Chapter 1

 

Marcus was taken very much by surprise as he heard the determined words spoken from the lips of his beautiful fiancée.

'Claire, you surely cannot mean what you are saying? What has brought about this change in your mind all of a sudden?' he asked with curiosity.

'But I do, Marcus! I mean every word I have just said. I want to go ahead with our nuptials, but only if you can remain true to me,' she said stubbornly, as she stopped walking and looked up at him directly in the eyes so he could make no mistake of the strength of her conviction. 'I know it is not important for some ladies that their men are faithful-they will happily turn a blind eye to their husband's private activities-but I am not one of these women. I knew before I met you that you had quite a colourful past.'

Marcus interrupted her with an awkward cough, not really knowing how to respond. It was just not the done thing for a gentleman to be questioned and interrogated by his future wife on such delicate matters.

'A lot of what you have heard about me is mostly gossip, I assure you,' he said dryly. Marcus tried to defend himself, feeling a tad guilty for the first time about his past, as he looked at Claire's big brown eyes that shone with intensity and her little button nose pointed up at him as she continued to maintain a serious look on her face.