Page 14

And he knew it wasn’t just his own reputation on the line. He had Felicity to think about too.

But still, if this strange woman was this determined, he couldn’t help but worry what could happen to her if she asked someone else.

Not to mention his own curiosity, as wrong as it might be.

Sure, on the surface, there was a simple explanation. She didn’t want to marry, and if she had a poor reputation, she wouldn’t receive any offers.

The only question was why something like that would even be seen as necessary? Part of him couldn’t ignore the small icicle of worry for her he felt beginning to drip down his spine. Such a drastic measure could only come from dire circumstances.

In the end, his curiosity (and concern) won out. He let out a long sigh, then nodded his head. “All right, fine. If I agree, then what would you have me do exactly?”

She lit up. “Do you mean it? You’ll really help me?”

He crossed his arms. “I might. I am strongly considering it, but first, I do have questions, so I’ll ask again, what would you have me do? And I need you to be as specific as possible. What do you want from me exactly?”

Amber couldn’t stop smiling as hope rose in her chest. He was going to do this! This was going to work! All it would take was a few days then she would be free. “I don’t need much from you. All I need is for us to get caught alone and close together. It doesn’t need to be anything too salacious, just enough to get people talking. Then, once I give you the signal, act as though you are asking for my hand in marriage, but you don’t need to worry. As I said, I’ll say no when the time comes. After that, we can both go our separate ways, and we will never need to see each other again.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out.”

“I wouldn’t have asked you here if I hadn’t. Do you have any more questions? Any concerns?”

“Just one, I think.”

“Of course. Ask away.”

“You said when the time comes, you’d refuse when I asked for your hand.”

“That’s right,” she agreed.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “And you just expect me to take your word for that? I know you told me you don’t plan on marrying, but how can you expect me just to believe you? We didn’t know each other until a few hours ago. Not a lot of time to build trust.”

“Not a lot of time to break it either.”

He just stared.

“I don’t know what else I can do aside from give you my word, unless you have something else I can do to help you believe me. If there’s anything I can do, all you need to do is say the word, and I’ll do it.”

“I don’t know,” he groaned, tugging a hand through his hair. “But you need to give me something to work with. I want to be very clear that I have no intention of marrying, and I won’t be tricked into it by some foolish woman. I need your word that you will say no.”

Amber squared her shoulders. “You have my word. I have no intention of marrying you. I have no desire to marry you. As I said, I don’t plan on ever marrying at this point. All I want is to live out my days in peace as a spinster, but if I ever marry, it will be for love. I refuse to even consider marriage for any other reason.”

He studied her for a moment before he nodded once again. “All right, very well, I think we have a deal.” Christopher extended a hand.

Amber leaned forward, clasping it in her own. She couldn’t help the way her heart seemed to flutter when he wrapped his large, warm hand around hers. It seemed to engulf her tiny hands. It was the nerves, of course. What else could make her feel this way?

They shook for a moment longer than necessary, but finally, he pulled away. Amber absolutely did not mourn the loss.

She shook the thought from her head, forcing herself back to the present. “Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me.”

He sighed again. “You might have a point. I don’t think I can understand, especially since you don’t seem willing to tell me why you want me to do this.”

“It’s—”

“Personal,” he cut her off with a strange grin. “You don’t need to keep saying it. I know. I won’t ask again. I will help as best I can, but there’s only so much I can do when I don’t know why I’m doing it.”

“You don’t need to do anything, so there’s nothing for you to think about. All you need to do is get caught alone with me. That’s it. You’ve agreed. I’ll figure the rest out and let you know when it’s time. You don’t need to plan anything. You don’t need to suggest anything. All you need to do is be ready to go when I tell you it’s time. Now then, if you don’t have anything else to say, then we should get back. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

Then he lit up, a strange glint in his eyes. “Hold on a moment. I may have an idea.”