Chapter 11

Marie shuffled the stack of parchment she had been sorting through as she tidied her desk. There were at least five eligible bachelors of the ton that would be able to offer her a reasonable amount of security in life if she married one. Three of them were quite a stretch as they weren't her cup of tea, yet she had felt far too hopeless at leaving the list with just two names.

Her heart sank as the bell above the shop door tinkled, announcing the arrival of James.

I don't have the strength to face him now.

She stood behind her desk and took a deep breath as he came toward her with a roll of parchment in his hand. Her pulse began to race when she realized that it must have been the new contract to raise her rent. He had said that he would give her until the end of the week, but there was no guarantee that he would keep his word. She quickly began to come up with plans to stall him and win herself more time.

"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon; if you would care to sit down, we could discuss the way forward…" Her words were cut short when James snapped at her.

"There is no need for your sarcasm, and I'll thank you for keeping your wit in check." He came to her desk and thrust the scroll in her face before allowing it to fall on her desk. "Please sign the damn contract so that I may be on my way."

"Mr. McFunnugh, if you would just allow me to explain. If we could just talk about this, I'm sure there is something we could do that would benefit us both. I can offer to set up a match for you free of charge." Her heart pounded furiously now as she thought of any way she could delay or stop the change in her contract. Even marrying Dominic seemed like a good idea at present despite their differing characters.

Am I honestly considering this?

Her throat felt dry as she licked over her lips, her eyes darting back and forth across her desk.

"You can save the soppy pleading for the new owner of the building, Miss Webster. I do not need, nor do I want to hear any of it," he snapped at her impatiently before folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her.

"I beg your pardon?" Marie looked up in shock, noting the scowl of displeasure on his face. He seemed angry but not so much at her; the usual darkness in his eyes seemed to stare straight past her.

"My hand has been forced; I was made an offer that I simply could not refuse. As of today, at noon, you are no longer a tenant of mine. This building and several others that I had my eye on have been purchased by somebody else." His lips pulled into such a thin line that they almost disappeared entirely.

Feeling her lungs fill with air, she quickly reached for the roll of parchment on her desk, fumbling nervously as she unrolled the document. Her eyes glided over the official notice in disbelief. Everything seemed real, so real in fact that she began to wonder if James wasn't playing a cruel prank on her as punishment.

"You are not mistaken, Miss Webster; your rent has indeed been cut in half." The sourness in his voice was thick enough to slice bread.

Marie's mouth fell open in shock as she noted the official stamp on the parchment. She quickly recognized James' signature, yet the one beside it seemed far too important for any of the men who usually purchased property in her street. "This looks so real; I can hardly believe it." She shook her head and lifted a hand to her cheek, feeling the heat that was undoubtedly coloring her cheeks.

"Well, believe it; you are no longer my problem, and I wish you all the best." He barked at her and turned to leave just as Janey entered the room through the back door.

Stopping in her tracks, she eyed James warily before looking at Marie with a questioning glance.

"You should be happy, whatever your name is. Your future here at the shop has been saved by some unknown rider on a horse. I wish the both of you all the best with your meddling in decent people's affairs!" He whipped around with such ferocity that Marie feared his head would fall from his shoulders.

The door slammed shut behind his back, causing the bell to fall off its hook.

"Miss, has something happened?" Janey swallowed hard while eyeing the door as if he would return at any moment and bite her like a stray dog.

Marie sucked in a sharp breath that stung her lungs. She hadn't even realized that she had been holding her breath.

Can this be real?

Everything seemed to be moving so slowly as she tried to process what had just happened. Had her grandmother played a part? She had often said that she could curse someone who did her wrong.

"Miss?" Janey asked quietly as she came toward the desk wringing the front of her apron in her hands.

Snapping out of her daze, Marie blinked a few times and bit her lips before lifting the scroll and reading it to her.

"Do you mean to say that we will be paying less rent and the problem with Mr. McFunnugh has gone away?" the girl asked in disbelief as she sank into one of the chairs in front of the desk, something that she had never done in all her years of service.

"That seems to be the case, I must admit that I am just as shocked as you. I can't say that James will give up entirely now, but there is nothing he can dangle over my head as leverage." Marie let out a heavy sigh of disbelief.

"It's a miracle," Janey uttered with a pale face.

Realizing that she must have been taken aback by James's words, Marie softened as she looked at her maid. "Janey, I don't want you to worry about anything that Mr. McFunnugh said; I would never be able to run this business without your help. Your contributions have been invaluable ever since we opened. And with the rent being cut in half, perhaps there could be a small raise for you, so you won't have to work as late as you did last night." Marie felt hope returning to her chest as she listed the things that would now be possible for them both.

There was no need for her to find a suitor in a hurry; she could go back to the life she had envisioned for herself. There would be extra money now that the rent was reduced, so she could spend a little more on her grandmother or even take a vacation if business kept up as it was now.

"Thank you, miss. I just can't believe this has happened." Janey continued to stare out in front of her. All the blood had drained from her face, making the bags under her eyes even more visible.

"You've had quite a shock as have I; I think both of us could do with a sweet cup of tea. Don't you?" Marie spoke kindly, hoping to lull the girl out of her complacency and bring some life back into her eyes.

Janey sat quietly for a moment before looking up. "Who do you think bought the shop, miss?" Her doe-like eyes widened as she spoke.

