Page 65 of Taken By the Beastly Duke

He nodded.

"I consider myself not just an older sister to Charity and Diana but a mother. I practically raised them since my mother passed at Diana’s birth so you must understand why I’m particularly protective of them." She started. "When Charity informed me of the match with you, she was in tears and she did have someone she considered herself madly in love with. I had no choice but to try to talk you out of it."

He nodded as though understanding.

"And when did you decide you would take her place?"

"It was in the heat of the moment." She answered honestly. "I had not thought to marry you. In fact I’d have wished you would marry into another family but…"

"But?"

She sighed again knowing her answer would most definitely make him see her in an even more negative light.

"I considered my family’s financial status." She answered. "Plus…you were also attractive and made me feel things I had not felt before."

He smiled a small smile but hid it as quickly as it had come.

"You found me attractive?" He asked mockingly.

"Yes." She answered. "It was hard for me to even begin my proposition because I kept getting distracted. Did not you notice?"

"I don’t know why I find that hard to believe."

"You should look often in the mirror then." She suggested as a quip but his face darkened.

"I do it more often than you’d imagine."

"Yet you don’t see it?" she asked incredulously.

"I do not." He answered.

"That’s very self-depreciating."

He scoffed and folded his arms.

"I have good reason to."

"is it because of your scars? You do realize they do nothing to hamper your attractiveness?" she asked but noting his disbelieving expression, she shook her head. "You do not, do you? Why?"

"I wonder if perhaps you’re only trying to make me feel better about myself because you want me to forgive you."

"No. I’m only stating the truth." She answered with a frown. "I see no reason to lie to you. You do not have an accurate assessment of yourself and I would thank you to stop it."

He sighed and shook his head.

"I thank you for trying to boost my self-esteem but I have come to terms with my appearance since long ago."

"But it is warped." She continued. "You mustn’t let something so small get you down."

"I haven’t always been this self-depreciating." He smiled ruefully.

"Why are you now?"

"Contrary to what you might believe now, I used to be a rake. The worst reprobate you can imagine and it gave my father endless headaches how I completely disregarded my duties as his heir."

She laughed at the image that surfaced in her mind of a young duke prowling the halls of theton’s homes.

Yes.

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