An Infamous Proposal Read Free Page A

she asked in confusion. “I thought—I just assumed—”
    He stared at her a moment, speechless with anger. When he found voice, Emma wished he had not. “Marry you!” he asked, his voice high with disbelief and heavy with irony. “Upon my word, you take a good deal for granted, Lady Capehart.”
    “But you said—”
    “I said you could count on me for any little matter about the estate that requires a man’s attention. My offer falls a good deal short of marriage.”
    Emma found it hard to tell whether he was more astonished or outraged. She felt the sting of deep humiliation. When she realized her error, her humiliation was rapidly followed by a flash of anger. “There’s no need to pull your ears back like an angry mare, Hansard. You needn’t think I love you!”
    “Then why have you just proposed marriage to me?”
    “Because—because Papa is going to send Aunt Hildegarde,” she said, and clenched her lips to hold in a surge of tears, which were due more to Hansard’s rebuke than to the threat of Hildegarde. Anger and shame burned like acid inside her.
    “And you are actually scatterbrained enough to marry only to avoid an aunt’s visit? I fear you and I have a vastly different view of marriage, ma’am. I don’t consider it a prank or trick to avoid some minor unpleasantness. When I marry it will be to a lady I love and respect.”
    “Are you saying you don’t respect me?” she shot back. All fear of tears vanished, leaving behind undiluted anger.
    “I find it hard to respect a lady who would offer for a gentleman who has given no indication of interest in her.”
    “I didn’t offer! I thought that was what you meant! What else should a lady think when you are always underfoot. You just said I could rely on you, that you were always at my disposal.”
    “That was mere courtesy,” he snapped, wincing at that “always underfoot.” She was always summoning him!
    She tossed her head defiantly. “Is that what you call it? In any case, it would be an excellent match. Whitehern and your estate run side by side. I doubt you will find any lady better dowered or less demanding.”
    “I see no reason to suppose you would be less demanding as a wife than as a neighbor. And you have omitted the other rather important factor. I don’t love you.”
    She sniffed to cover her shame. But the two red flags burning on her cheeks betrayed her agitation. “Love has nothing to do with it. I had in mind a marriage of convenience.” This was not true, but her self-respect required some bolstering. She couldn’t let him walk away with the idea that she loved him. Indeed, at that moment she despised him thoroughly.
    A gasp of astonishment hung on the air. “This goes from bad to worse!” he charged. “You are saying you don’t even like me, but you are willing—nay—eager to have me. I can only assume the advantage of adding my estate to yours is the real motive behind this extraordinary suggestion.”
    “I only mentioned that because I thought it might appeal to your—vanity,” she said, unhappy with the last word, but unable to think of a better one. “I am not in the least eager to have you. I considered you marginally better than Aunt Hildegarde—and she is horrid.” She assumed an air of dignity and said, “I see now that I was mistaken. We should not suit in the least.”
    “That is something we can agree on.” He rose stiffly and set down his glass. The astonishing, tumultuous nature of their meeting left him in a state of bewilderment. Yet despite all, he still felt some responsibility for Emma. Her performance that evening showed him she was in dire need of guidance. He braced himself to speak once more. “If you wish to marry, Lady Capehart, I suggest you set about it in the regular way. This sort of forward behavior will only disgust any gentleman of taste and refinement.”
    “So I assume, when it even disgusted you,” she retorted childishly. “And how can I proceed in the regular