Page 58 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke

Was it a mistake to come here?

“I came to see you.” She took a deep breath and turned to face the duke. Her expression was one of hope, but it withered when it came face to face with the dispassion written across the duke’s visage.

“Perhaps I ask the wrong thing.” He stayed by the doorway in a way that seemed purposeful. As if he would rather have been anywhere but in that room with her. But she could not tell if it was annoyance that held him back, or caution. “Clearly, you are here to see me. What I meant waswhyare you. Remind me, for perhaps I have forgotten, but did I send for you? Was there a lesson I had scheduled? Since slipped my mind?”

“N – no,” she stammered, unsure now. “You did not send for me.He is being colder than I have ever seen him. The gaze he’s fixed on me almost cruel.

“Then I ask again.” A beat as he looked at her, eyes narrowed as if the two were enemies. “Why?”

“I came here to tell you something,” she began, her nerves already affecting her speech. She knew this was going to be difficult. Only she had no idea how much until she was looking the duke in the eyes.

“And it could not wait?”

“No.”

He considered her, his cool gaze roaming over her body in a way that should have made her glow, for when he did that in the past there was always a sense that he was doing more than just studying her. That he was admiring her, drinking her in as if she was life itself. This time, he did so with detachment. “Tell me then,” he said. “But make it quick.”

“I…” A lump grew in her throat. She swallowed it. “Earlier today, Lord Mildenhall came to visit me. And he…” Hesitation, for she knew what she had to say and then ask, but it was harder to do than she had hoped. “And he asked for my hand in marriage.”

“That is…” The duke stammered but then forced correction. “That is good to hear. Wonderful news, in fact.”

“It is?”

He nodded. “What else could it be? Lord Mildenhall is a man of great wealth, as you know. And I can only guess that once married, he will agree to pay off your debts. It seems…” He swallowed, gritting his teeth as if struggling. “It seems that our business together has come to an end.”

She did not speak immediately. Rather, she searched the duke for a hint that this news brought him pain.Was I a fool to come here? To expect anything more from him than dismissal and apathy? The way he looks at me right now, I am beginning to think that I was.

“If that is all…” The duke stepped across and then reached for the door. “I think it is best if you –”

“I did not accept his proposal,” she said.

The duke froze, not daring to turn around. “What was that?”

Aurelia dared to cross the room toward him, stopping short because she did not trust herself to be too close. Yet. “I did not accept,” she repeated.

“And why is that?” Still, he did not turn back to look at her.

“I told him that before I did, he would need to ask my brother, as he is the one who should make such decisions. Only…” Her heart was thumping, and her body was shaking. “Only that was a lie – an excuse made to stall.”

“And why would you wish to stall?” Still, he refused to look at her, half-turned to face the door as if he meant to open it and flee. “The due date for your debt draws closer by the day. Lord Mildenhall is as good an option for a husband as you could have hoped for. If he changes his mind –”

“He won’t.”

“He might.”

“The truth is, I do not care if he does. A part of me hopes for it.”

“That is…” She could see the duke struggling. Even with his back still toward her, his body shook, and his breathing was ragged. “You are playing a dangerous game, Lady Hawkins. I gave you one month because I believed you were serious about finding a husband –”

“I am serious.”

“Clearly, you are not. Do you want my advice?” He straightened and turned to face her. His expression was impassive. And his eyes looked past her. “Accept his proposal. It is the best you are going to get.”

“I am serious about wanting a husband,” she repeated, trying to meet his eyes but he refused to give them. “Only, I turned Lord Mildenhall away because…” She could hardly breathe; such were her nerves. “Because there is another whom I hope I might be with. It is a long shot, but as you know well enough, rarely do I consider the consequences of what I do.”

Still, the duke refused to look at her. “It sounds unlikely,” he said. “My advice is to take Lord Mildenhall’s request and be glad for it. Playing it safe is not such a bad thing.”

“I never play it safe. You know this.”

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