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He’d never loved Lorna like he loved Sophie

The realization stung worse than any blow

"You wanted to marry me"

She sed "No," she said

He heard the lie and it wrecked hi to ain and you won’t be alive toyour daughter as bait, and now you rush to protect her?" King did not have a chance to punctuate the question with a fist into his future father-in-law’s face, however, as Sophie was shouting herself, now

"Fine! I did want to marry you!"

He shouldn’t have been shocked, but he was

He shouldn’t have been devastated, but he was

Even as he’d heard the lie, he’d hoped it was true

I wished to say that I love you

What an idiot he’d been He’d never in his life wanted to believe so as much as he wanted to believe that she did love him But he couldn’t She’d betrayed hiodda

"I wanted to ht mind wouldn’t want towith unshed tears "You’re perfect" She was destroying him with her si just slightly, as though she couldn’t quite believe them herself "You don’t have to marry me Think of all the others--you never married them"

He hadn’t ruined the others He’d never touched them He’d never known the feel of their soft skin or the way their hair fell across his bedsheets or the way their lips looked, red and lush, covered in strawberry tart and kisses

He hadn’t loved the others

He considered her for a longher for her tears, for the way they clawed at hi hi hiht not be the prettiest or the erous of all the daughters, aren’t you, Sophie?" he said, hating hiined he’d be hating hie

He wanted to punish her as she had punished hi she’d ever wanted, and then snatch it all away

King looked to his future father-in-law "You’ll have your wedding," he said, before turning away, stalking to his desk, extracting paper and pen "Now get out"

King summoned her to the drive of Lyne Castle the next afternoon

Sophie arrived coiffed and dressed in a deep, beautiful purple that Seleste had provided--her sister had sworn that the gown--tighter than Sophie ’s attention It was a stunning gown, all lush satin skirts and low necklines, with slippers toto do anything necessary for a chance to convince King that she hadn’t lied, so it see trussed into a new frock and uncomfortable shoes was a small price to pay for it Perhaps, if he found the dress attractive, he’d allow her to explain what had happened Why she’d coht Why she’d left

Perhaps he’d let her go

Let her walk away, and free him of her Give him a chance to find another wo block of his curricle, two perfectlyin the dirt She looked up at him, jaw set, hat low over his brow, reins in hand "Your curricle is returned"

"Not the wheels," he replied without looking at her