Miss Winthorpe's Elopement (Belston & Friends #1)(53)

And now, he was looking at her with speculation. The silence drew out long between them.

‘But if you did, that would mean…’ Her pulse quickened in response. ‘Oh, no.’

‘We could remain unfortunately childless, I suppose. And celibate. And hope that my brother marries and produces. But that is a lot to assume. If there is any hint of infidelity on your part, annulment will continue to be an option.’

‘You mean to hold that over my head for the rest of our lives?’

‘If necessary.’ The intensity of his gaze grew. ‘Or we could try another way.’

Her pulse was racing now, as it began to occur to her that he was serious in what he was suggesting. ‘That was most definitely not part of the original bargain.’

‘When you planned to marry, you must have considered the possibility.’

Strangely, she had not. She had assumed it would be hard enough to get a man to the altar, and that any so doing would not be the least interested in sexual congress with her, if other opportunities presented themselves. But the need for succession had not been part of her plans. And now, Adam was looking at her in quite a different way than he did after political discussions in the study. He was looking at her as a woman, and she remembered what Tim had said to her.

She sat down beside him, afraid to meet his gaze lest he see how she felt about him. ‘I’d never have married a duke had I known it would become so complicated.’

‘I am sorry to have inconvenienced you,’ he said, not the least bit contrite. ‘But I will need an heir. Once one has married, it makes sense to look at the obvious solution to the problem.’

‘And you would…with me…and we…’

He nodded. ‘Two male children are preferable, but one might be sufficient. If it was a boy, and healthy. If the first is a daughter, then…’

‘But that would mean…we would…more than once…’

‘Most certainly. Repeatedly. For several years at least.’

Repeatedly. She sat there, eyes round, mouth open, mind boggled. Unable to speak at all.

He continued. ‘When you think of it, a sacrifice of a year or two, against the rest of your life, is not so long a time. You are rich enough to have nannies and governesses to care for any offspring. It would in no way interfere with your studies, for it must not be too hard to keep up on reading while in your months of confinement. What else would you have to do?’

‘And once you have an heir…’

‘Or two,’ he prompted.

‘Then I am free to do as I like?’

‘We both will be. The marital obligations are fulfilled. Gossip is silenced. We can go our separate ways, as planned, even while remaining under the same roof.’

‘Like everyone else.’

‘If we wish.’

He was right, which made it all the more maddening. After the initial display of temper, he had presented his case most rationally. He was not asking more than an average husband would expect. She had been the one to make the unreasonable request. But he was quite upfront about his willingness to return to her plan, once the niceties were performed. Other than the absolute terror she felt, when she thought of what they would do together, she could find no flaw in his logic.

She stared at him. ‘And you are willing to…with me.’

‘Of course.’ He said it as though the fact somehow answered her question.

‘But when we married…there was no plan to… I never expected that you would want…’

He smiled. ‘If I had found the idea repellent, I would never have agreed to continue with the marriage. And I will admit, as we have grown familiar with each other, I have been giving the matter some thought. I have no wish to force you, of course. But neither can I stand idly by while you take a lover.’

If he was to be believed, he had been faithful to her, despite opportunity and temptation, for the brief duration of their marriage. And it must be true, for he would gain nothing by lying, since she did not care.

But if she did not care, then why was the idea so flattering? As was the idea that he was seriously considering… She looked at him, sitting beside her, with the candlelight in his eyes, and the beginnings of a beard shadow on his pale cheek. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She could not help an uncontrollable attraction. It was why she had learned to look at him as little as possible, much as one learned not to stare directly into the sun.

‘Are you planning to answer today?’ he asked. ‘Because you have been quiet for a very long time, and I find it unnerving. If you wish more time to consider, I will understand.’

‘No. No, really I am fine.’ Tim had said she should let him charm her. And he was only asking her to do what she had secretly wanted for quite some time.

‘And?’ He made a gesture, as if to coax more words out of her.

‘Oh. Yes. And… Well… Although I did not expect it, I do not see anything unreasonable about your request. You are right. I will inform Tim, if he should flirt with me again, that his attentions are inappropriate. And I will…’

He raised his eyebrows, and gestured again.

‘Accede to your request for…’ she searched for a word that was not too embarrassing ‘…collaboration.’

He smiled. ‘Thank you. Shall we begin?’