Rather ridiculous that he should feel so nervous, he told himself, pausing to glance in the direction Grace would be coming from. After all, hadn't he dealt with the woman almost daily for the past ten years? Surely she was the same person and he was the same, if slightly damaged, man.

When she had telephoned earlier, asking him to meet her at the park a few blocks from her apartment, he had assumed she'd reached a decision on his proposal. What that decision was, her cool efficient voice had not betrayed.

Once more he glanced at his wristwatch. Five minutes late. It wasn't like his secretary to keep him waiting.

"I'm sorry I'm late," the voice he was so familiar with said rather breathlessly.

Alexander Edwards glanced up into the dark blue eyes and felt the annoyance that had shadowed his face fade into a welcoming smile.

There was something different about Grace Reaves today. Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't wearing her glasses and one could see her dark blue eyes more clearly. Perhaps it was the way her bright crimson scarf, which she had wrapped about her dark hair, brought out the red in her chilled cheeks. Or perhaps it was something different in her attitude toward him.

"That's all right, Grace," he said. "Times something I have a lot of nowadays. Sit down, please, unless you'd rather go some place warmer."

"I'm all right, if you are," she said, sitting stiffly down on the edge of the cool park bench. "In any event, what I have to say won't take long."

Slowly he sat down, feeling suddenly old and very tired. Something in her manner had, indeed, changed. There was no longer that same warm response he had experienced in the restaurant yesterday. Nor was there that sense of camaraderie they had shared while working in the office. His wide shoulders slumped slightly as he waited for her rejection.

"I've thought over your proposal," she said, her bare hands clasped tightly together in her lap, the large diamond and jeweled wedding band glistening coldly on a hand that must be equally cold. For some reason his eyes fastened on that stunning ornament, and his heart sank further.

"I tried to get the children's opinions without letting them know exactly what we had in mind." Her eyes suddenly lifted to his. Never had he seen her so earnest, yet so self-conscious. "If we were to be married," she said slowly, "I couldn't have the children believing it was done for their sakes. They've gone through so much all ready that I couldn't have them believing we had anything but a perfect marriage. If they felt I was sacrificing myself for them, ... if they felt they were responsible for ...."

"Enough said, Grace," he interrupted as her words began to stumble. "There's no need for the children to know why we are both entering into this agreement. Rest assured that whenever I am in their presence I shall appear your most ardent admirer."

The lovely dark color that stained her cheeks surprised Alexander Edwards. He hadn't realized that his cool, efficient secretary was still very much the girl.

"You needn't go quite that far, Mr. Edwards. And if we do, if we do get married, I must insist that our relationship remain unentangled. I'm willing to be your friend, your helper, and even obey you as head of the house, but," she paused for the briefest moment before going firmly on, "but you did say you'd be content to have our marriage be only what I wanted to make of it."

Alexander Edwards leaned back against the stiff park bench and smiled.

"I understand, Grace. Bedroom off limits." As the color burned even more deeply beneath her cheeks he slapped his hands down hard on his legs. "It's settled then! Before the children we shall appear the honeymooners, after they're tucked safely in bed we shall go our separate ways."

"I'm sure that is what we both prefer," the girl said stiffly. "Now, if that's all you have to say on the matter, I suppose we can consider ourselves engaged. Would you prefer to be with me when I tell the children?"

"You think they'll be pleased?" he asked uneasily. "I'm not exactly the dashing, athletic, father figure, you know."

"They're already fond of you," she said, seeming to warm slightly. "And I'll try and make your sacrifice worthwhile by being the best wife I can be, Mr. Edwards. Really I will."

Other browser readable electronic romance books by Rosalie Joyce

No Greater Love    Price $9.95  
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With two suitors vying for her attention it seemed odd that Penny should be becoming more and more interested in Sid, the remote, often brash, young photographer.
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