Don't worry," he said flippantly, taking her arm and starting to walk back toward the house. "I'm not going to make the ritualistic proposal that followed our last encounters. Marriage is out of the question. Among other things, I'm fresh out of large rubies and expensive furs this season."
Despite his joking tone, Elizabeth felt ill at how ugly those words sounded now, even though her reasons for saying them at the time had nothing to do with a desire for jewels or furs. You had to give him credit, she decided miserably, because he obviously took no offense at it. Evidently, in sophisticated flirtations, the rule was that no one took anything seriously.
"Who's the leading contender these days?" he asked in that same light tone as the cottage came into view. "There must be more than Belhaven and Marchman."
Elizabeth struggled valiantly to make the same transition from heated passion to flippancy that he seemed to find so easy. She wasn't quite so successful, however, and her light tone was threaded with confusion. "In my uncle's eyes, the leading contender is whoever has the most important title, followed by the most money."
"Of course," he said dryly. "In which case it sounds as if Marchman may be the lucky man."
His utter lack of caring made Elizabeth's heart squeeze in an awful, inexplicable way. Her chin lifted in self-defense. "Actually, I'm not in the market for a husband," she informed him, trying to sound as indifferent and as amused as he. "I may to marry someone if I can't continue to outmaneuver my uncle, but I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to marry a much older man than I."
"Preferably a blind one," he said sardonically, "who'll not notice a little affair now and then?"
"I ," she informed him with a dark glance, "that I want my freedom. Independence. And that is something a young husband isn't likely to give me, while an elderly one might."
"Independence is an old man will be able to give you," Ian said blntly.
"That's quite enough," she said. "I'm excessively tired of being forever pushed about by the men in my life. I'd like to care for Havenhurst and do as I wish to do."
"Marry an old man," Ian interjected smoothly, "and you may be the of the Camerons."
She looked at him blankly.
"He won't be able to give you children."
"Oh, that," Elizabeth said, feeling a little defeated and nonplussed. "I haven't been able to work that out yet."
"Let me know when you do," Ian replied with biting sarcasm. "There's a fortune to be made from a discovery like that one."
Despite his joking tone, Elizabeth felt ill at how ugly those words sounded now, even though her reasons for saying them at the time had nothing to do with a desire for jewels or furs. You had to give him credit, she decided miserably, because he obviously took no offense at it. Evidently, in sophisticated flirtations, the rule was that no one took anything seriously.
"Who's the leading contender these days?" he asked in that same light tone as the cottage came into view. "There must be more than Belhaven and Marchman."
Elizabeth struggled valiantly to make the same transition from heated passion to flippancy that he seemed to find so easy. She wasn't quite so successful, however, and her light tone was threaded with confusion. "In my uncle's eyes, the leading contender is whoever has the most important title, followed by the most money."
"Of course," he said dryly. "In which case it sounds as if Marchman may be the lucky man."
His utter lack of caring made Elizabeth's heart squeeze in an awful, inexplicable way. Her chin lifted in self-defense. "Actually, I'm not in the market for a husband," she informed him, trying to sound as indifferent and as amused as he. "I may to marry someone if I can't continue to outmaneuver my uncle, but I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to marry a much older man than I."
"Preferably a blind one," he said sardonically, "who'll not notice a little affair now and then?"
"I ," she informed him with a dark glance, "that I want my freedom. Independence. And that is something a young husband isn't likely to give me, while an elderly one might."
"Independence is an old man will be able to give you," Ian said blntly.
"That's quite enough," she said. "I'm excessively tired of being forever pushed about by the men in my life. I'd like to care for Havenhurst and do as I wish to do."
"Marry an old man," Ian interjected smoothly, "and you may be the of the Camerons."
She looked at him blankly.
"He won't be able to give you children."
"Oh, that," Elizabeth said, feeling a little defeated and nonplussed. "I haven't been able to work that out yet."
"Let me know when you do," Ian replied with biting sarcasm. "There's a fortune to be made from a discovery like that one."
( Judith McNaught )
[ Almost Heaven ]
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