Page 55 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke

It was just the three of them today. Daniel had been away for a few days, out of town on business, meaning he was not privy to Lord Mildenhall’s visit, or his likely intentions. Iris was reading in the library, as their mother had instructed her to do until she was called for later. And Eveline was… well, Aurelia wasn’t sure. All she knew was that their mother had instructed her to not make her presence known, aware of the trouble that Eveline was known to bring to any occasion and not wishing to take the risk.

They sat under the same oak tree where Lord Littlefield had proposed two weeks earlier. Tea was served, but no sweets or snacks. Again, Aurelia’s mother did not wish to tempt fate. She and her mother both knew what was in store, how important it was that everything today go as well as could be. No risk was worth taking.

“The truth is, she was rather upset that I came here on my own,” Lord Mildenhall confessed with a grimace. “She asked to join me. Rather, insisted,” he chuckled.

“Oh?” Aurelia’s mother said.

“Ordinarily, I would not deny her such a thing.” He appeared regretful, the prospect of angering his mother one he did not take lightly. “But as I told her, there are some things that must be done on one’s own. She will understand.”

“I am sure that she will,” her mother said.

“As to why I am here…” He sipped at his tea. “This is lovely tea, by the way,” he pivoted. “Might I ask where it was procured?”

“I shall happily have as much sent to your home as you wish for,” Aurelia’s mother answer. “Now, you were saying about why you were here…” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, well…” He cleared his throat and put the saucer of tea down on the table. “This is not a decision I have come to lightly, that is the first thing I wish to say. In fact, I have spoken with my mother of nothing else these past few days, just to ensure that such an act is not considered hasty or in bad taste. But she agrees that I am of the right mind, and that the time is now. Such things should not be waited on, for who knows what tomorrow will bring.”

In the distance, Aurelia heard the rumble of thunder. She braced herself, because she knew what was coming.

Sadness enveloped her, as it had been doing since yesterday. She knew what the viscount was going to ask. Just as she knew she had no choice but to say yes. And yet there was a small part of her that wondered if she should do. If perhaps she might wait, or rather, if she might speak to the one person whose opinion mattered the most.

Am I being foolish? Am I being hopeful? Am I being idealistic, because deep down I know there is no real chance that the duke feels even remotely for me what I now know I feel for him. There is just no way…

“With that in mind…” He cleared his throat again. “It should come as no surprise that I am keenly aware of your family’s financial circumstances...” He sighed and shook his head. “A damn shame, truth be told, that such hard times have fallen on you. Alas, that is the way things are, and where one might dwell, it is important to loom ahead. Don’t you agree?”

Her mother’s mouth twitched with vexation. “And why is it that you have brought up such a thing?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat for a third time and turned to face Aurelia. “I have come here because… well, as I just said, I know of the hard times that have befallen you, and with that in mind, I believe that I am he who might be able to rescue you from such destitution. If you will allow it.”

Aurelia forced a smile and as she saw her mother glaring, she made herself speak. “You may have to speak more clearly, Lord Mildenhall.”

He chuckled. “I was aiming for subtlety, but perhaps such times call for straight forwardness. “As you may know of me, I have never married. The reason for such things…” He shrugged. “A plethora of reasons, truth be told. But perhaps I was just waiting for the right woman to come along. I am not as young as I once was, I require an heir as much as anything else, and I have been seeking the perfect lady to provide one for me.”

He looked at her as if for an answer, even if he had not asked a question.

“Still…” she laughed nervously. “You speak around the point.”

“I will speak right to it,” he said with a wary smile. “I wish to marry you. In so doing, I will happily save your family from their financial troubles – I am sure a dowry agreement can be reached that you will find most accommodating. And in return, I would like you to provide for me a child. An heir, as it is. Both myself and my mother agree that now is the time, for to wait is to risk the possibility that I might never have one.”

It was all Aurelia could do not to show how sickened the idea made her.

She smiled for the viscount, even doing what she could to look surprised. To her right, she caught her mother watching her in warning, no doubt able to see the hesitation on her daughter’s face.

The only answer I can give is yes. This is exactly what I want, isn’t it? A quick marriage. A chance to clear my family’s debts. No romance to speak of. A most perfect arrangement.

Aurelia had never wanted to marry before. She had no fancies where love and romance were concerned. Growing up, she had always assumed she would never marry, a spinster as they called it, happy to be single, no sense being tied down by a man who she hated or did not care for. She did not hate Lord Mildenhall, nor did she care for him. And if she was to say yes, she could see her future as clear as if it were an open book.

It would be a simple marriage. It would also be a boring one. This was for her sister, she reminded herself, so she might have a chance at happiness. That in itself was reason to say yes. And yet…

Her mind flashed to the duke. If not his spanking of her, if not how he had kissed her, how he made her feel. That was what she focused on the most. Past the lust and to the romance, the way her heart swelled at the mention of his name, the way her entire body tingled when she pictured him. She had never wanted to fall for him but now that she had, and now that she was finally admitting it, she did not think she could simply give it up.

At the very least, she could not give it up without knowing for sure how he felt. And so it was that Aurelia found herself speaking, again without considering the consequences, as was always her way.

“That is a most kind offer,” she said carefully. “And I am most honored that you would consider me.”

“Of course.” He took her hand with both of his. “How could I not.”

“Only…” She smiled as the viscount’s face dropped. “My brother is not here. And as I am sure you know, it would not be right of me to accept such a request without first seeking his approval.”

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