Married By Midnight Read Online Free Page B

situation.
    “ I am certain it will work out swimmingly,” she said, working hard to sound reassuring. “ If we resolve to help each other. I am not sure how much talent I possess as an actress, but I am willing to do what I must to convince your father that we are happily betrothed.”
    Garrett glanced up at an enormous portrait of a rather fierce looking aristocrat, then took a seat on an upholstered bench against the wall beneath it.
    “ I apologize,” he said. “Please come and join me.”
    He leaned back against the wall. She sat down beside him, and waited for him to speak.
    “ I understand what you are saying,” he began at last. “When I present you to my father, we cannot appear to be strangers. If he asks, we must know things about each other.”
    “ I agree.” Ah, this was better. Now at least they were getting somewhere.
    “ Tell me something personal,” he said, looking away in the other direction, as if this were torture for him. “What do you like to do? When were you born? And where did we meet?”
    Anne took a moment to consider how best to stage this production—where to place the props and block the actors. “I believe it would be best if we kept the untruths and inventions to a minimum. Let us simply tell him that your brothers introduced us.”
    “ But I have been out of the country for seven years,” Garrett replied, “and Father knows it. We will have to say we met in Florence or Rome. Have you ever been to Italy?”
    “ No, I’ve never been anywhere.”
    He glanced at her suspiciously, as if she had done something wrong. “Why not?”
    “ Because I have been living in seclusion in Yorkshire for the past four years. I was caring for my grandmother, who passed away six months ago.”
    There were other far less noble reasons for her seclusion, however.
    Did he know about that?
    “ Did your brothers tell you anything about me?” she asked.
    “ Not really.”
    “ And you didn’t bother to enquire?”
    He glanced away impatiently. “I thought they made it clear in the contract that there would be no courtship between us, and we would live separate lives.”
    “ Like strangers. Yes, they made that abundantly clear to me, but I thought you might wish to know who you would be marrying. I confess I am curious about you .”
    His brow furrowed with what appeared to be fatigue. “There is nothing to know,” he replied. “I am doing this for the money, plain and simple. Once my inheritance is secured, I will leave England and return to Greece.”
    She sat back and spoke dispassionately. “I see. How wonderful that we have something in common then, for money is my motivation as well.”
    They sat in chilly, censoring silence. Good Lord. Talking to him was like wringing blood from a stone.
    “ You asked me when I was born and what I like to do,” she said, forcing herself to continue, for she wanted that damned house in Oxford and was not about to let him spoil those plans by intimidating her. “I am four-and-twenty. My birthday is March 28th. I like dogs and horses. I enjoy riding. It has been my favorite pastime all my life. I also like to read. I play the piano and can sing reasonably well, and I am very independent. I crave freedom.”
    “ For purposes of this charade,” he said without enthusiasm, “who are your parents, and have I met them?”
    “ My father was Viscount Stanley. You haven’t met my parents because they are both dead, which is why I have been living with my uncle, Baron Penrose.”
    He contemplated that for a moment. “With whom shall we say you traveled to Florence? That same uncle?”
    “ My uncle would never take me abroad,” she replied with a scoff, “but since we are telling lies, and to satisfy your father, let me say yes. It was he.”
    Another chilly silence ensued while they each pondered the fictional scenario that was finally taking form.
    He glanced down at her hand and stared at it for a moment. “I see you are wearing a ring. Is