Comforted, her sisters rang for her maid and left Arabella alone to bathe and dress.
Arabella spent the time carefully preparing her speech to Marcus, but an army of butterflies were marching in her stomach when she finally went downstairs in search of him.
She found him in the study, seated at his desk. He was busy writing a letter, but he set his quill pen down as soon as she entered.
His expression softening with a smile, Marcus rose and came around the desk to greet her. At his advance, Arabella stopped abruptly.
Marcus halted to eye her with curiosity. “Why are you so nervous, sweeting? I won’t pounce on you.”
“I am not nervous, precisely.”
“Then why are you standing near the open door as if you’re prepared to flee?”
“I don’t trust myself alone with you, if you must know.”
He smiled again and lowered his voice. “I don’t intend to make love to you just now, Arabella. Not when we need to have a serious discussion. Now shut the door so we won’t be overheard.”
Obeying with reluctance, she risked moving farther into the room. “I presume you mean to discuss your plans for tomorrow, Marcus. Will you be returning to London?”
He cocked his head. “Why would I return to London?”
“Because our wager will be over then. You wagered that you could persuade me to accept your marriage proposal if I allowed you to court me for two weeks. Well, the two weeks end tomorrow afternoon, and I will have fulfilled the terms we agreed on.”
A pregnant pause followed her observation. Taking a step backward then, Marcus leaned his hips against the desk. “Come here, Arabella.”
“Why?”
“Because I asked you to.”
Warily she crossed to stand before him.
Holding her gaze intently, Marcus reached down to take her hand and draw her closer.
Arabella’s breath caught in her throat as a frisson of heat raced through her body. Summoning all her resistance, though, she pressed her palms against his chest. “What do you think you are you doing, Marcus?”
“I am renewing my addresses to you.”
Arabella swallowed. “You needn’t make me another proposal. There is no point.”
“I beg to differ. Our circumstances have changed a great deal since I made my first offer of marriage to you.”
“Not enough to matter.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “No?”
She managed to gain her release without struggling, which surprised her a little. “No,” Arabella repeated as she backed away. Then forcing herself to stop retreating, she launched into the speech she had prepared. “Marcus…I would like to thank you sincerely for all you have done for me and my sisters, and Sybil as well. It was very kind of you to take such an interest in our welfare. But your guardianship is almost over. After this you will no longer be responsible for us.”
“I don’t want to relinquish responsibility for you.”
“But you must if you mean to honor our bargain.”
His blue gazed fixed on her, searching her face. “Oh, I will honor it, but there is one small problem.”
She eyed him cautiously. “What problem?”
“I still want to marry you, Arabella, only my reasons have changed. I don’t want a marriage of convenience any longer.”
“Then what do you want?”