“I don’t know what to say. I was so desperate and I cannot deny it, I still am. I do not want a life like this, for me. Don’t make me stay with a man who will put anything first before me. And then will turn his head away when he runs away in search of a lover. You just married me for that dowry. How can a good marriage start that way?”
“I will not do that, my dear. I know you are afraid. I am not that kind of man. That will never happen.”
“Robert, it happened when we were fighting.”
“I apologize for that.” His face looked sad and somewhat ashamed. “I let myself get carried away by anger and the fear of losing you. I ask you for an opportunity to prove that we can live together and that I will not forbid you from doing the things you like, nor will I demand that you sacrifice what you love for me.”
“I don’t know...”
“I do not like to talk about this, but I want to open up to you. I do not want to be like my father. I saw a lot of suffering in my mother’s face, because of his indifference. While he went crazy gambling away his fortune and sleeping with whores. For that reason, I decided to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. To have women everywhere, but never to fall in love with anyone. My life was fine that way until I met you and then you slowly entered my heart with that spontaneity that you have always had and your way of saying things openly. I also needed the dowry to solve my economic problems and then I wanted to have both; the woman and the money.” Robert walked from one side of the room to another. “It is terrible to admit it, but I convinced myself that I was doing it for the money and that I would give you a good life, but deep down, I did not want you to make that proposition to another man. I did not want you in the arms of another man because you already felt like you were mine.”
“You loved me?”
“I did, but I did not know.” Robert approached her again and caressed her face.
Still distrustful, she nodded.
“It’s okay. I don’t know if I’m going to regret this, but I do not want to stop trying and we can live together.”
Robert smiled and kissed her passionately, then took her in his arms. “This is the first day of our lives. The past does not exist and the future will be beautiful because we will make it so. Sonia saw his eyes and knew he was sincere. At that moment a flame of hope burned in her heart.
Epilogue
They were back from a ball and Sonia was resting against her husband’s chest.
“It was a wonderful evening.”
“It was. I had so much fun watching all those future romances that are forming.”
“By God.” Robert let out a laugh. “You are a romantic with a big imagination.”
“You know it’s in the dances where many marriages form. It was what happened to us.”
“Not when we first met. If I remember correctly.” He stroked her hair.
“The important thing is what happened after.”
Robert took her chin in such a way that she was left facing him. “That is true.” He took her lips in a deep kiss full of promises.
They looked out of the carriage window as they passed the houses and neighborhoods of the city. It was a beautiful night, and she felt happy. Gone were the worries about marrying a man who did not love her, or who didn’t value her. Robert, after everything that happened with his cousin, dedicated himself to giving her the security she needed. And to think that she had been about to lose everything because of a bad decision and that cretin Leopold. Thank God, Leopold had been imprisoned for defrauding a man in Devonshire. After that, Leopold left England for Australia to seek better luck, but after arriving within the two months he was there he developed a fever and died alone, far from his homeland. Sonia felt sorry for him because Leopold seemed to be a man confused by his longing for power and money, but she was grateful that he was no longer in their lives.
“Are you tired?” Robert asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She knew why he was asking. Her
