her from the complications of his business? Was his family placing pressure on him? Or had he assumed that, once married, she would simply accept whatever decisions he made?
She did not have the answers.
That evening, Karim invited her to dinner in a quiet room overlooking the gardens. He seemed calmer and tried to reassure her that he had never intended to upset her.
He explained that his business involved complicated financial arrangements and that his family had learned to be cautious about people who entered their lives because of wealth.
Amelia understood that concern. She knew that money could attract dishonest intentions.
But she also reminded him that she had never asked him to buy her affection.
“I agreed to marry you because I believed we respected each other,” she said. “I didn’t agree to stop being myself.”
Karim looked away.
