Page 29 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

Hannah was either toying with him, trying to seduce him, or doing everything she could to prove him a liar. Whatever it was, it was working a little too well, and Frederick knew that to be alone with her would be to court danger—a very tough situation to be in, seeing as they were now man and wife.

“Well, come on then.” William nudged him. “No time like the present.”

“Yes…” Frederick swallowed as he fell into step with his brother. He could do this. There was no reason that he could not. “I suppose we may as well get this over with…”

It was the Duchess of Hayward, Hannah’s older sister, who saw them coming. She nudged Hannah and nodded over her shoulder. Hannah hesitated, before finally turning around. Slowly, a satisfied smile spread across her lips, which she directed at Frederick.

“Ah, hello there,” she crooned as he joined them. “Dear husband.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“Dear wife,” he responded.

All eyes were on him as Hannah stepped back to allow him into their circle. He considered leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek, but then he quickly dismissed that notion. For obvious reasons.

“I hope I am not interrupting.”

“Not at all.”

“I wished to introduce you to somebody.”

“Oh?”

“This is my brother, Lord William Campbell.” Frederick turned toward his brother, who was standing a few feet back, smirking as he took note of their interaction… and how painfully awkward it was.

“Your Grace.” William bowed to her. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I had hoped to meet you sooner, but my brother has been somewhat hopeless at making introductions.”

“Oh, do not blame him…” Hannah smirked. “He has simply been busy with wedding preparations. Believe me, I know it firsthand.”

Frederick stiffened at the jibe. “Yes, well, it has been a very busy two weeks. Unlike some, I haven’t had the pleasure of being able to sit back with my feet up, just expecting everything to come together as it has.”

“And you have done a wonderful job,” Hannah assured him, still smirking. “I might have told you sooner, again, had I been given the chance.”

“No matter,” Frederick responded coolly. “You have done so now. And I thank you for your appraisement.”

“You are most welcome.”

The subtext of their conversation was obvious to Frederick, and most likely obvious to everyone lucky enough to be listening. And if it hadn’t been, the way the two looked at one another surely must have made it more so.

Hannah wore a coy smile, satisfied as she poked and prodded at him, seemingly doing what she could to elicit a reaction fromhim. He had been avoiding her these past two weeks, and she wanted it known that she had noticed… and that she knew why.

While Frederick was doing his best to play things cool, standing between her and his brother, he was careful not to look at her directly—that dress!—to keep his distance, and not to rise to the bait that she was setting him.

“So…” the Duchess of Walford, her eldest sister, began somewhat carefully. “I am sure that the two of you are looking forward to heading back home after this. A chance to finally get to know one another a little better.” She glanced at Hannah and gave a secretive smile. “Seeing as these past two weeks have been so busy.”

William latched onto that. “Oh, he is. My brother was just telling me that, weren’t you?” He clapped Frederick on the shoulder.

Frederick glared warningly at his brother. “Yes… that will be most welcome. There is no rush, however,” he added quickly. “It would be rude to leave so soon, with all the effort Lord and Lady Rambsury have put into this breakfast.”

“Oh, they will not mind,” the Duchess of Walford assured him. “If I know our father, he’ll be glad to get everyone out of his house as soon as possible.”

“Wonderful!” William said cheerfully. He took a sip of his brandy, grinning behind his glass and making sure that Frederick saw it.

Frederick glared at his brother again, quickly, not wanting the others to see it. And then he forced a smile, his mind racing as he was forced to consider the reality that his days of avoiding Hannah were over. Come tonight, they would return to his home together as man and wife, at which point he would be forced to prove the self-control that he so heavily touted once and for all.

A quick glance at Hannah, who was watching him closely. He tried just to meet her eyes, but he could not help but look down at her dress—or more specifically, her exposed shoulders and the swell of her breasts. Dammit, she was stunning, so tempting and sumptuous that Frederick dared to wonder if perhaps he had been a tad rash in proclaiming celibacy?

“Is everything alright, Your Grace?” Hannah asked him, as if she could see what was on his mind. “You seem a little quiet.”

“Am I?” Frederick laughed awkwardly. “Perhaps I am just a little tired. It has been a long day.”

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