Page 8 of The Duke and the Runaway Bride

Agnes moved to his side and took his arm. Edwin quickly maneuvered himself out of her grasp without making it look like he was annoyed by her actions. He had become irritated by her clinginess, and he had already arrived irked.

“I had to defend you this evening,” Agnes added when she had a moment to converse with him alone. Robert and Elizabeth were talking amongst themselves. “Someone dared to call you cruel. Can you believe that?”

“I can’t,” Edwin muttered.

“Some ladies don’t understand the difference between a powerful man and a cruel man, Your Grace,” Agnes continued. “You have been a much-changed man since we met, and I know you will continue to change and grow as we get to know each other better. You have never once been cruel to me. Isn’t it amusing how people talk?”

“Yes, very amusing,” the Duke agreed.

“You have not had a woman such as me by your side, have you? I will learn all about you, Your Grace, and then I will help you become the man you are destined to be. Many women speak about changing their husbands once they are married, but they want to do so selfishly. I know the man you can become, and I will help you become him. I do not wish it for me but for you.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Edwin murmured.

Agnes spent the next hour trying to take his arm and informing him how she would change him for the better. Edwin did not care too much about her incessant chatter in public as long as it was not part of a conversation with others, and she could say whatever she wanted to her friends. He knew it would be different when they were married.

Their courtship was all for show, and he would not need to spend nearly as much time with her when they were wed. Edwin had conversed with older gentlemen previously and had always been amused by their old-fashioned notions of marriage and women’s positions, but the more traditional ways were looking more and more appealing at the moment.

“… which is why we must host a dinner party at least once a month. If we do not, Society will not see the people we become when we start a family.”

“My blossoming flower, you must excuse me,” Edwin stated dryly. “I did not have enough time to speak with my friend. Might you do me a favor and converse with Elizabeth for a while? She was talking a lot about you on our way here.”

“Was she?” Ages asked happily. “I shall be glad to give her a few pointers for her upcoming debut.”

“She will greatly appreciate that,” the Duke returned, feeling amused for the first time that day.

He quickly stepped toward Robert while Agnes sidled up to Elizabeth.

“When will you marry?” he asked.

He needed someone to keep him company in his misery.

“It seems like a lot of work.” Robert laughed. “It is far simpler to remain alone, don’t you think?”

Edwin smirked. “I need to escape.”

“From your upcoming nuptials?” Robert asked.

“From the evening. I have not had a moment to myself. Can you help me?”

“Do you know where my room is?” Robert asked.

Edwin nodded.

“That is where I keep my stash. Go up and help yourself to some, and I shall try to slip away at some point to join you.”

“Will you keep an eye on Elizabeth for me?” Edwin asked.

“I will. My aunt is here also, so I can have her chaperone Elizabeth if I retire from the ball. Drink as much as you like—you look as if you need it.”

Edwin clapped his friend on the shoulder. “You are a good man.”

He would not need long, only some quiet and a good drink to recover from the stress of the day, the stress of his life.

When Agnes looked absorbed in giving poor Elizabeth advice, Edwin took his leave. He left the large hall and made his way upstairs, feeling more like himself as the noise faded away. He could almost taste the good liquor as he reached Robert’s bedroom door. He opened it, went in, and closed it behind him.

The room was dim, and he could only make out the shape of the bed in the center of the room. When he moved to look for the liquor, he came face to face with a woman in only her shift. He was surprised, but the surprise was not an unwelcome one, especially when she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.

His hands instinctually went to her curves, claiming her body. She let out a gasp at his touch, and he felt the gasp run through his loins. He could not help but explore her sumptuous body with his hands, and the moan that followed stirred his excitement more.

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