Page 8 of The Duchess' Replacement

She shifted her feet, seemingly unsure of her next move. Dark smudges began to appear under her eyes. “Thank you for your time, Your Grace. I apologize for disrupting your household at such a late hour.”

She turned and opened the door.

Before she could move, the door slammed shut with the push of his hand. She turned to find him standing directly in front her. With the door at her now at back, he completely took up the space around her.

“What if I can offer you a way out of ruination?”

Sarah’s breath stuttered. She took a step backwards and hit the door. One arm, seemingly the size of a tree trunk, was planted by her head, the soft material of his sleeve gently grazed her cheek.

Her chest rose with every breath causing her chest touched his. He was standing much too close to her.

She steeled her back and forced her eyes to rise and meet his.

Instantly she regretted it.

Alarm bells sounded in her mind as his dark green eyes burned into hers.

“What do you mean?” Her voice sounded foreign to her. Breathy and weak, it held none of the bravado she walked in here with.

His eyes darkened and he placed his other hand on the other side of her body, fully enclosing her between the door and himself. Her hands that were hanging at her sides pushed into the door, hoping for it to give and open.

His answered in a low rumble. Each word enunciated and dripping in seductive tones.

“What if I can offer you a way out of ruination?”

Sarah swallowed. Her mind was racing, exhaustion made his words sound muffled and confusing. She could feel beads of sweat form on her hairline but he was standing so close she couldn’t each reach up to swipe them away even if she wanted to.

She licked her dry lips, a movement his eyes followed with interest.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, I don’t understand what’s happening. What could you offer me that would save me from such a life?”

Sarah chastised herself. Why was she even considering continuing such an absurd conversation?

Nothing about this man seemed kind or compassionate. He’d been toying with her ever since she walked into his study. He was much too large of a man, with sharp features, and brooding eyes. Nothing about him screamed willing to help his fellow man, or woman.

Yet, with all of that literally standing right in front of her, she felt her shoulders relax a bit against the door. She hated to admit it, but she was curious for his answer.

Charles dropped one hand from the door and brushed a strand of hair from her face. The fingers left a trail of fire along her cheek as he tucked the hair behind her ear. She shivered from the contact.

Something flashed in his eyes and he leaned in closer.

Her body instinctively reacted by leaning in closer as well. She no longer cared about why she came here. Propriety and social standards were gone the minute she stepped out of her house in search of answers. This man seemed to know how to help her and the time of heroes was over. She was going to save herself.

His cheek brushed against hers and he leaned in to whisper, his hot breath sending electric shocks down to her very core.

“Marry me, instead.”

CHAPTER 3

Sarah kept her eyes ahead of her and focused on just putting one foot in front of the other.

It was surreal to be back in the same church, walking the same aisle, but other than that everything else was different.

The pews were empty save for her mother, sister and a man and woman on the groom’s side. No flowers were strung from the rafters, no candle lit the aisle. And the biggest change was the tall, brooding, strange man standing at the alter watching her every step towards him.

His stare weighed her down. Was he afraid she would run? Leave him at the alter the way his brother left her? She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of it. Even Beatrice suggested it when she first told her family of their arrangement.

But both families needed this. He was saving her reputation and she was helping clean up another mess his brother created. This was an arranged marriage, nothing more.

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