Laughing so hard he might fall over, Mr. Croome headed to the door. “Wait till I leave. You don’t want a witness to you beating a peer. Good luck, Wycliff.”
The older man moved from the room and closed the door with a thud.
“How dare you? I trusted you. I defended you against everything negative, and you tell my father you plan to seduce me.” Ruth swung at him, palm flat heading toward his face but he caught her arm.
“You already had your one hit, my love, on the day we met. You really need to stop this. That’s not the habit I want for us.”
“I heard you. I’ve never been more disappointed.”
“And I have never been more enthralled.” He pulled her into his arms but just kissed her nose. “Never mind the man-talk with your father. The question is, what are we going to do? You have a suitor who completely adores you and your son.”
Fury was in her eyes. Her breaths were fast and fleeting.
“Yes, I want you. I think we should marry. Chatsworth Adoniram Wilkinson needs to wed Ruth Croome Wilky. I love you. What are you going to do with me?”
…
I readied to explode. I stood in my father’s study with Wycliff. I was in his arms, and he grinned as if I hadn’t heard his plans for seduction. He was smug, so assured that he could win and have at me.
“You are awful, Wycliff. No grinning at me, telling me what to do.”
“My given name is awful.” He kissed my palm. “Am I grinning at the most beautiful woman in the world? Don’t be mad that I desire you and act like a man that wants you. Would you prefer me to lie and feign indifference?”
He wasn’t indifferent, nor was I, especially not in his arms with my pulse pounding, punching the drums of my ears. Something would break, but the passion in me was broken.
With my hands on his shoulders, I struck him. My palms began to hurt from the repetition, the rhythm of me beating this immoveable mountain.
His hands slipped to my waist, strong, secure, yet easy. I could pull away from him if I wanted, but I needed to be in his face so he could see how disappointed I was.
“Wycliff, you go from caring and kind to Chris and then you joke with my father about seducing me. How could you? I had them trusting my judgement again. Now you’ve ruined it.”
“I’ve done nothing of the sort. What I’ve told your father wasn’t a lie. I was truthful. I intend to marry you. I want you as my own.”
I ramped up the speed of my hands drumming upon his shoulders. I couldn’t stop. I was too angry, too hurt. “All this time, defending me, making me think I could trust you. It was just to lower my defenses. You’re a blackguard.”
“This is beginning to hurt, Ruth. You’ll leave bruises. You’ve seen how easy I get marks.”
I groaned and kept working him. “You just told my father I’m a doxy. You want a harlot. You’re Adam’s cousin. All his cousins are evil.”
“Ruth, I said nothing of the kind about you being anything but a wife. Always a wife, my honored partner.”
“You already called me a bed wench. That’s your plan.”
“My plan is to marry you, to love you. You’re a woman of fire. What’s better to tell a man like your father, that I will ignore you or that my soul won’t rest until we are one? I ache for you. I’ll be as patient as you need me to be, but I intend to have a full marriage, one of respect and one of passion.”
My head screamed—lies, pain, never-ending pain. “You think you’re so clever.”
“No, Ruth.”
I said no. I said no a lot. I remembered saying no and being hurt worse. The memories that I kept beating back were present, replaying in my head, stealing from me, taking what I no longer had to give.
“Ruth, talk to me. Tell me.”
Was I crying? I’d cried then. I’d shouted until an arm, a coarse arm, had crushed my throat and ripped Adam’s necklace away.
“Ruthy, let me help. I’m here, Ruthy.”
My face was a flood. Big, fat tears robbed me of the little sight I had. I couldn’t scream anymore, they’d taken my husband, and they’d taken what was his.
