Chapter 8 #3
She took a deep breath, her hand tightening on Marco’s shoulder.
Ice Queen indeed. If only they could see the tumult that raged inside her.
And that wasn’t even the worst of the terrible rumors about her.
She knew the vile names the gentleman of the ton called her behind her back.
Knew their vulgar speculations about her purity.
And she refused to let them know how much it hurt her, so she turned herself to cold iron and let them believe she was heartless.
It had the added benefit of keeping most men at bay, but it also made her feel sad and alone. She wanted to weep for her loneliness.
Marco cupped her face and tucked a tendril of curling hair behind her ear. His eyes were impossibly soft as he gazed at her, and it was all Alice could do to keep from sobbing into his chest.
“How could anyone think you are cold, Alice?” Marco whispered, leaning his lips down towards her. “You set me aflame with just one look.”
Alice relished his kiss, the softness of his lips, and the strength of his hands as they gripped her shoulders.
If she could only find a gentleman who could kiss her like this, she could happily marry them.
This thought gave her a dizzying rush. Then there was a pounding knock on the door, and she was jolted out of her reverie.
“Mr. Alegria!” a deep male voice called through the door. “We have been looking for you since the storm hit sir. I have the carriage so you and the lady may return to the house. The lady’s maid was most insistent that we bring you back immediately."
“Thank you. We will be out momentarily," Marco called back. He silently cursed his caring staff. He wanted to send them all to the devil at this moment, especially the dashed coachman who had interrupted them. But he could not fault them for looking after him, nor Alice’s maid for wanting her charge returned unharmed.
He grabbed his jacket from the chair he had tossed it on when they first entered the cabin.
"Here, take my coat; it is drier than yours. "
“Thank you,” Alice smiled, setting the blanket back on the bed and following Marco out to the carriage. The rain had lessened to a shower, and she was grateful to clamber into the coach behind Marco without having to get much wetter.
The coachman closed the door with a bow and climbed atop his perch.
Moments later, the carriage lurched forward, and they were on their way, Dido and Marco’s horse, Zeus, tied to the back.
Marco turned to her with the softest look, and Alice thought he might kiss her again.
Instead, he took her hands between his own and began to rub them softly.
It was then that Alice realized she had started trembling again.
"Your hands are like ice," he said gently. Alice smiled; she felt as if the ice she had shrouded her heart in melted a little more every moment she spent in his presence.
"You are far too kind," she sighed, leaning her head back against the squabs. "If there were a gentleman in society even half so kind, perhaps I would consider marrying him."
Marco's hands suddenly stilled against her. She looked up to find him staring at her intently, and a wariness crept into her heart.
"What if you married me?" he whispered. Alice felt a dagger of dread pierce her and tried not to show it as she caught her breath.
"Pardon me? I don't believe I heard you correctly," she asked, her voice cracking in a way that made her wince.
"You heard me well enough," he said, holding her eyes with a steady stare. "What if we were to marry?"
"What can you mean to gain by this game?
" Alice said, her heart thundering. Part of her wanted to rejoice at his words, but the greater part was horribly disappointed at them too.
She had thought he was different and could be a true friend, but it seemed he was just the same as the others.
He only wanted one thing from her: her money.
"I of course would gain something, but you would also gain a husband who would not stifle you," Marco said. His smile seemed sincere, but Alice felt that she suddenly could not trust him. "What do you say?"
Alice's mind was reeling. She did not know what to think.
She thought for a moment that he was teasing her, playing a sick game.
Maybe it was a ruse to see if the Ice Queen could be thawed.
She wouldn't be surprised if the other gentleman devised such a scheme just to humiliate her.
But the bond she felt with Marco appeared to be genuine.
It would be disheartening to discover how badly she had misjudged him.
She expected her anger to rise at the thought, but it didn't. Rather than rage, she felt relief.
She didn't have to worry about how his eyes made her heart skip a beat if he was only after her money.
Or that his kisses made her knees weak. Instead, she could focus on how she might use this turn of events for her own ends.
If he was attempting to use her, she could turn it to her advantage and use him right back.
"I suppose I might accept such a proposal on one condition," she said, feigning a calm she did not feel, for her heart was thundering so fast she could feel the beat in her ears. When Marco raised his brows in question, she continued, "That we have no children.”