“You bring out the worst in me.”
“I would say I bring out the best in you.” He thrust up into her and she bent over to kiss him. He steeled himself against her charms and pulled away. “I want you more than I can possibly articulate, however, I will not fulfill number four or five on your list without a betrothal in place.”
Her brow furrowed. “I thought we had agreed marriage was not necessary.”
“We never agreed. I said I understood your reservations. You were left in a horrible predicament after Richard died. Women are treated abominably by society and the world over, but that does not mean I will use you in the basest of manners and be done. I told you that I love you, and I meant it. Those were not mere words. While you were upstairs at Caerlaverock, I wrote up a marriage contract.”
Nothing could have frightened her more than him uttering the wordmarriage. He knew that and she began to fight to lift her right leg to the other side of the seat once more. He used his strength against her for the first time, holding her in place on his lap.
“I cannot?—”
“It is within your purview to cut me out of your life, but I beg of you to read the contract. I know you care for me. I’ve seen it in your eyes, felt it in your caress, and absorbed it on my tongue. You are not a woman who has casual relations. I know this. Youcare. You may not love me, but you care deeply for me. More than you ever did for Richard, or Nithesdale.”
At her sharp intake of breath, he continued. “I love you. Take the contract from my pocket and read how much I love you and respect you. If you do not want to marry me after reading it, I will take you back to the castle and never mention it again.”
She searched his eyes, looking for the trap she was afraid he would spring, but he did not back down, nor did he show any weakness, just the love he’d felt for so many years.
She reached inside his pocket, and with his heart pounding, fear and arousal coursing through his body with equal measure, she pulled out the contract. He briefly closed his eyes and said a prayer. This was it. Everything he’d ever wanted would be decided in the next few moments and part of him wished he had ten more years to convince her to be his.
Five
Marriage Contract
On this seventh day of December in the year of our Lord 1811, Mr. Joshua Forrester, Esquire, of London, England, of sound mind and character pledges to Lady Phoebe Drake of Mayfair, England, as a testament of his commitment to maintaining a strong and enduring marriage, the following provisions:
1. Lady Drake will maintain sole proprietorship of Lady Atwood’s Millinery shops along with all its properties and financial holdings.
2. Lady Drake will continue to be the sole proprietor of Drake Manor and all its holdings to include furniture, livestock, and lands.
3. If the marriage results in children Lady Drake will be the sole decision maker in how the familial coffers are distributed to the children.
4. Mr. Forrester will sign over half of his properties and financial holdings, along with half of the Dickenson Mayer & Forrester legal firm to Lady Drake upon marriage.
This marriage contract serves as a testament to our commitment to maintaining an enduring and supportive marriage. By entering into this agreement, the parties involved pledge to uphold the values of trust, loyalty and mutual respect.
Signed Mr. Joshua Forrester seventh day of December 1811
Signed
—a marriage contract between Mr. Joshua Forrester and Lady Phoebe Drake written in haste but with the deepest respect for the woman he loved by Mr. Joshua Forrester, Esquire.
She was straddling him in a most indecent manner as only a wanton widow would do, yet she couldn’t regret it. Ever. She read the contract a second time through, looking for a loophole only a solicitor would see. Joshua had taught her what to look for, but what if in this instance he hid something in plain sight?
She grabbed hold of the obvious. “I can’t have children.”
“They aren’t a necessity.”
“You don’t want a son?”
“I would love a son or a daughter, but whether we have children or not has no bearing on my desire to marry you. What if I am incapable of producing a child? Would that have any bearing on your desire to marry me?”
“Of course not, but most men don’t want to marry a widow whose marriage produced no offspring.”
“Most men don’t love you the way I do. I want to share my life with you. Work together, play together, wake up with you in my arms every day and grow old with you. If we are graced with children they will only add to our happiness. If we are not, my joy of spending my life with you will not be diminished.”
“Most men want my land, my house, my belongings, my business. My money.”
“Then they are blind and ignorant. I want you. Only you. Why else would I give you half of everything I possess?”
