In His Eyes(80)

“I am not hiring you as a housekeeper….” Westley said, jarring her from her thoughts.

Alarm swept through her.

“And I do not wish for you to continue with the ruse. I—”

Ella threw up her hands, arresting the remainder of whatever he was about to say. “You lied!” She lurched to her feet, too filled with energy to remain docile on the ground. She whirled around to glare at him. “You said I could work here! Now that you are leaving you are going to send me away?”

Her breathing increased, and Ella clenched her hands at her sides. A good thing she had secured that goat. Lee had not seemed interested in any way of eating other than nursing, but she would simply have to teach him. She’d been wise to take her options in hand. How could she have so easily forgotten that underneath their charm men could not be trusted?

Westley rose and stepped over the uneaten food, reaching for her. “Now, Ella, calm down. You didn’t let me finish.”

She stepped back away from his grip, her pulse pounding. “There is no need for further explanation.” She made a move toward Lee. “Since it is your intention for me to leave the premises, I see no reason why I should stay here a moment longer.”

She reached to pick up Lee, but Westley caught her by the arm and used his bulk to turn her to face him. He chuckled. “And here I worried that perhaps you didn’t hold true affection for me.”

She stopped breathing. She blinked up at him. Did he think to mock her? She sucked in a gulp of air and opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“I’m not hiring you and I want you to drop the ruse because I have something different in mind.”

Ella snapped her mouth closed and narrowed her eyes. She would be no man’s leman.

Westley dropped her arm, rubbing at the back of his neck. “This is not at all how I planned this to go,” he mumbled.

Ella’s brow furrowed. The man made no sense.

Westley straightened, and he looked the stern officer once more. “Miss Whitaker, I intended to ask you to take my name in truth, as my legal wife.”

Her jaw unhinged and she shook her head to clear the pulsing in her ears, certain she had heard him incorrectly.

“Now, don’t say no just yet before you have even heard my proposition,” he said with a growl.

Ella stilled. Proposition? Had he not just asked her to marry him? Her heart fluttered. Had Westley Remington become fidgety because of her? Did he….love her? She tried to swallow, and found her throat too thick to do so.

“It would be in name only, of course.”

Her heart shuddered in its ascent and crashed on shattered rocks below. “Name only?”

Something flickered in his eyes. “As my wife you will have access to my accounts and a manner of protection. And if anything happens to me out west, I can rest in the assurance that you will be provided for and secure for the remainder of your years. Lee will inherit Belmont, and you will both be able to live a comfortable life.”

She clutched the fabric at her throat, unsure how to feel. He offered her safety and protection. With his name in truth, she would be able to have both freedom and respectability. Ella blinked back sudden tears. It solved all of her problems. Why, then, did she ache?

She swallowed back the burn in her throat. “You are sure you would sacrifice all of that for me? What if you meet a lady that you would want to share your home and life in the manner a marriage is supposed to be?”

“That will never happen.”

Hope began to blossom.

“I have dedicated my life to the military. I never intended to wed. This way, you are protected, and my family lands have someone to inherit them upon my death.”

Ella glanced away, trying to bring her emotions to heel. A life as an unloved wife with a mansion and plenty to eat was far better than an unwed mother facing scorn and a life filled with scarcity. She drew herself up and squared her shoulders. “And you would make Lee your heir?” Why did this feel like a business arrangement instead of a marriage proposal?

“I would. He already carries my name. No one ever need know he was not born of a union between us.”

Ella rubbed her arms, though the day was rather warm. Westley stepped over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She breathed in the earthy scents of him.

“It’s….” His words trailed off and she looked up at him, seeing as many emotions swirling in his eyes as she guessed flickered in her own. “It’s the best I can do.”

Because he was an honorable man, a friend who would give much to take care of her. He did not care for her in the way she must acknowledge she cared for him. Perhaps had even begun to feel something deeper…. She set her jaw. She should be grateful. She forced her lips to turn up. “I appreciate your concern for me, Major Remington.”

Something akin to hurt erupted in his eyes, but he blinked and it was gone.

“You are sacrificing much for my son and me. I am grateful for your offer and agree to your terms.”

He reached up and ran the rough pad of his thumb across her jaw, a motion that seemed far too intimate for a man who wanted to wed in name only. Confounding man! He should not toy with her so.

She took a step back from him. “How do you suppose we have a wedding, when it is already presumed I am your wife? I imagine that shall be rather awkward.”

He lifted his shoulders. “Perhaps only the Martin women believe that you are already my wife.”