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“Dominic?” She whispered.

“Yes,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “Soglad you remembered me.”

“You?Youbought me?” She asked. Then she shouted loudly “WHY?!”

“What else was I supposed to do?” He snarled back, “You are the best friend of my best friend’s wife, and a dear friend to my other best friend’s sister. You think I would allow you to be sold at auction to someone who might turn you into a mistress or worse?”

His explanation seemed to calm her, if only a little, and her rigid shoulders dropped.

“Now tell me how you ended up in that place,” he demanded.

“My father forced me,” she replied, her brows furrowing with disdain. Still a flash of hurt passed through her eyes. “What wereyoudoing in that place?”

“That is none of your concern,” he shot back, leaning back. He let out a sigh as he brushed a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

“What kind of father- especially one of noble blood, sells his eldest daughter in a place like this? No short answers, Amelia. Youwilltell me everything.”

He glared at her warningly, and though she stiffened again, she began tell her story.

“My reputation never recovered from my failed engagement,” she explained. “Over the years, I never could put forth the proper effort in finding a replacement. I had hoped as time passed I would become better, but instead I- I suppose I just became more weary with the process of finding a husband. And with dealing with rumors. Instead of trying to better my reputation I simply put myself against the wall. Avoided dealing with any of it.

“I knew my father’s patience was growing thin with me, but when he told me last week I only had seven more days to find a husband or he would handle it, I could have never suspected this is what he meant.”

As she spoke the last part her voice broke and her chin began to quiver. Dominic sneered at her reaction, not comfortable with such displays of emotion. He’d rather her fight him again than this. Still, he pulled his kerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

“No offense to you, but no self-respecting father sells their child at an auction,” he said, his tone grating, “The circumstances are not ideal, but perhaps it is best that you are now free of him.”

“How?” Amelia sobbed, then blew her nose into the kerchief. “How is this better? I was sold like chattel!”

“Yes but you were sold tome,” Dominic retorted, “And I am arrogant enough to admit that my circumstances are much better than his. I can at least provide an assurance that you will never go through such an ordeal again. Unlike the others who might have bought you. Nor will I turn you into any sort of paramour. I am not fond of dallying with the unwilling.”

“Christ,”Dominic then swore. “What was he thinking? Only a handful of those men actually make the women they purchase their wives! And even so the mask policy has its limitations when it comes to identity protection. Word would have gotten out that he had sold you. It still might.”

Amelia’s tear-filled eyes widened once more and she shook her head vigorously.

“No. No itcannotget out,” she pleaded. “Not even for my own reputation, but for my sisters. If such a rumor would spread they would never be courted, and my father would do the same to them. He said as much!”

Disgust bloomed in Dominic’s stomach. Of all the messes he’d been entangled in through his life, this one was by far the trickiest. He took a ragged breath, pushing through his rage, and nodded his head.

“There is one way that can be avoided,” he said quietly. Even as he said it, his soul balked at the idea. He was of the right age for it. A part of him even felt inclined to it. But this was never how he wanted it.

“Tell me,” Amelia urged, leaning toward him. “Tell me what to do and I will. Icannotlet this happen to my sisters.”

Dominic looked up at her, his gaze wary.

“We will marry.”

CHAPTERTHREE

“No,” Amelia blurted out, then blushed. A tiny sense of guilt flitted through her.

Dominic, of all people, had saved her and had already assured her that no force of inappropriate relations would be put upon her. Still, she balked at the idea.

Dominic’s dark brows flew up at her response and his jaw tightened at her response.

“You think it is something I wish for?” He asked. “When I thought of taking a wife I did not think I would be purchasing her.”

“Why not?” She replied haughtily, her fear slowly draining from her body. “Is that not what parents of daughters do? Offer a dowry to noble men to marry them? It is really all the same. Just in a different environment.”