Free Patrica Rice by Regency Delights Page B

spit up on me on the way to the house. I didn't exactly have time to change when I found you gone."
    He loved the way those lovely violet eyes widened with surprise. In some ways, she was still a child. He thought that might be a good thing when it came to raising children. One needed to think like a child sometimes.
    "Your daughter?" she asked questioningly, not coldly, not with condemnation, just asking explanation.
    Damien took her hand and traced the delicate lines of her palm. "I thought I made it clear that I'm a cad without scruples. I'm sure Jane confirmed it for you. I had every intention of doing the same thing to you that I did to her. I was afraid if you found out before we were wed, that you would turn your back on me. I couldn't afford that. I was willing to do anything for my child. Her name's Arianna, by the way. She's three months old today."
    "Arianna." She stared at him blankly. Damien knew he was doing this badly, but he didn't know any other way. He didn't want Sir Francis running in here shouting before he'd had time to explain. He had to speak hurriedly.
    "I was bringing her to you when you disappeared. I couldn't lie to you, Melanie. I didn't want our married life to start out on a lie. I gambled my daughter's future for yours. But I lost before I had either. I'm not only a scoundrel, I'm a failure at everything that meant anything to me. I can see why you would turn your back on me. But don't turn your back on yourself, Melanie. Give yourself a chance. Go back to London. Call yourself countess. I won't contradict you. I can find a small place in the country for Arianna and myself. I've seen enough of London to last me a lifetime, but you deserve more than burying yourself here and wasting away. Find someone you can love. You deserve that. You deserve far more than I can offer you."
    Tears streamed down her cheeks and Damien had the ridiculous impulse to kiss them away. He held himself back, though. He had to. If he ever had her in his arms again, he would never let her go. Love might have given him courage and strength, but he was only human. He wanted her too much to let her go. Right now, she wasn't his, so he could find the strength to hold himself back somehow. He'd forget all reasoning once he held her.
    "You're doing it again, aren't you?" she asked, spoiling the coolness of her tone with a small hiccup at the end. "You're calling yourself names. Shall I grab you by the cravat and shake you?"
    He managed a smile at the thought. "I could think of much more pleasant things to do if you'd like to grab my cravat, but if shaking me makes you happy, please do. I deserve far worse than that."
    "Oh, stop it," she said crossly, starting to swing her legs down from her perch only to discover he blocked her way.  "You can't seduce me anymore, Damien Langland. Babies don't come into this world by magic. Where is Arianna's mother? If you truly want to take care of your daughter, you will marry her mother. The three of you can live just as easily as two in some cottage in the country. Perhaps you could take a position as someone's bailiff. Or I could give you some kind of commission for taking care of my investments. There are any number of alternatives besides shackling yourself to a wife you don't want. You ought to be quite glad Jane left you at the altar. She's become a terrible harridan since I saw her last."
    "She was always a terrible harridan," he answered mildly. "I just had the strange notion that money would make life easier. I know better now. And if you won't have me, I'll accept your offer to make a commission on your investments. I'll gladly swallow my pride for Arianna's sake. But I want you. Perhaps I didn't make that clear enough. I don't want any other woman but you. Arianna needs a mother, but I need a wife more. I suppose, if you are happier looking for someone more honorable, I could learn to live with that. I might even find some comfortable farm woman to teach Arianna all those things