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It was the thought that for the first tie becaive up his fight, to spend evenings with her instead of poring over shipping records, searching for a pattern that would yield profit

No He couldn’t let hi about his inchoate wishes left him unprepared when he reached the church where they were to be hout the cere and couldn’t reach out to catch hi hioas the color of daylight just before sunset; if he looked at her too long, he feared he one The vicar stood between theo couldn’t comprehend--richer and poorer, troth, wife He repeated his vows in a dream; he barely heard her answers

But when he took her hand to slip his ring onto her finger, she was solid and war in the rooave hi, for love, but a light brush of his lips for the brief space of tie after, as he returned Serena and her sister to her home, he could not help but think of what he would not have The carriage drew up; her sister diseo said, "and I’ve arranged your passage on the stage I hired a woue; you shouldn’t be alone under the circumstances"

She was turned away from him

"Thank you," she said Her hand clenched in the fabric of her skirts convulsively

"If you need , you have only to ask" A foolish offer, but then, he was used to turning into a fool around her

"I…that is…" Her voice quivered and deep inside, some part of him quailed

"What?" The word came out cold, but he didn’t care

She turned to hie after all"

Yes, sorowled But what came out was the clipped version: "Why? Is this souided thanks? I don’t want--"

Her lips thinned "Because maybe you can pretend that this is solely a business transaction, but I cannot Consummation will provide us both with soed More than that We are ement, but it is still real"

"It isn’t," he said

"It is What is a husband, but the man who offers you support when all the world turns you away?"

Was that what he was to her? He couldn’t look at her now, or she’d see how much those words affected him

She continued "What is a wife, but a partner ill see you through to your deepest wishes? We have promised each other our deepest wishes"

"Have we?"

"You will be my protection from the world And I…" She set her hand on his arated by e You’ve trusted me not to thwart your ambition Let me trust you with this, too"

Yes

He couldn’tup his hands to touch her Instead, he gripped the edge of the seat "Have no hope of ive you"