Page 8

Adam hesitated to take the paper from her, but he was also curious about what she was driving at with him being beholden to her very, very ludicrous proposal. So, he took the paper from her and scanned it.

As his gaze scanned line by line, his brows furrowed, and frown lines dug grooves along his face.

What…what was the meaning of this?

He clutched the paper and glared at her. “I will not alter the course of my life because of some forgotten promise made by dead men.”

But Lady Juliet shook her head. “It is not merely a promise, Your Grace, but a written contract between both of our families.”

Adam scoffed. “Oh, please. This is a contract long past its expiration date.”

Now, Lady Juliet narrowed her eyes at him. “You very well know, Your Grace, that this contract has no expiration date. The terms specifically state that descendants from both houses will marry, and we are both descendants of the families named therein; this contract has never been fulfilled.”

Adam’s jaw clenched tighter as he gritted his teeth, but he had no words to refute her. He could only glare down at the offensive piece of paper in his grip, wondering what grounds she would have if he tore it to pieces before her very eyes.

It was truly the Ravenlocke duchy’s seal upon the paper, and he didn’t have it in him to display obvious contempt, no matter how much he wanted to.

“I understand the absurdity of my request. Truly, I do.” Lady Juliet soldiered on, her tone growing more urgent with every passing second. “And I understand why you would refuse it.” She paused, clearing her throat. “But you…you have a daughter.”

He instantly went very still. “And what does she have to do with this?”

He did not even try to hide the edge in his voice this time. No, he wielded it as a blade aimed at her throat.

It was clear that she noticed it as well, because she was blinking repeatedly, her throat working as she swallowed hard.

“I…I noticed how much she cares for you, and you for her,” she began. “That much is clear, and I only thought that perhaps a child like yours, with such a bright mind and open heart, who is so clearly full of warmth and life, well… I thought she might benefit from another presence in the house.”

“What?” he said, rather satisfied that he’d kept his voice level. “has given you the impression that my daughter’s current care is insufficient?”

Lady Juliet gasped. “I am not claiming that it is insufficient! Quite the opposite, in fact. I am not asking for a romantic arrangement. Only one that can benefit us both, Your Grace.”

Adam tilted his head. “I see no way in which this proposal will benefit me,” he started.

But then he saw her blue eyes gleaming in urgent desperation.

“Please, Your Grace,” she said, clasping her hands. “My father has forced me into a marriage with a man who does not see me as a person, but merely as chattel. He has stalked me ever since my debut, and his intentions are certainly not decent. And…and that man, he has already obtained a special license. There is nothing I can do to prevent this match, and my father knows this. He has wielded that very authority without hesitation against me, and the only option I had was to run away.”

She took in a deep breath. “But… but you—and this contract here—have the means to remove that authority entirely.”

Adam’s spine straightened. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow for the lady’s situation. Unfortunately, it was not uncommon in England, especially amongst peers.

That didn’t mean that he had to bind them together for the rest of their lives.

“And why should I believe that your good intentions would outlast the first difficulty?” Adam did not take his eyes off of her. “Everyone presents well in the beginning when they want something.”

Lady Juliet did not try to dispute his words. “I…I know I cannot prove otherwise this night. I am aware of that. But I know what it costs to have no say over your own life because of familial and societal pressures.” Here, she paused. “And… I believe your daughter will one day know this as well.”

Adam growled. “And I am more than capable of keeping that pressure from harming her.”

Lady Juliet nodded. “Of course. I do not doubt that. But… Your Grace, your methods are…more harmful than you think,” she said. “Your attempts have isolated her from society altogether. Her life is going to be incredibly difficult later on, when it is time for her to debut. And I think you know that as well as I do.”

“You know nothing about me,” Adam gritted out, and yet again, she nodded without much opposition.

“I do not claim to, Your Grace. But I know that you are a man who cherishes his daughter and wants the best for her. I saw the way you looked at her, and a cruel man does not look at his child in that way.”

Outside, a storm had already begun to rage, intruding on the moment—lightning struck the windows and cast him in its bright light, as if agreeing with her words.

He blinked when he realized she was closer than she’d been before…