Page 33 of The Rogue’s Offer

If that were the case, why hadn’t it bothered her when Mathias had loaned her Storm? As the music ended with a flourish of notes, the earl slowly released from his arms before cupping her elbow and guiding her out onto the dimly lit patio.

It was the second time she’d been here this evening, but at least she didn’t find the earl’s company unpleasant. In fact, she liked him. He had a good sense of humor, and was quite intelligent. As he guided her toward the balustrade, the earl pulled to a stop and met her gaze with a determined glint in his eye.

“I’ll call for you at nine o’clock.” The unyielding note in Chelmsford’s voice made Ophelia slowly shake her head.

“I am sorry, my—Gideon, but I’m unable to join you as I have a previous commitment.”

“Indeed.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her intently. “And would this commitment involve Gilchrist?”

Startled by the irritation in his voice, Ophelia stared at him in surprise. The earl’s expression was immediately rueful. With a shrug the earl suddenly eyed her as if surprised by a sudden revelation.

“I suppose I haven’t made my intentions clear, Ophelia. I‘m a man who usually takes a great deal of time making decisions. I consider all my options.” Gideon bent his head toward her in a clear effort to keep his words between the two of them. “And although we’ve only spent a short time in each other’s company, I believe we would do quite well together.”

“Together?” She inhaled a sharp breath as she realized exactly what the man was saying. A small smile tilted the corners of his mouth as he nodded.

“You seem surprised.”

“I’m not sure what to say,” she murmured. “I’ve never…a liaison isn’t—”

“Actually, I was thinking of something more permanent.” At his amused expression, Ophelia took a quick step backward and shook her head.

“We hardly know each other,” she choked out as she struggled with comprehending the strong possibility the earl was proposing marriage. “And surely you need an heir, I am...I do not believe I…”

“While I would welcome a son, my nephew is more than suitable to inherit my title. Until you, I’d not met a woman I was willing to look at across the breakfast table every morning for the rest of my life.” His lips twisted in wry amusement as he met her gaze. “But the thought of hearing your voice every morning is a pleasant one, and I believe affection would grow between us over time.”

“I am…I am flattered,” she whispered as she tried to find the words to reject him without injuring his pride. Despite liking him, she could never agree to marry the earl. “I’m sorry, but I could never marry again.”

“I see.” Arms folded against his chest, he eyed her with obvious amusement. “And is the thought of marry me such an abhorrent one?”

“No, it’s not…” When she hesitated, the earl’s amusement dissolved into a look of inquisitive puzzlement as she shook her head in an attempt to soften her rejection. "Please, you must understand. I’m truly flattered, but the thought of marrying any man…I could never…it’s impossible.”

At the vehemence in her voice, Gideon studied her gravely for a long moment then turned to stare out over the moonlit garden. He remained silent for a moment before he cleared his throat.

“Was Havenstock as much of a brute as I suspect he was?” he asked quietly as he continued to keep his eyes focused on shadows and the moonlight.

“I don’t…” Her words faded away into silence as she noticed how hard the earl’s profile had become. Her heart skipped a beat as a sense of doom spiraled through her.

“It was no secret the man had a propensity for indulging in the darker intimacies between a man and woman. I can only imagine the pain he must have caused you.”

“Oh dear God,” she rasped in horror. The earl quickly turned to her with an expression of remorse on his face. Gently taking her hands in his, he eyed her with genuine regret.

“Forgive me, Ophelia. I should never have questioned you in such a manner. I never heard the man mention your name, only the pleasure he derived from certain activities. Acts that no decent man would ever do with any woman. Your obvious determination not to marry again and my knowledge of the man’s depravity is why I believe the man had to have been a brutish husband.”

A cloud of anger swept across Gideon’s face before his gray eyes met hers with a gentle understanding. Ophelia struggled to control her humiliation and find her voice to form a coherent reply. The earl shook his head with a look of frustration.

“I’m simply trying to say, and in clearly an awkward fashion, that I can understand why you might not wish to marry again. But I swear to you that I would never treat you with anything but kindness and respect.”

Still stunned by Gideon’s observations, Ophelia closed her eyes as she imagined all the gossip George’s behavior had created or about the manner in which he’d bedded her. The idea of being pitied by others was far more distressing than being a laughingstock. With a jerk, she pulled her hands free of the earl’s.

“Please…I would like to go back in now.” Ophelia heard the tremor in her voice, and Gideon grimaced with regret.

“Of course,” the earl said with a small sound of self-disgust. Offering her his arm, he gently tucked it inside his. “Will you forgive me, my dear? I’ve clearly caused you pain, which was never my intent.”

At the sincere note of remorse in his voice, Ophelia forced a small smile to her lips. She swallowed the knot in her throat as she met his gaze. The regret she saw in his eyes was profound, and the deep embarrassment inside her eased somewhat. With a brief squeeze of his arm, she nodded.

“You are forgiven. You simply confirmed what I have suspected all these years. I’ve simply never allowed myself to admit it before.” Her quiet words caused relief to settle on his handsome features.

“Then there’s hope for me yet.” The gentle note in his voice was accompanied by a reassuring smile. “Which leads me back to my original invitation that you ride with me in the morning.”