Mel POV
The ceremony was quick and formal, and before Mel could grasp that she was really going through with this, it was over. Harry bent down to kiss her lightly on the cheek, and they were husband and wife. He had thought to bring rings, which surprised Mel, since it hadn’t even occurred to her to think about that. But he had bought one for himself, and had gotten a smaller and simple ring for Mel. He put it on her finger; she felt a small pang of conscience. Marriage was supposed to be for real, she thought. She felt the sense of guilt that they were doing this for other reason other than love. People got married for business reasons all the time she reminded herself, trying to work through her guilt. Royal families used to unite for political reasons. Probably because she never expected to marry for anything other than love. And she certainly never intended to marry a man who didn’t love her.Shaking off the sense of discomfort, she accepted the business like congratulations and posed for a series of photographs with her new husband, and then finally turned to harry.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” she said quietly. And it was true-not because she needed to be there for Arie’s meeting with her new foster parents, but because she needed to get out of here. To be alone, yes but also to be back in the company of people she knew well.
Before she could go, harry gently grasped her arm and pulled her to one side of the room. “I should have asked you this sooner, but would you have dinner with me this evening?”
“Dinner?’ she asked, unsure if she’d heard him right.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’d like to get to know you a bit, Rose. We just shared marriage vows. I’d like to know more about the woman I married.
“Because you’re interested, or because there will be questions that you’ll need to be able to answer?”
“Both, of course.” She thought for a moment, and then nodded her acceptance. “I should be done with work by 5:00. So anything after 6:30 would work. Tell me where to meet you and I’ll be there.”
“How about Addison at 7:00?”
“Perfect.”
“I’ll see you at 7:00 than.” She gave him a quick smile, and then turned to go. But harry stopped her.
“Rose.”
Turning, she said, “Yes?”
“We can pick out a ring for you when you get back next weekend,” he said softly.
Mel looked at him in surprise, and then looked down at her finger. “There’s nothing wrong with this one, harry. It’s lovely, which is just what I like besides, this is a temporary arrangement, harry. This ring is fine. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at her. “Lilli...” he started to say.
“I’m not Lilli.” Her words come out a bit harsher than she intended, but harry was going to begin comparing her to her sister, she knew that his reflections would hurt. After all, Lilli was the one he had wanted to marry. And now instead of being with Lilli the beautiful one, the fun loving one, the one Mel had been compared to all her life. Mel was always the dependable one and the dependable one was who harry was now stuck with. Trying to soften her words, she added gently, “I’m sorry, but I’m not my sister, Harry. If you want to find her and talk some sense into her I would be happy to step aside. Now I really need to get back to work. I’ll see you at dinner.” She gave him a peck on his cheek before she left.


Harry POV
He said a quick goodbye to his attorney and followed her out; she had already hailed a cab, and was climbing into the back seat and closed the door. He watched her as the taxi moved away, but she didn’t look back.
Harry leaned against one of the pillars outside the building. He wasn’t sure where Rose’s comments had come from-any comparison he would make of her and Lilli would hardly be critical of Rose. Lilli would have wanted diamond; he was willing to but her that, just as he was willing to do the same for Rose. This was part of the deal.But Rose seemed to want no part of the deal he had struck with her sister. For one thing, she refused the rest of the money he had offered to Lilli but named a few charities that would be happy to have the money.
As he headed toward his car, glancing down at his ring finger as he did so. He was almost surprised to see the wedding ring there, doubly so since he had been the one to purchase the ring himself. If he was marrying for show, then he might as well make sure that the world knew that he’d taken the plunge. And now, looking down at the band encircling his finger, he felt like he’d made the right decision. He was married. And before long, his circles of friends and colleagues would notice. He’d plan to introduce Rose to them, he thought. And to his family and especially his aunt Claire. That, he thought, would be interesting.