perhaps. A good heart. "No, that does not displease me," he said gently. "And I would not call the inability to have children a defect. I don't really care for children, to be honest."
She lifted her chin. "Neither do I." It was a lie, but a well-delivered one. She did not want this man, or anyone, to be honest, to see the pain her failing brought her.
Julian fidgeted, just a little. His spine stiffened, his nose twitched. "But in truth, the only moral reason for a man and woman to lie together is to create a child."
"What about pleasure?" she asked before he could go further.
Again, his cheeks flushed pink. "We are not animals, Anya," he said sternly.
"But we are."
He lifted a silencing hand. "This is not a discussion we should have at the present time. I only mean to make it clear that you and I will not share a bed."
"Not until we are married."
"Not at all."
She took a moment to study his profile. "You do not find me pleasing?" No, she knew he was attracted to her; she had felt his response, seen it in his eyes, and felt it fill her hand.
"You're a very attractive young woman," he said primly. "Even if you are most inappropriately attired."
"You will not sleep with me because I cannot give you a child, and yet you wish to marry me?"
"I have taken a vow of celibacy," he said, his words clipped.
"You are a holy man?"
"No. I have taken the vow because we as civilized human beings should be above our baser instincts. We should be able to control our desires and put the energy within us to work in better, higher ways." He did not look at her as he delivered his ridiculous speech. His eyes were fixed on the wall ahead.
"That is bloody stupid," Anya said with a grin. "Who told you such a thing?"
"It's a widely accepted fact—"
"It is very stupid."
"You need a husband. I need a wife." Still, he did not look at her. "In a few months' time I will begin my travels. I am a scholar, you see, and I wish to study and write about primitive cultures. This venture will require me to spend most of my time in the coming years away from home."
"Then I do not see why we need to marry at all," she said succinctly. "You do not wish to bed me, and you do not wish to live here. Why do you need a wife, Dr. DeButy?"
He glanced down at her, his dark eyes penetrating and yet still kind. "Your grandmother has offered to finance my travels. In exchange, I will do my best to take up where your tutors have failed."
Julian DeButy intended to be yet another teacher. He wanted to change everything about her, just as her family did. Anya's heart fell. She would never be good enough to suit the people around her. "What makes you think you will succeed where they have failed?"
"I am a very persistent man, Anya. I do not take on any task even considering the possibility of failure."
She smiled up at him. "They call me the Beast of Rose Hill."
"So I have heard."
"And I do not see why I need to be more like my insipid, boring, fat cousin Valerie."
"Insipid and boring mean basically the same thing," he said calmly, "and it's rude to refer to your more robust kin as fat."
"Even if she is?"
"Even if she is."
Anya unfolded her legs and slowly rose. She should throw something breakable across the room and tell Julian DeButy to go to hell. If she did that, he would leave. Somehow she already knew he was not a man to beg.
But if Julian left, Grandmother would only bring in another man. Perhaps someone who was not so handsome or tall or honest. Perhaps a man who did not have a good heart, as she sensed this man did. She had met so few good-hearted people since coming here, she did not think she could bear to send this one away.
Julian was so sure they would not share a bed as man and wife. She did not agree, but now was not the time to oppose him. She would seduce her husband when the time was right, and that seduction would not be difficult. He already wanted her. He looked at her and responded. In truth, enticing Julian DeButy into her bed
She lifted her chin. "Neither do I." It was a lie, but a well-delivered one. She did not want this man, or anyone, to be honest, to see the pain her failing brought her.
Julian fidgeted, just a little. His spine stiffened, his nose twitched. "But in truth, the only moral reason for a man and woman to lie together is to create a child."
"What about pleasure?" she asked before he could go further.
Again, his cheeks flushed pink. "We are not animals, Anya," he said sternly.
"But we are."
He lifted a silencing hand. "This is not a discussion we should have at the present time. I only mean to make it clear that you and I will not share a bed."
"Not until we are married."
"Not at all."
She took a moment to study his profile. "You do not find me pleasing?" No, she knew he was attracted to her; she had felt his response, seen it in his eyes, and felt it fill her hand.
"You're a very attractive young woman," he said primly. "Even if you are most inappropriately attired."
"You will not sleep with me because I cannot give you a child, and yet you wish to marry me?"
"I have taken a vow of celibacy," he said, his words clipped.
"You are a holy man?"
"No. I have taken the vow because we as civilized human beings should be above our baser instincts. We should be able to control our desires and put the energy within us to work in better, higher ways." He did not look at her as he delivered his ridiculous speech. His eyes were fixed on the wall ahead.
"That is bloody stupid," Anya said with a grin. "Who told you such a thing?"
"It's a widely accepted fact—"
"It is very stupid."
"You need a husband. I need a wife." Still, he did not look at her. "In a few months' time I will begin my travels. I am a scholar, you see, and I wish to study and write about primitive cultures. This venture will require me to spend most of my time in the coming years away from home."
"Then I do not see why we need to marry at all," she said succinctly. "You do not wish to bed me, and you do not wish to live here. Why do you need a wife, Dr. DeButy?"
He glanced down at her, his dark eyes penetrating and yet still kind. "Your grandmother has offered to finance my travels. In exchange, I will do my best to take up where your tutors have failed."
Julian DeButy intended to be yet another teacher. He wanted to change everything about her, just as her family did. Anya's heart fell. She would never be good enough to suit the people around her. "What makes you think you will succeed where they have failed?"
"I am a very persistent man, Anya. I do not take on any task even considering the possibility of failure."
She smiled up at him. "They call me the Beast of Rose Hill."
"So I have heard."
"And I do not see why I need to be more like my insipid, boring, fat cousin Valerie."
"Insipid and boring mean basically the same thing," he said calmly, "and it's rude to refer to your more robust kin as fat."
"Even if she is?"
"Even if she is."
Anya unfolded her legs and slowly rose. She should throw something breakable across the room and tell Julian DeButy to go to hell. If she did that, he would leave. Somehow she already knew he was not a man to beg.
But if Julian left, Grandmother would only bring in another man. Perhaps someone who was not so handsome or tall or honest. Perhaps a man who did not have a good heart, as she sensed this man did. She had met so few good-hearted people since coming here, she did not think she could bear to send this one away.
Julian was so sure they would not share a bed as man and wife. She did not agree, but now was not the time to oppose him. She would seduce her husband when the time was right, and that seduction would not be difficult. He already wanted her. He looked at her and responded. In truth, enticing Julian DeButy into her bed
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