Chapter 54

I didn’t mean for any of this to happen."

"Obviously," he retorted, trapped in his anger. "No one in their right mind would do this to themselves. The question is, what the hell are we going to do about it now?"

"Oh, don’t worry. It isn’t necessary for you to marry me. I don’t know what ever made Dad suggest that."

She seemed so damn smug about it, and that riled him all the more.

"Apparently your father feels differently. He seems to think my marrying you would salvage your honor."

She nodded. Her hair was tied at her nape, giving Richard a clear view of the delicate lines of her face. As pale as she was, she resembled a porcelain doll, fragile and easily breakable. She looked dangerously close to that point right then.

"My father is an old-fashioned man with traditional values. Marriage is what he would expect."

"What do you expect?" His tone was less harsh, his concern for her outweighing his irritation.

Isabella placed her hand on her smooth stomach as though she longed to protect