Chapter 47

In the far corner of Goddard's dining room, Jacob sat consoling himself with a glass of wine. As he mulled over the recent incident, a rueful grin touched the corner of his mouth.

Though he was not a vain narcissist to believe that he had the entire female population at his feet, but he was used to having women swooning over him, so finding one who couldn't even stand the sight of him was a truly humbling experience. What amazed him, however, was the remarkable guts with which she'd shown him. This was the first time he met a woman who was not afraid to call him out. Oddly enough he felt more amused than offended by her spurn, but above all, his recent encounter with Marguerite Goddard had left him intrigued.

All his life, Goddard was known as a notorious recluse. Only God knew why a man who'd successfully amassed an obscene amount of fortune like him spent his life withdrawing into a self-imposed isolation. Goddard had no family or living relatives, so it came as no surprise when w