So shocked was Whit by his reaction that her own response to his question was immediate and straight from a gut now twisted into ten more knots because of what he'd just asked.
"No. Absolutely not!"
The idea of tying herself to this man whose respectable, dependable, stuck-in-his-ways nature frustrated, annoyed and angered her more often that she appreciated his qualities... it was absurd. The thought of it only sent her further into flight mode, leaving her pacing off to a point as far away from him as she could get without actually leaving.
She supposed part of her should have expected this reaction, but she hadn't thought that far ahead.
"That's not why I'm here, Phillip," she finally said when she could speak without the tone of her voice fluctuating wildly. "You had a right to know, but I don't expect anything from you, at all. Not money, not involvement and certainly not marriage."