Chapter 39 - Thirty Nine
Delia was so shocked by what she heard that she nearly dropped her wine glass. "What?" she asked, her voice a small, bewildered sound in the quiet drawing room.
Eric leaned forward, his playful expression gone, replaced by the look of a serious businessman. "We need to expand our plans," he said, his voice low and firm. "As you can see from today, there are a lot of circumstances aligned against our marriage. My mother’s disapproval, your family’s scheming, the social gossip... Our status and our social differences are the main factors everyone will use against us. So, we need to try another angle."
He moved from his armchair, coming around the table to stand before her. "A man and a woman who love each other so much that they cannot bear to be apart. A love story so powerful that it overcomes all obstacles. That is the only narrative that will get our families to approve this marriage without further interference. It’s the only story they will have no defense against."
Delia stared up at him, her wine-addled mind trying to process his logic. She was still holding her empty glass, her knuckles white. "So, you’re saying... we start pretending? Like we really, truly love each other?" She was a calculating woman; this was just another clause, another performance to be written into their agreement.
Eric’s lips curved into a smirk. He saw right through her transactional thinking. "Fair enough," he conceded. "But can you do it? Can you act the part convincingly?"
The challenge, combined with the wine coursing through her veins, sparked a defiant fire in her. "Yes," she said, her voice full of a sudden, bold confidence. To emphasize her point, she reached for the bottle on the table, poured another glass, and finished it in two quick swallows.
"Wow," Eric said, an amused laugh in his voice as he moved back to his seat. "You look like you’re bursting with resolve now."
"I do well under pressure," Delia declared, feeling dizzy but determined. "I’m good at the real thing."
"Show me, then," Eric replied, leaning back in his chair, a look of pure entertainment on his face.