Despite the nerves that jangled through him, Lucian forced his own voice to remain perfectly calm. She would be suspicious of anything but the unvarnished truth spoken plainly. He owed her that. “Because I realize I made a grave mistake in judging you, and I want another chance.”
The tiniest gasp flew from her lips. She stared at him as if he’d just descended from a cloud. An unknown being she’d never seen before. Clearly, she didn’t believe him. “Another chance at what?”
“Influencing your opinion of me.” He pulled off his hat and turned it around and around in his hands. Damn. He was nervous again.
She lifted her nose in the air. “It could not be worse.”
“Which is why I have nothing but hope.” More hat turning. He bit the inside of his cheek. She had to agree to this. Shehadto.
She dropped her gaze to the grass. “IfI agree to this, I will still want to leave at the end of the eight weeks. Do not fool yourself.”
He nodded slowly. “If you still want to leave, I will abide by your wishes.”
Her hands moved back to her hips and she lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes bright with determination. “I want all of this in writing.”
His crack of laughter bounced off the nearby trees. “I’m sure you do.” He cleared his throat, forcing himself to calm down. She was going to say yes.Thank God. Relief poured through him. “I will have my solicitor draw it up. He’s quite discreet. Which reminds me of another stipulation. No one else can know about this besides us.”
Her brows shot up. “No one?”
“No one.”
Her chin lifted once more. “And if I am with child by the end of the time period and still want to leave?”
“You may raise the lad until the age of, say, eight, and then he’ll come live with me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you think it’ll be a boy.”
“If it’s a girl, you may raise her if you prefer, but I will want to visit from time to time. To know her.”
She shook her head incredulously. “You’re saying all of this as if it will be easy to give up a child.”
He met her gaze and held it. “Gemma, I hope we’ll raise our childrentogether.” He did his best to infuse sincerity into his words, to keep his gaze locked with hers.
She turned her head away, breaking their eye contact. “You’re mad. You know that?”
Success was within his grasp. He could feel it. He was thankful for it. “Do we have an agreement?”
She swallowed hard, the thin column of her throat working. Say yes, Gemma. Say yes.
Gemma expelled a shaking breath.This was madness. Nothing but. Only she didn’t have much of a choice. Sticking it out eight weeks and then insisting upon the divorce was the best way to get what she wanted. The alternative was unthinkable. She took another very deep breath. This is what it felt like to make a deal with the devil. She knew it in her bones. “Yes, we have an agreement.”
A wide smile spread across his too-handsome face. “Good, then I’ll have the papers drawn up immediately.”
O
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
One Night Later
Gemma pushed the last bite of lemon pudding around her bowl. She’d eaten so much she thought she might pop, but if lingering over dinner delayed the inevitable, so be it.
The moment supper ended, she would have to go upstairs and change into a night rail…and wait for Grovemont to come to her bedchamber. The mere thought sent gooseflesh scattering along her arms and down her chest.
She didn’t know if she could do it. Spend the night in bed with him, that is. She’d signed the paperwork this morning, and everything had been in order. She’d asked a hundred questions and added a dozen stipulations. But in the end, she had promised to pretend to be Grovemont’s loving and faithful wife for two entire months. She could tell no one, and she had to act at all times as if they were nothing but happy together. In company and alone. Which reminded her. She’d agreed to call him Lucian from now on.
She was so full of nerves she was vibrating. Grovemont—ahem, Lucian—was mad. That’s all there was to it. He’d promised to trade fifty-thousand pounds and a divorce for the chance that hemightbe able to charm her into agreeing to stay. The man didn’t have a charming hair on his head. Every time he attempted to be charming, the strain in him was obvious. It was ridiculous. But it was also the easiest way to get her divorce. She’d thought about it more all night. He could make things untenable for her if he decided to fight the divorce. But the contract was clear. The moment the two months were up, she would get her money, her divorce, and her freedom.
As for whether she wanted to have a baby, she was torn. Part of her hoped she wouldn’t conceive. At least not with a boy child whom she would have to give away to his father one day. But Gemma couldn’t help but wish for a girl. A girl she would be able to keep forever. The thought made her tear up. But each time she thought it, she shook her head. There were ways to prevent pregnancy. Even ways to end a pregnancy. She’d heard the maids talk about such things upon occasion. Of course, the notion worried her, and if Grovemont found out, there was no telling what he’d do. But it was an option, if worse came to worst.
