Page 39 of His Unwanted Duchess

Was that too much? Perhaps it was.

For a moment, Theodore looked thunderous. But then the anger faded from his face. He rubbed a hand over his head, sighing heavily.

“I despair of you sometimes, Stephen. Really, I do.”

The door creaked open behind them. Stephen did not look up, imagining it was his valet or perhaps Mouse.

But then Theodore bounced to his feet. “Your Grace! Lady Walford, I was not expecting you.”

Stephen flinched. “Mother?”

He was on his feet in an instant too, spinning around.

Theodosia stood there, resplendent in wedding finery, her gray-streaked black hair piled into a knot on top of her head.

“You seem surprised,” she said smoothly. “My son is getting married. Where else should I be today?”

Stephen smiled wryly and glanced at Theodore. “Would you mind if I had a few minutes alone with my mother?”

Theodore nodded. “Of course. I’ll meet you in the carriage, shall I?”

“Yes, please.”

He waited until Theodore was gone before he spoke.

“I’m glad to see you, Mother,” he said. “I… I would have invited you to the wedding, only I thought you were in Spain. Or France.”

“I was,” she responded, not bothering to clarify which. “I barely made it back in time, as you can see. Don’t worry, I am not offended. I know you seldom think these things through, Stephen. I do have some questions, though. Such as, why the rush? Why are you racing down the aisle as if you are being chased?Areyou being chased? Is the young woman in a sticky situation?”

He sighed. “No, Mother, she is not. I simply decided that it was time to marry, and I thought it best to broker a marriage of convenience, with no emotional connection. Before you ask, the lady in question feels the same. Under those circumstances, why bother waiting? Why not simply get it over with?”

She pursed her lips. “Get it over with. You are a bottomless pit of romance, my dear.”

“I am notofferingromance. She knows this.”

Theodosia eyed him for a long moment, her gaze intent, until Stephen began to feel uncomfortable.

“I did not mean to exclude you, Mother,” he said, at last. “Truly, I didn’t.”

“For the last time,” Theodosia said, flinging herself down on a chaise with a sigh, “I am notoffended. I am only surprised. I thought you were dead set against marriage. I don’t know if you recall, but when your father… passed away, you swore you would never marry and sire children.”

“Marriage does not mean siring children,” Stephen muttered.

“Not necessarily,” she acknowledged. “But the two do follow each other.”

He didn’t respond. No need to explain the rules to his mother. She might take it upon herself to do something shocking, like go and tell Miss Haversham’s family about them.

Beatrice,he told himself.I should probably get used to calling her Beatrice.

Abruptly, Theodosia leaned forward. “Doyou love her, Stephen? I am your mother, you can be honest with me.”

He bit back a sigh. “No, Mother, I do not. If I loved her, I would never risk marrying her. They call me Blackheart for a reason.”

Because I ruined a man’s life simply because he was in my way, and I exposed him in public knowing that it would ruin Miss Haversham’s reputation too, all but forcing her to accept my proposal.

I made her agree to a vague favor in exchange for my help, knowing full well that she would not have agreed if she had known I would request her hand in marriage.

I have orchestrated all of this from the very beginning because I am willing to do whatever is necessary to get what I want.

---