Page 15 of Bad Duke

“Nonsense, we must celebrate your new title and Henry can introduce you to some of your father's friends. I love to organise these things.” I don’t need to be introduced to my father's friends. The majority of them are exclusive members of my club, but of course, that's not common knowledge. She taps her hand on my shoulder and when I look at the man, who I assume is her husband, he smiles at me and rolls his eyes. “Who knows, you might even find yourself a lady,” she adds as if that's not the entire motive behind what she’s doing.

“I’ve already found one,” I tell her, staring at the girl who, in nine short days, has changed all my logical way of thinking.

“Olivia!” I call over to her and she looks around her as if she’s expecting me to be summoning someone else. “Come.” I hook my finger and gesture for her to step forward. As she slowly starts to walk, the way she fidgets with the bottom of her dress shows how anxious she is.

“Darling, there are some people I’d like you to meet,” I tell her, noting how shocked she looks by my tone. “This is Henry and…” I look at the woman whose name I’ve already forgotten.

“Elizabeth,” she reminds me as she looks Olivia up and down.

“Elizabeth, Henry. This is Olivia, my fiancée.” I slide my hand around her waist and feel her body stiffen.

“Fiancée? Your father never mentioned that to us.” Elizabeth sounds just as shocked as Olivia looks.

“It’s very recent,” I assure her, placing a delicate kiss on the top of Olivia’s head and discreetly digging my fingers into her hip.

“Well, how does it feel to have landed yourself the most eligible bachelor in England?” Elizabeth asks her, unable to hide her bitterness and looking as if she’s about to choke.

“I’m still coming to terms with it.” Olivia looks up at me and all the shock that was in her eyes before has been replaced with venom.

“Well, then, you will also be coming to my garden party on Sunday. I must ensure I add Pandora to the guest list. She's very popular among the younger generation in our society. And she specialises in wedding gowns. I’m sure once she’s met you in person she’d offer you an appointment.”

“Fabulous.” Olivia fakes her a smile. Impressing me with how fast she’s adapting to her new role.

“Alex, may I have a word?” She turns her fake smile onto me.

“Certainly.” I take her arm and lead her into the dining room so we’ll be alone and as soon as I’ve closed the door, she turns on me.

“What the fuck was that?” she whisper-yells at me, looking equally as hot when she’s irritated as she does when she’s scared.

“That interfering old bat was trying to marry me off. I shut her down.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal.

“By telling her that we’re getting married?” She stares at me like she’s waiting for a better explanation.

“Look, you were out there, you saw those people and you know what they expect from me. Dukes aren’t supposed to be bachelors, half the men in that room want to marry me off to their daughters and I figured a way to take that pressure off,” I explain to her, keeping it simple.

“You could have asked, or at least given me a heads up. Alex, I’m not ready to be judged that way.”

“Judged?” I stare back at her in confusion.

“Alex, you're the Duke of fucking Hatherly.”

I snigger when she swears at me again. I get the impression she doesn’t do it all that often.

“You're handsome and at times, when required, you can be charming. All the women out there want what you are claiming I have, and they are going to judge me very harshly for it.”

Part of me wants to ask her if she wants what they do too, but I fear the answer too much. So I just laugh at her, instead.

“In case you forgot, you're not in the position to argue. At least not for another 11 months and 20 days. Just go with it, soon a new scandal will come to light and we’ll be forgotten about. Would it be so bad to be my fiancée?” I ask with a smug grin on my face that I know will irritate her further.

“Alex…This is a lot for me to take in. I don’t know how to be a duke’s fiancée, I don’t even know how to be around you or what you want from me. What happened in the office?—”

“Listen.” I grab both her arms when I get the sense she’s going to run from me. “This is going to be a big adjustment for me too. I left all this behind me ten years ago and believe me when I say, I’m no fucking duke, but something I can’t explain tells me I need to get this right.” I don’t know how, but this girl seems to expel all the honesty out of me. “I can’t do that while the entire aristocracy of England is trying to marry me off to their daughters.” I look deep into her pretty, blue eyes and realise how much the thought of not having her here scares me.

“I don’t get why it has to be me. I’m just a dance teacher whose brother screwed you over, I'm not from this world, either.” Her words make me very fucking angry and for all the wrong reasons.

“Number one, nobody ever screws me over. Get that straight in your head.” Her brother may have stolen from me but he hasn’t gotten away with it. Not by any means. “Two…” I hold on to the words for a little longer because I don’t know if I want to admit them, to her or myself.

“I trust you.” I finally release them, watching how her wild, angry eyes immediately soften. “I don’t do that easily, but something about you…I trust,” I tell her weakly, not knowing how to explain it. Not even to myself. “Besides, you don’t have a choice. You’re mine,” I remind her, firmly.

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