed to relax a little. “Marriage is a religious union, is it not?”
“Beyond that.”
“Hm.” Ethel touched her index finger to her lips. “It’s a promise of companionship, maybe. Of safety and stability. For some, at least.”
“Anything else?”
“It’s... how families are made.” Quietly, she cleared her throat. “Children, I mean.”
Interesting. Ethel hadn’t brought up love. And Cassian felt certain thatheshouldn’t be the one to bring it up himself. Good God, a man of his stature being the one to be chattering about emotions like that? How peculiar that would seem to Ethel. Such a thing would be both strange enough and unexpected enough that she might even start to think that Cassian was losing his mind.
“And what aboutourmarriage?” he asked instead.
“What about it?”
“Will it be about those things?”
Ethel’s brows pinched together. “Of course.”
“Because Iwillprovide them for you,” Cassian swore. “Safety, stability, companionship. Children, too.” His stomach churned from the thought of intimacy with her. Cassian let the sensation wane before continuing. “You know that, right?”
Ethel lifted her hand to her chest.
“Of course, Cassian. Of course I know that. Really, I was so thrilled when you proposed. Cassian Livingston proposing tome?! Goodness, I knew our fathers were friends, but still, I was rather surprised by it.”
“Well, I knew we’d make a fine match,” Cassian boasted, a smile creeping across his face. He took a pause and passed his tongue over his lips, his smile faltering a little. “Don’t you think so?”
Ethel smiled back. “Yes.”
“And so, you’re satisfied, then, with our arrangement?”
“I am,” she said. “Truly.”
Cassian let out a long breath as relief washed over him. Oh, thank God. Perhaps Ethel’s melancholy had nothing to do with their marriage, then. Or, well...
Humming, Cassian began to strum his fingers. When he then locked eyes with Ethel, she smiled at him a little, and he tried to smile back. But... oh, hell, there wasstillsomething missing. Heknewthere was. Her beautiful eyes held such sorrow, even now. He’d swear to it. Regardless of what Ethel had said, Cassian still felt like something was wrong.
