"Ian," Selena said, feeling the first tingle of apprehension. "I misunderstand. ..."
He gave her a smile that seemed tense and strained, then fumbled for something in his pocket. Moving
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toward her, he brushed a wayward lock of hair from his forehead and kneeled at her feet.
"Selena ..."
Behind him, through the sheer curtains, she saw the crowd gather. They were squished together on the porch so that everyone could see through the window. She could hear a faint rustle of voices from outside, then a loud "shut up" from the queen and they fell silent.
Ian wet his lips and looked up at her. Slowly he withdrew a beautiful ring from his pants pocket and held it out to her. "Selena, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Muted clapping seeped through the window.
Ian froze the crowd with a sharp look, then turned back to her.
Selena didn't know what to do or say, had no idea what was expected of her. Was the ring a gift? Or were the words the important thing? "I misunderstand. You seek to have us marry?"
His breath released in a sharp sigh. "Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I love you."
She gave him a smile. "I feel love for you, also. Too. But what has this to do with marry?"
He seemed to choose his words carefully. "Marriage is a promise to stay together forever."
"Of course we shall stay together. I promise it now, before God. There, we are married."
"No. Marriage is also a ... legal commitment. We must offer our vows before a representative of the church or the state."
She frowned. "My word is not good enough?"
He shook his head. "No."
"But I do not need another to give my vow truth. I have promised. I have honor. This is enough."
He covered his face with his hand. "Hell. I knew this would be a problem. You don't understand...."
"I am not too damaged to understand the words, Ian.
I
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It is the concept which confuses me. You ask for my vow, I have given it. But it is not enough. You want more, and you think I do not understand the legal commitment which you seek, but you are wrong. Earlier, I looked up this word 'marriage' in the big book, and I read its meaning. In marriage, a woman is a wife, and a wife is a chattel. And cows are chattel, Ian." She leaned toward him. "Cattle."
He cursed beneath his breath. "Yes."
"I shall not choose to be a cow."
A quick burst of laughter shot from his lips, then, slowly, he looked up at her, and the sharpness was gone from his eyes. In its place, she saw only love and understanding and respect. "As usual, you put everything in a very neat perspective." He set the ring down on the table and scooted toward her, slipping between her legs. "Marriage makes no sense from a woman's point of view, I'll grant you. The husband gives up nothing and gains everything the woman has. Or so it would seem by the dictionary definition."
"Yes," she said proudly. 'This was my understanding."
"But there's more." His voice was low, a caress that sent a shiver dancing along her spine. "Forget the legal and social and moral reasons for getting married. I don't ask you for those reasons. I ask you to marry me because of something infinitely more simple and yet profoundly more complex." He leaned toward her, close enough to kiss. "You changed me, Selena. You taught me to see the world through different eyes, to make decisions based on right or wrong, and to trust in the old words-honor, love, commitment. It is for those reasons that I come to you now and offer you my mother's ring. Not because of the law of ownership or the blessing of the church. It is for simple selfishness. I love you. You are my world."