Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister Page A

Alasdair, that you are not entirely happy about having offered for me, and yet I also cannot help but point out that it was, in fact, you who offered marriage, not I. Well, I did earlier, but you turned me down, so that doesn’t count. Not really. Are you?”
    â€œAm I what?” Dare asked, feeling only the tiniest bit bemused by Charlotte’s amazing leaps of thought. He took pride in his ability to follow her, feeling certain few men could claim such an achievement.
    â€œAre you happy that we are to be married?”
    Dare flicked the reins and tried to think of how to answer her question. He wanted to tell her that he had only offered for her because she’d trapped him in front of the woman who could destroy his future, but he had enough honesty to admit that wasn’t entirely the truth. Oh, she had trapped him, but he might have been able to bluff his way out of the situation, even with Mrs. Whitney viewing the proceedings with bright, inquisitive eyes. No, the truth was… What was the truth? He didn’t want to wed her, did he?
    He slid a glance at the figure beside him. He had wanted to make her his wife…once, five years ago. But that was before disaster struck, before he knew that he had little to offer a wife but an empty title and a mountain of debts. And he’d be damned if he went to a bride empty-handed, unable to take care of her.
    â€œAnd yet that’s just what I’m doing.” He sighed, allowing a moment of self-pity.
    â€œIf you mean that what you’re doing is avoiding answering my question, yes, you are quite correct. Really, Alasdair, I believe I’m about to be most offended. You can’t even answer a simple question when I put it to you? Is there something about me that offends you? I know it can’t be my appearance, because…well, modesty is a silly virtue, I’ve always felt. Clearly my appearance is not at fault, and I know it can’t be what I’ve said, because I haven’t once mentioned any of the things that outraged you so during your discussion of my genitals, and I’m fairly certain it can’t be this gown because it’s my cousin’s gown that I had altered, so really, if you’re offended, it’s Gillian’s fault, not mine, and I don’t think that’s at all fair of you to be offended with her since she is on a ship somewhere and can’t defend herself against your rude comments about her choice of gowns!”
    It really was amazing, Dare thought to himself, that he was starting to understand how Charlotte thought. Oh, to be true, any lengthy conversation with her left his mind feeling a bit strained, but he really was getting the knack of the thing. He pulled the team to a halt before the small beige brick house he had rented for the time he was in London, and turned to tell her the truth. She tipped her head on the side, watching him with a gaze that seemed to see so much, and yet was the epitome of innocence. He thought of what his life would be like bound to a frivolous woman without a thought in her head for anything more serious than what gown to wear. He thought about sinking further into debt trying to support her. He thought about the dreams he had as a young man, now withered and crumbled to dust. He recognized the cold hand of despair touching his heart, and wanted to weep with the injustice of it all.
    â€œAlasdair?”
    He thought of all that until his gaze met hers, and then all he thought of was how indescribably lovely she was, how completely and utterly unique she was from every other woman of his acquaintance, and how he would rip to shreds any other man who thought to claim her.
    â€œMy lord?”
    His jaw tightened as he acknowledged his unwanted feelings of possessiveness. So be it. He had made the decision, and now it was his duty to see it through. God alone knew how he was going to manage it. Marriage to any woman was not welcome, but to a woman so