Free Betina Krahn by Make Me Yours (v5.0)

as well as a joyous undertaking.”
    “So it is.” Mariah studied the man, trying to square that statement with his presence on a list of potential husbands for a prince’s mistress. A joyous undertaking. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
    “I own an inn on the Edinburgh Road, north of Lincoln, which I wish to continue to operate after my marriage,” she said with a sidelong glance at Jack. “Though I will likely be spending time away from it.”
    “Moving to your husband’s home, no doubt,” Bickering said, looking increasingly uncomfortable under Jack’s increasingly stony regard.
    “Yes, but there are circumstances—” She laid a hand on Jack’s sleeve again. “Would you mind leaving us for a few moments? I have a matter to discuss with Mr. Bickering in private.”
    “Private?” Jack straightened. “Anything you have to say can be said in front of me.”
    “I would draw on Mr. Bickering’s experience in a delicate matter.” She ordered him to the door with her eyes, eager to test the new sense of possibilities that had come over her.Perhaps…just perhaps…being married again wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her.
    “All the more reason I should be here.” He scowled, clearly offended by the notion of personal contact between her and her prospective husband.
    “Don’t be silly, it has nothing to do with you. I simply want to consult Mr. Bickering’s experience. ” She pulled Jack up by the arm and bustled him out. When she had closed the door behind him, she leaned back against it, facing Thomas Bickering, who had risen with them and stood watching her with visible confusion.
    She smiled.
    “Tell me, Mr. Bickering, do you think marriage is a wise choice for a woman of independent means?”
    “The right marriage, Mrs. Eller. Certainly.” His confusion melted into heartfelt sincerity. “The right marriage is far more than a civil arrangement for providing heirs and apportioning property. It is a partnership of souls crafted out of love, respect and commitment. As such, it is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer.” His gaze shifted and warmed subtly, as if he were seeing something not quite material. “Had I believed otherwise, I would never have asked my sweet Cynthia to marry me.”
    “Your—” her jaw dropped “—Cynthia?”
     
    O UT IN THE hallway, Jack St. Lawrence paced and fumed. If there hadn’t been so many people around, clerks trundling back and forth with arms full of legal folios, he’d have had his ear to the lock. Why did lawyers have to have such damned thick doors?
    But he didn’t really have to hear; he already knew what she was up to. He could see it as plain as day in his mind. She was swaying across the room…removing her scentedgloves with mesmerizing leisure…gliding around the poor wretch’s desk like the Serpent in the Garden…all while interrogating him suggestively about his table manners and gambling habits and corset preferences. He could guess what came after that: a sampling of the wretch’s amorous skill. Or lack thereof.
    He made himself take one deep breath and another before he lunged for the knob…and managed to stop himself. Charging back inside would be tantamount to admitting that he cared that she threw herself at the lawyer. The satisfaction that would give her would be just too humiliating. Growling quietly, he stepped away from the door.
    Voices rose after a few minutes and the door opened, startling him away from the wall where he had been leaning. The lawyer escorted Mariah out with a chummy hand on her elbow. Her gaze was lowered, but she was smiling, and Bickering’s face was red and his eyes were unnaturally bright. Clearly, something had happened between them.
    “Good to meet you, St. Lawrence. Let me know if I can be of further service.” The lawyer offered Jack his hand while consulting his pocket watch. “Must be on my way. Can’t afford to be late—not for this.”
    With a gracious nod,