Page 27 of A Marriage of Necessity

Chapter Seven

Kennedy couldn’t take his eyes off his wife as he entered the room. She had just told his father to keep all his money. Kennedy reached her side, grasped her hand and brought it to his lips.

She frowned, her expression turning suspicious when he said, “I missed you, my dear.” He released her and looked at his father. “I didn’t realize you intended to meet Anne tonight, sir.”

“If you had known, you wouldn’t have brought her,” his father replied.

Kennedy smiled coolly. “You have Anne’s sister to thank for our being here. I hadn’t planned on coming, but she had her heart set on attending the party and I couldn’t disappoint her.”

Frustration flickered across his father’s face, and Kennedy cursed his own tongue. Normally, he would have pressed any advantage once he’d broken down his father’s façade. But his father wasn’t above changing the terms of an agreement if pushed hard enough, and Kennedy needed to assure that Rose returned home as soon as possible.

“I believe we have been here long enough to satisfy her,” Anne said. “If you don’t mind, I would like to go home.”

Kennedy smiled at her. “Of course, my dear.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, my lord,” Anne said. “I hope you feel better soon.” She shifted her attention to Jacqueline and said in a cool tone, “My lady, thank you for a lovely party.”

“Of course,” Jaqueline said. “We are so very happy for you and Kennedy.”

“Remember what I said,” his father said to Anne.

She smiled. “Never fear, sir, I shall be giving everything you said a great deal of thought.” Her gaze shifted onto Kennedy. “Shall we go?”

He angled his head in acknowledgement. “If you are ready, my dear.” Without a backwards glance, they left.

To his wife’s credit she remained quiet until they were halfway down the first flight of stairs. “Forgive me, sir, but I must tell you that your father is an abominable man.”

Kennedy couldn’t help himself. He laughed so hard his eyes watered.

They reached the next floor and she shot him a hard frown as they continued down the dim hallway. “I fail to see the humor in the situation. He had the gall to offer me another five thousand pounds if I spend every night in your bed until I am certain I am pregnant.”

Kennedy looked sharply at her. He hadn’t heard that. “I will speak to him.”

She threw up her hands. “Why bother? He is clearly insane—and there is no talking to an insane person.” Her expression turned sheepish. “I do not think he likes me very much.”

They turned a corner in the hallway.

“He doesn’t like anyone very much,” Kennedy said.

“I can well believe that, but most people aren’t his daughter-in-law.”

“That does go too far, even for him,” Kennedy said. “How does he think he will verify that you have kept your end of the bargain?”

They reached another set of stairs and he gestured for her to precede him.

“I asked that very thing,” she said. “The only way he could be certain is if he were in the room with us.”

Kennedy blinked. “Never say you said that to him.”

“Of course, I did.”

They reached the next level and sounds of the orchestra wafted up to them.

“He had the temerity to say that as long as I got pregnant right away, he would take my word that I had kept up my end of the bargain,” she went on. “It would serve him right, if I didn’t get pregnant anytime soon.”

Alarm shot through him. “Did you tell him we hadn’t consummated the marriage?”

A blush crept up her cheeks. “Nae. It is none of his business. About that, sir—”