Ashlyn forced a laugh. It was a bright, bubbling sound that echoed strangely in the tense silence of the bedroom. She swallowed , looking at him. She needed to cover her mistake. She needed to turn her slip of the tongue into a romantic confession.
"You silly man," Ashlyn said, shaking her head as if he were being ridiculous. "You misunderstood me. The betrothal... the arrangement with the Thompson family... it was originally meant for us. The both of us."
She looked at his reaction before she continued.
"My father," she lied smoothly, "he pitied me. He thought I was too soft, too gentle to handle the pressure of being your wife without a title. He insisted I take the position of the Grand Duchess to secure the family honor. He wanted me to marry Derek."
She reached out and touched his face, her fingers tracing his jawline.
