He thinks

Alex was at a loss about what to do with Constance. When he was young, he had a crush on one of his teachers, Clara. She was like a lesser version of Constance—less beautiful, less intelligent, and less wealthy, but still a woman of higher status in the eyes of a poor farmer’s son with low intelligence and an unattractive face.

Once, he told his arrogant sister that he dreamed of sleeping with Clara. She laughed and said, “She’s way out of your league. Maybe you should aim for Martha instead.” (Martha was the heaviest girl in class, and quite unpleasant.)

Now, Alex had the chance to do whatever he wanted with Constance Philippa de Vasconcelos, who, just hours ago, would likely have looked at him with disdain from the window of her expensive Mercedes driven by her chauffeur. Part of him wanted to show this feminist how tough a man’s life could be—perhaps by turning her into an uneducated, poor, and unattractive laborer. Yet, what excited him most was her class, intelligence, and beauty.

Then, a revelation hit him! Though he was a misogynist and not very bright, he had to admit Constance was the smartest person he’d ever met. After a moment, he asked her what he should do, and since she was compelled to answer honestly, she did.

Her response thrilled him.