No Mortal Reason Read Online Free Page A

he’d meant to tell her what he’d done but that the time had never seemed right. The truth, she suspected, was that he’d not had any intention of taking separate rooms here, married or not. He’d wanted her close at hand. That a part of her wanted that, too, did nothing to diminish her feeling that he’d taken away her right to choose.
    “Diana, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    “We . . . are . . . not . . . married.” She enunciated each word clearly. “You cannot arbitrarily make decisions for me.” But he would be able to after they were wed. Husbands gained a totally unwarranted measure of control over their wives as soon as they repeated their vows. She’d learned that lesson well during her years with Evan Spaulding. It did not bode well for their life together if Ben developed the habit of making decisions for her without bothering to consult her wishes.
    “I have no desire to dictate to you,” Ben insisted. “I only want to take care of you. To protect you.”
    She could feel the intensity of his gaze and hear the sincerity in his voice.
    “I’ve come too close to losing you too many times. Is it so wrong to wish to keep you close until we’re safely back home?”
    “So you deceived me for my own good?” Diana deplored the hitch in her voice. She would not cry.
    “Perhaps this will appease you.” Ben produced a small box from the pocket of his trousers. “I bought it a few days after I first asked you to marry me.”
    Helpless to stop the anticipatory flutter of her heart, Diana stepped closer. He opened the box, revealing a gold wedding band studded with small colorful gemstones.
    “Tourmaline,” he said. “From mines in Paris.”
    “Paris, France?”
    “Paris, Maine. Take off your glove.”
    She obeyed, too choked with emotion to speak. The wedding ring he’d chosen reminded her of all that was good between them. He was not Evan. She knew that. He hadn’t changed the reservation, true, but she’d been so indecisive about coming to the Hotel Grant that he’d probably expected her to decide against the visit altogether and stay on the train.
    “It is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” Diana whispered.
     The stones fascinated her. The gems varied from opaque to transparent and their vibrant shades of blue, red, and green sparkled even in the watery afternoon sunlight of this overcast day. The center stone was multicolored, with a green outer layer surrounding a pink core.
    “Wear it now,” Ben urged. “It will give credence to our charade.”
    Diana felt as if she’d been hit in the face with a bucket of cold water. The joy went out of her heart, leaving a deep, empty space behind. She lifted her gaze from the ring to Ben’s face and had all she could do not to slap him.
    He took in her expression and frowned in confusion. “Diana, I love you.”
    “And you think that makes everything all right?” Evan had claimed to love her too. That hadn’t stopped him from repeatedly betraying her trust.
    “I think your usual common sense has deserted you.” He sounded testy, as if her attitude was the one that was unreasonable. “Wear the ring.” Without a by-your-leave, he shoved it onto her finger.
    Tears pricked the back of Diana’s eyes. She pulled away from Ben, hiding her face.
    “I wish to be alone.”
    If he stayed much longer, they’d both say things they’d regret, things they might not be able to take back.
    “I’m not moving into another room.”
    “That’s not what I meant,” Diana said wearily, sinking into a chair upholstered in cream-colored brocade. “I didn’t suppose you would go, even if I became hysterical and demanded it. And you know full well I don’t want to call that kind of attention to myself.”
    “What did you mean, then?”
    “That I need a bit of privacy. To think. To get over being so . . . annoyed with you.” How could he not understand? Having him place this ring on her finger during the wedding ceremony would have made her