She blinked, taken aback. “Someone?”

“She is the wife of my heart,” he said, his voice even and distant. “When we marry, you will respect her. And you should not expect any affection from me.”

The words struck like a blow, unexpected and unearned, and final. Silence settled between them. She had come with no illusions. She had long kenned this marriage was not hers to choose. But part of her, a silly, naïve part, had hoped there might be a beginning. A shared purpose. A kindness. Even a glimmer of more. It had been so long since she had felt cared for.

Instead, she had been dismissed before she had even spoken.

“I understand completely,” she said, offering a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. She saw the flicker of surprise on Calum’s face, as though he had expected protest. It didnae move her.