"I can't say, but I don't think that someone would have bought it with ill intentions." She let out a heavy breath once again, overwhelmed by everything that had happened in such a short space of time.

"I am the new owner." Dominic's voice suddenly drew their attention to the door as both Janey and Marie looked up.

The shop bell lay beside his boots, having lost the battle after being slammed against the top of the door one too many times.

"Your Grace?" Marie stood and looked at him, confusion filling her heart and mind.

Janey hurriedly stood and cleared her throat. "I think I'll put the kettle on." She rushed from the room, leaving Dominic and Marie on their own.

"I don't understand?" Her heart raced as she suddenly felt light-headed and took a seat once again. Why was everything in her life changing so quickly? One minute she was happy and doing the best she could, and the next she was being proposed to left, right, and center by men who seemed hell-bent on stirring things up.

Dominic's lips curled into a smile as he came forward and took a seat, lazily flinging his arm over the back of his chair. "You told me that you wouldn't have to rush any kind of arranged marriage if your business was no longer being threatened. Your business is no longer being threatened. You also said that we have nothing in common; well now, we have the shop in common. You have your business with reasonable rent, and I own the building in which you operate."

Marie took a moment to take in all that was said. "I'm afraid that I still don't understand. Do you think that owning the building will force me to marry you?" Her anger suddenly rose as she stood and placed her hands on her desk, challenging him to come clean. She'd had more than enough of men telling her what she should do, and enough was enough.

"Not at all. I simply removed a few obstacles that you mentioned. Your new lease is simply a bonus set apart from my proposal that still stands." His face suddenly changed as she stood, and he came toward the desk, leaning toward her as he placed his hands in front of hers.

Her lips parted slightly as her chest began to rise and fall with every breath.

Is he serious about marrying me?

"I know that you didn't take my proposal seriously, but I will make you my wife. I realized after meeting every single woman in London that you threw into my lap that you are the only possible match. I will not stop until I have you, Marie." The deep tone of his voice as he said her name sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine. No man had ever told her what to do, yet she felt her resolve lessening under his gaze.

The depths of his icy blue eyes drew her in and made her question everything that she had believed as a woman. Hadn't she considered marrying him, even if it was just for a second? Her pulse raced when she realized that the thought hadn't been a repulsive one to her.

His head edged a little closer as he lowered his voice, angling his head toward her lips. "Why are you fighting this, Marie? You know as well as I do that you are attracted to me." The heat of his breath tickled her lips as the pace of her breathing deepened.

She was so close to him right now that any small movement on her behalf would lock her into a passionate kiss. The tips of his fingers brushed against hers, reminding her of their heated embrace.

"Just say yes." His eyes fell to her lips before shifting down to her chest, causing a wave of heat to flow through her body.

Fearing the consequences of a kiss, Marie pulled back, catching her breath. "My stance remains the same; I cannot marry you, Your Grace. Owning the building where I work does not constitute having things in common." She averted her gaze and walked to the door, hoping that having something to do with her hands would force her attention in a different direction.

Dominic smirked as he watched her retrieve the bell and struggle to reach the hook above the door. "No, but perhaps if you spend more time with me, you will be able to see that I am not as bad as you have made me out to be in your mind."

Her breath once again caught in her chest as he came up from behind, pressing his body into her back while reaching for the bell.

His fingers closed over hers for a second before she relinquished her grip and allowed him to take the bell. One hand rested on her shoulder as the other reached up with ease and returned the little gold bell to its rightful place in the hook.

She felt rooted to the spot as his lips drew closer to her ear, tickling the delicate flesh of her neck.

"Just give me a chance; you have nothing to lose now," he whispered in her ear, allowing his fingers to wander over her shoulder and down her arms.

"Your Grace…" She shut her eyes against the thrill of pleasure that spread over her skin.

"Won't you call me Dominic? I like saying your name, Marie," he growled hungrily in her ear, tightening his grip ever so slightly on her arms and eliciting a soft gasp from Marie.

"I don't think that would be entirely appropriate, Your Grace." Her heart beat furiously with anticipation as she felt her nipples hardening against her corset. Their light banter was exciting her more than she cared to admit.

His lips curled into a smile against her ear as he pulled her closer to his chest with his thighs pressing into the back of hers. "Don't tease me, Marie." His hands dropped to her wrists as they gently brushed her skin before moving to her hips and holding her firmly in place.

Realizing that things were getting a little too hot, Marie quickly slipped away from him, ducking beneath his arm and placing her back against the wall opposite the door. "I am not teasing you, Your Grace; it is not appropriate for me to be calling you by your given name." The space between them did little to dampen the heat that was building.

Dominic turned with a wolfish grin as he came toward her, stopping a few steps from her when it seemed as if she would bolt once again. "The solution to that problem remains the same. You will know me better if you spend more time with me."

Her chest rose and fell with labored breaths as she struggled to get a hold of herself.

Why does he have this effect on me?

"If you wish to know if we have anything in common, then meet me this Sunday at the park just outside of Covent Garden," she spoke without thinking, feeling her pulse race at the invitation that she had uttered.

"Do you live in Covent Garden?" His eyes darkened as they hungrily swept over her figure.

"All of my life." She heard herself responding in a breathy whisper.

Dominic's wolfish grin broadened as his eyes met hers once again. "Very well, this Sunday, and I will not give up until you call me by my name."