Page 27 of The Unwanted Duchess

“I do not think so at all. If you think about it, a marriage without love sounds perfect for you.”

“Love was the only reason I would ever marry. Why would it possibly be a good thing for me?”

“Because this way, you shall be afforded every freedom that you would have as a spinster with all of the good things about being a duchess. You shall be well taken care of, I assure you.”

“But not loved, is that what you are saying?”

“Lady Samantha, would you have been loved by a stranger that your father had chosen for you? I understand that this is not what you want, and it is not what I want either, but you have to believe me when I tell you that this is what is best for you.”

“You do not know what is best for me,” she warned, “You do not, and you never shall.”

“Then how is this? You shall give me an heir and make a few appearances to our county, and after that, you will be free to do as you please. It will silence my brothers and bring you peace for what I assume would be the first time in your life. It might not be exactly what you always dreamed of, but is it not enough?”

Samantha thought for a moment. The Duke was not necessarily wrong; being left to her own devices as a duchess would afford her her freedom, and if all that she had to do was simply provide an heir, then it all may prove easier than she had thought.

“I can even give you freedom before the heir. if you wish,” he added. “I apologize. That sort of promise would have come from my father which I decidedly am not.”

He laughed quite emptily at that. Samanth looked at him gently. He had never laughed in her presence before.

“Very well,” she agreed. “I suppose I can go through with all of this without complaint.”

“Wonderful.”

“On one condition,” she continued which silenced him. “I wish to study.”

“Is that all?” he asked.

“Yes. If you allow me to pursue my studies and do not mind that it is what I wish to do, then I will be your wife.”

“Then the matter is settled,” he agreed. “And quite easily, I might add.”

The way he said it was easy made Samantha brave, brave enough to push him that slightest bit further.

“I do not mean by myself,” she explained. “I wish to attend university. Can a duke make that a possibility?”

The Duke seemed to sit in thought for a moment. Samantha wondered if this was him thinking about the possibility of being able to do it or simply him wondering if he had, indeed, picked the wrong lady to marry.

“What is it that you wish to study?” he asked at last.

“Science. I wish to be a scientist.”

“I may be able to make that happen, you know. It shall certainly be easier to do given that you would be a married lady, and stranger things have happened in the realm of academics.”

But Samantha did not like how he was looking at her. He was smiling, and when her father did that, it meant that he did not believe a word that he was saying.

“Why are you smirking?” she asked, brows furrowed. “I am being serious.”

“I know, that is why I am smirking. I have never known someone to be so sure of what they wanted without it making them awful. I must say, I am impressed at how willing you are to tell mewhat you want. Any other lady would have simply jumped at the chance to be a duchess.”

“That is because I have never wanted to be a duchess. I want to be a scientist.”

“Well, it will be very difficult even with your new status, but if the university will have you, then I shall have no qualms about it whatsoever. If it is what you want, I will do everything in my power to ensure it is done.”

“And what if they do not want me?”

“Then I shall locate tutors for you. I know of the best ones in all of England, and I am more than willing to pay them for their time. Would that make you happy?”

“The happiest that I think I could be, yes.”

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