She shot him a resentful look from under her long lashes but said nothing.
"I have no intention of causing you any harm or distress. Of imposing my will upon you in any way. I would have you remember that we were friends in the past, when your mother, and later when your father died. I hope I have never done anything to you personally to cause you to think ill of me.
"I can guess from your accusations a moment ago that your brother has probably told you all sorts of things about me. The truth of the matter is that he has never liked me. He is a Tory, I am a Radical. We are too fundamentally opposed on every question of politics, religion, or lifestyle to ever reach any sort of accommodation, though I am willing to try for your sake. Anything he says is bound to be biased. I would simply ask you to judge my character for yourself before you dismiss me out of hand as your future husband."
She glared at him, angry with herself for finding him so attractive, and as a result finding herself charmed by his seemingly reasonable words. "I suppose you're going to tell me that you won me fairly in the card game. That I have no choice, and must wed you if I wish to avoid the ruination of my brother," she said in stinging tones.
"That's not quite true," Clifford contradicted mildly. "I would like you to give your consent freely to doing me the honor of becoming my wife."
She shook her head. "But I'm a stranger to you, sir. Why-"
"We are not strangers, Vanessa. We were friends once. I am sure you can recall the time you took me to see the puppies--"
"But we have not seen each other for years," she said quickly, not wishing to revisit that particularly warm recollection from her adolescence. It was one of the few good memories she did have of growing up. Though of course she had few memories of that time at all... She glared. "Friendship is one thing, marriage quite another."
"I can understand your concerns. I do share them to some extent. But you as a lone woman need to be protected. Gerald has left you open to gossip and scandal."
"Why should you care? Surely it is my family's concern only."
Clifford sat back with a sigh, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not going to argue with you, Miss Hawkesworth, not when you are so ill. Let me just say a few brief words and leave the matter until you are feeling better."
"I would prefer to have it all out in the open, if you don't mind. I ask you again, Mr. Stone. Why are you interfering in my life?"
"Not interfering. Aiding, I hope. The situation has arisen through no fault of your own. The damage caused by Gerald's card game has been done. We need to discuss our options. I have worked under the assumption that you are free to marry me. As your fiance, I am in the best position to protect you without any further scandal being caused.
"If your objection to me is due to you having fallen in love with another, well of course I would never hold you to the arrangement your brother made without your knowledge or consent. It is only money, after all, not our entire lives. I'm wealthy enough in my own right not to find your fortune an overwhelming temptation."
She cast him a withering glance. "Every person I have met since my aunt passed away has found it my main attraction."
"Then they're fools, and don't deserve you," he said sincerely. "I seem to recall your main attractions were your beauty, intelligence, ready wit, and ability upon a horse. I never saw anyone, man or woman, ride as well as you did in your youth."
"That may well be a wonderful talent for a young girl, but hardly a fitting attribute you would seek in a wife. Nor would most men wish to wed a bas bleu."
"You think not? Well, I suppose it all depends upon what one is seeking for in a wife. If a man were looking for a simpering, empty-headed bedmate, or a bank account, there are any number of women in this neighborhood I could settle down with. Yet I have thus far remained unmarried."
"Why buy the cow when the milk is free, I believe is the vulgar phrase."
Clifford's brows knit in consternation. "I am no rake or purchaser of women. We all of us have certain standards. Expectations about the partner we would care to share the whole of our lives with. If I ever stand up in front of a vicar to recite my vows, I expect to fulfill them to the letter. Love, honor and cherish, 'til death."
"Very noble of you, I'm sure."
He ignored her waspish interruption. "They might be just words for some, but I do try to be a good Christian. And while I know the expectations of a young girl such as yourself might be very different from mine, I hope they're not completely dissimilar.