The Offer (Baron 2)

“No. I wish I’d thought of it but I was just too afraid. I was a coward.”

“No, you’re not a coward. You were scared. It was understandable.” Rage was pouring through him but he knew it wouldn’t help her at all to see it. It was very difficult to keep his voice calm. “What did you do then?”

“I went to Elizabeth and told her what Trevor had done. I could even prove it. He’d hit me again and again on the face. I looked frightful. There was no way she couldn’t have believed me. But she refused to take my part. It was then that I realized that she’s always disliked me.”

Jealous, Phillip thought, the bitch was so jealous that she’d protect that bastard before she’d take care of her little sister. The rage nearly overflowed. He looked down. The last thing Sabrina needed was to see him red in the face with murder gleaming in his eyes.

“Elizabeth told me that if I went to Grandfather with my ridiculous story she would swear that it was I who tried to seduce her husband. She said it would be the two of them against me, and Trevor was Grandfather’s heir.

“Then she reminded me that just such a disaster as this might topple Grandfather into his grave and if that happened, it would be my fault. I knew then that I couldn’t stay at Monmouth Abbey. Trevor had told me he’d come to my bedchamber and that I’d better not lock my door against him. There was no one to stop him, least of all Elizabeth, his wife.

“I couldn’t stay. I had to protect my grandfather and I had to protect myself.” She raised bleak eyes to his face. “I should have returned to the Abbey after my horse went lame, but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. It hadn’t started snowing. I believed I could get to Borhamwood in time to catch the stage to London. I got lost and became ill in the cold. You found me.” Such a pitiful tale, she thought, staring down at her hands.

“When you return to the Abbey, you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you. You know, of course, that I want to kill Trevor.”

“Yes. That’s one reason I didn’t want you to know anything. Phillip, try to understand. He’s the future Earl of Monmouth. There is no other male to inherit the title. You can’t kill him. Please promise me that you won’t.”

“I’m grinding my teeth over that one,” he said, then stretched out his hand and took hers. “I promise, but it will be difficult. No, when we go back, I’ll be with you. I won’t let you out of my sight. If you will consent to be my wife, I’ll have you out of that ménage within a week.”

“Marry you? Oh no, I’d never do that, never. It wouldn’t be fair, it wouldn’t be honorable. I thank you for all you’ve done for me. Indeed, you saved my life. You guarded me and nursed me. I don’t want to go back to Monmouth Abbey. I ask you for one more favor. Please escort me to Borhamwood so that I may take the stage to London, to my aunt Barresford. It is the only solution, the best solution. This is a favor I’m asking, since you owe me nothing.”

19

Phillip drew back, releasing her hand. What was this? She didn’t want to marry him? Was she so ignorant as to not understand that she could no longer be what she was, namely, an unmarried girl of good name? He realized that he would have to explain it to her. “Sabrina, listen to me. This is very serious. Although you’re not aware of it, you have spent nearly a week with a man who’s known for not being the most sober and serious of individuals. Actually, I’ve rather got a reputation for taking my pleasure with just about any female I please.”

She was staring at him as if he’d grown another nose. “I’m sorry

, but it’s true. I suppose some people would call me a rake, perhaps even a womanizer. I’m really not all that bad, but it’s my reputation, and that’s what the world knows and accepts and believes. Even if you were to go to London, to your aunt Barresford, your reputation would be in shreds. No one would invite you to any parties. You would be a pariah.

“The best solution, the only solution, Sabrina, is that you marry me, and quickly.” He waited to see that understanding of her predicament on her expressive face.

Instead, she gave him a tolerant smirk. “It’s really very generous of you to offer to sacrifice yourself, Phillip, but I won’t allow it. Charles is trying to play God. I have no intention of having you saddle yourself with me—indeed, I would have no honor if I were to allow you to do so. Again, my lord, my answer is no.”

“You’re being foolish, Sabrina. I won’t have it. You understand what’s happened but you’re just doing this to thwart me. Am I such a bad bargain? Do you think I would make such a wretched husband? Don’t you like me at all?” She was just shaking her head at him. He added, his voice low and hard, “Even if you wanted Clarendon, let me tell you it’s doubtful that he would still want you.”

“Why?”

“You’re damaged goods, Sabrina. It’s that clear-cut. Accept it and marry me.”

She reared up in the bed. She waved her fist at him. “You wretched men, you create and maintain two sides of the coin. The one side for you brave, honorable specimens, and the other for hapless women, whom you despise or protect depending on your whims of the moment. I tell you, I refuse to be bandied about among you. You may take yourself to the devil, my lord. Oh yes, and take Clarendon with you. To imagine that he wouldn’t still want me just because I’d been with you for five days. Damaged goods! It makes me quite enraged, Phillip.” She threw her pillow at him, then fell back, panting hard from the exertion.

Phillip thought inconsequentially that he shouldn’t have let her eat so much bread. He wasn’t particularly angry at her, for he saw some truth in what she said. He paused a moment, worried that she might make herself ill again, and said, “Please relax. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown Clarendon at you, but I just want you to understand that everything is different now. Your life can never be again what it was. Trust me on this, Sabrina. Your best course, your only course, is to accept me as your husband.”

She shook her head wearily. “Let’s part friends, Phillip. I won’t marry where there is no love. It’s not you. It’s not Richard. It’s me and what I know I have to have to live my life with a modicum of contentment.”

He was getting weary of his lack of success with logic, so why not try something utterly unexpected? He leaned forward, laying his hand on her arm. “Perhaps,” he said, his voice thick and low, “I should take you now. It’s certainly what everyone will believe, once it’s known you’ve been with me. Believe me, Sabrina, I don’t mind that you are, at the moment, at your most womanly.”

She was speechless, for a good two seconds, then she pulled back her arm and sent her fist into his jaw. He jerked back and she caught his ear. She was strong and it hurt. She rolled away clumsily to the other side of the bed and sat up, wrapping the covers around her.

He cursed, then plowed his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. Damn, I was just trying to make a point. I was just trying to make you see the truth of the situation. I’m sorry,” he said again. “I’m not a bad fellow, you know that. I’m not Trevor. That was all an act. Listen, Sabrina, we will manage to rub along quite well together. Can’t you trust me in this?”

She said nothing. However, she did move back to the center of the bed. “I did something else,” he said finally, since she was as silent as a clam, looking straight ahead, mutely suffering his presence. “Charles and I decided what had to be done. He is at this moment speaking to your grandfather, telling him that you’re safe, telling him that your reputation will be safe, telling him that you and I will marry. When you next see your family, it will be as my betrothed.”

“Phillip, I am not a fallen woman. I was simply very sick. Does that somehow make me immoral? I’m not sorry that you found me because you saved my life. Given that, do you ever believe I would make you pay for your kindness? Now, enough of all of this. Will you please take me to Borhamwood?”

He looked down at her, at a loss for words. He realized that he could not very well abduct her and force her to the altar. Well, he could, but it would require a lot of work, and frankly he was tired. Damnation, what the hell was he supposed to do?

He looked toward the window at the sound of horses and a carriage drawing up in front of the hunting box. Sabrina paled at the sound.