The Wedding Wager Read Online Free PDF Page B

hear that. But that isn’t what you came to tell me, is it?” she asked, looking sharply at him. “You told them you offered for me, and they told someone else. Is that it?”
    He nodded, unsure whether to be glad or sorry of her perspicacity. He looked at her face, but it was strangely expressionless.
    “Well then, you’ve broken the rules, so I win.”
    “No,” he argued. “You agreed to change the rules so I could tell my uncles. It’s not my fault they told my aunts, who told everybody else.”
    “But the fact remains that the wager is no longer valid, now that everyone thinks you’re engaged to marry me. You’ll have to deny the engagement.”
    “How can I do that? I’d look a damned fool to my uncles, and then it’ll be five more years before they let me do anything.”
    “I shall cry off, then.”
    Damn! Somehow it hurt to hear how eager Harry was to end the wager. More than ever, Julian was convinced they’d make a perfect match. The trouble was, how could he convince her?
    “I’ve a better idea,” he said. “You have to admit, I was winning the wager, so you can’t say I’m a rake any more. You can’t deny you’ve enjoyed our times together, so you can’t say we don’t suit. Why don’t we just sent notice of our engagement to the papers and be done with it?”
    Harry was silent, and again her expression was hard to read. She had never been so reserved with him before; the strange sense of hurt he’d been feeling increased.
    “Why don’t you say something?” he coaxed. “Do you really think it would be so awful to be married to me?”
    “No, of course not,” she said, beginning to climb the steps into the house.
    Her tone this time was warmer, more encouraging. Or perhaps she was just trying to spare his feelings.
    “So you’ll marry me?”
    “I didn’t say that,” she replied swiftly.
    “Will you at least allow me the chance to win our wager?”
    She glanced at him briefly, then looked away.
    “Very well,” she said. “There is still a month left, after all.”
    With that, he had to be content.
     
    * * *
     
    That afternoon, after Julian left, Harry went for a long ride. It had been a struggle to maintain a cheerful facade so that neither he, Papa nor Aunt Claudia would guess at the jumbled state of her emotions.
    She should have insisted that they cancel the wager, but Julian had looked so hurt that she’d given in to his pleading. She was clearly a fool; it was really beginning to look as if Julian would win.
    She’d be an even greater fool if she flattered herself that Julian was persevering for her sake. Although he was clearly convinced that marriage would benefit them both, she had to remember that all he really wanted was control of the Ardleigh estate.
    Why hadn’t she remembered that Julian could show great resolution when something he really wanted was at stake? In fact, she didn’t doubt now that he could remain faithful to a wife that he loved. He’d make some fortunate lady a wonderful husband one day. Why did the thought make her feel just a trifle forlorn?
    Shaking her head, she rode on.
    More than ever, Harry was certain that friendship alone would not ensure a happy marriage. Thinking over the past weeks, she realized it would be easy enough to develop a tendre for Julian, if she allowed herself to do so. However, that would only make matters worse, for it was impossible to imagine him returning her feelings.
    She couldn’t allow this to happen. If worst came to worst, she would have to ask Julian to release her from their agreement. There was no way he could force her to uphold her side of the bargain, after all. However, he would think it dishonorable of her to back out at the last minute. He would be disappointed, even angry. Even if he eventually forgave her, their friendship would never be the same.
    Harry felt tears prick her eyelids at the thought. Gloomily, she decided that the best thing that could happen was if some lady who didn’t care