Page 92 of A Foolish Flirtation

Jeremy colored. “I told her I intended to marry her,” he began defensively, “and I meant that part alright.” Nye scoffed.

“Nye! This is hardly helpful,” Mina said sternly, then turned back to Jeremy. “Is that when you told Emmeline your true motive in marrying her?” she asked gently. “I must say, even though I believe in perfect truth between husband and wife, I think that was a misstep.”

Jeremy frowned at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Do you mean to tell me,” Nye interrupted them, “that with all your fancy schooling, Faris, you told a woman you were marrying her purely because you wanted her in your bed?”

Mina spluttered. “Nye!” she protested.

“I mean, he made it pretty damned obvious! Did you not see the way he was watching her that night? Like a bloody hawk.”

“Of course I never told her that!” Jeremy said hotly before turning back to his sister. “What exactly do you mean by ‘my true motive.’ Mina?” he asked.

“There is no need for reticence on the subject,” Mina answered in level tones. “Emmeline told me of it herself.”

“Told you what?”

“That you married her at Teddy’s request.”

“At Teddy’s…?” Jeremy regarded his sister speechlessly.

Nye gave an explosive snort. “Is that what you told her? What a load of bollocks!”

“Nye, I really will not tolerate that kind of language in my private parlor,” his wife told him firmly.

His brother leaned back in his chair, casting an indulgent look at his wife. “I’ve said my piece, I’m content.”

Mina turned back to Jeremy. “Clearly, your wife took what you said too much to heart,” she continued, “and doubtless she now thinks your affections are not at all engaged. Really, I cannot say that I blame her one bit, you have handled this very poorly, Jeremy.”

“That’s not why I married her! I never said it was for Teddy’s sake…” His words trailed off as he thought about it. It was true he had never used that justification that morning in Hutton’s but that was why he had renewed their acquaintance in the first place.

Could he really blame her if she had taken that as his primary motivation in marrying her? Now that he considered it, he did think she had said something along those lines just before she asked him to never mention the Hawfords’ ball again.

What was it she had said? He went over the moment in his mind. He had asked her if she would rather he never spoke of their shared past together and she had replied, I could hardly ask that of you, not when the very reason you married me was to reassure your son on that score. He cursed aloud, making his sister wince.

God, last night was far from his only blunder, he realized belatedly. He had been hurt, annoyed that Emmeline did not want to hear him reminiscing, so he had not addressed it as he should have at the time. “I’ve been such a blind fool,” he groaned.

“What did you tell her, then? About wanting to marry her,” Nye asked narrowly. “That’s what I want to know.”

“A lot of things I thought she would find more palatable than the truth,” he admitted.

“Such as?” Mina probed.

“That I wanted a wife who would be content living quietly in the country,” he said vaguely.

“Well, that’s not so bad,” Nye said bracingly. “You probably do want that, don’t you? It’s about time you settled down.”

Jeremy shrugged a shoulder. “Not really. I should not mind the odd jaunt to town still, if only she would deign to join me.”

“Listen,” his brother said, leaning forward, “what you need to do is forget all this ‘politeness ever after’ stuff and have it out with her, lay your cards on the table and clear the air.”

“It’s not that simple,” Jeremy admitted. “As I said, there are reasons…certain episodes in our past that I have promised never to revisit with her. When I’ve tried, it has not gone well.” He almost shuddered. “I’ve made things palpably worse between us.”

“Jeremy has wronged Emmeline in the past,” Mina explained patiently to Nye. “He needs to tread very carefully, not blunder about like a bull in a china shop.”

Jeremy looked up quickly. “What did she tell you?”

“Very little. I picked up an inference, that was all. I’m right though, aren’t I?”