Her words, spoken softly into the night, roused Kevin from the sleep starting to claim him.
His reaction, unbidden and unexpected, surprised him. Triumph.
An odd reaction, once he had woken enough to think about it. The thing about practical marriages was that they had base reasons behind them. Financial ones, usually. This one would too. He would marry her so she could not marry someone else who might interfere with the enterprise. She would marry him to obtain a higher station. A match did not get more practical than that.
And yet, as he lay beside her after she opened that door again, he knew a contentment that had no name he recognized. He decided that it was merely the reaction of a man sated with pleasure happy to know he would be so sated again and again.
Only it wasn’t just that. He could find that anywhere, or at least several somewheres. Better in a technical sense, because those women possessed expertise Rosamund obviously did not. Though they also lacked an element that he’d had with her, he had to admit.
“I can promise that much,” he said, because it was long past time to answer her.
“I thought maybe you were asleep.”
“No, no. I was enjoying having you in my arms.”
“Did I send you into deep thoughts with my small observation? Or perhaps you were already there and didn’t hear me.”
“I was deciding what to say that wouldn’t scare you off.”
She snuggled closer. Her hair teased at his nose. “I haven’t actually agreed to this.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“I’m only agreed that we might consider it. Then, after a spell, we will make a decision. You may conclude it is not really in your best interests. And I won’t do it unless my interests are protected.”
“How so?”
“I must keep full control over my inheritance, including my share of the enterprise. If you don’t accept that, there is no point in talking about it at all.”
She clearly didn’t know anything about marriage law. Of course he would control it. She would retain ownership, but her husband would have use of the share.
“I intend to talk to Mr. Sanders to see about an agreement on that,” she said. “One where you will accept that peculiarity in our marriage.”
Hell. The familiar old annoyance began worming into his head. Rosamund had a stubborn side to her, especially when it came tohisinvention.
“You can’t have so much control that you can sell it without my permission, Rosamund. If you can still do that, this marriage of convenience will be most inconvenient to me.”
She shrugged. “I expect Mr. Sanders will know how to fit in that part.” He felt her yawn against his chest. “Your family will be horrified. Once they make that clear, you may change your mind about the entire notion.”
“I am accustomed to their being horrified. That will change nothing.”
“There are some relatives you like, though. When they voice objections, you may think differently.”
He only liked Chase and Nicholas. They would see how this benefited him. Nor were either the sort to harp about Rosamund’s common birth or poor background.
“As long as we are setting some demands, I should express one of mine,” he said. “In marriages like this, it is common for both parties to seek out others after a while. I won’t stand for that.”
She sat up and looked down at him. “Are you saying I can’t take lovers?”
“I am.”
“Is it common for your sort to do so when they have practical unions?”
“It is. I’ll not have some man influencing you, however.”
She smiled. “You think a lover will use pleasure to sway my thinking, do you?”
Hell yes. After all, he’d used it that way, apparently.
