Page 4 of His Arranged Duchess
He might not require padding to make his chest or legs look muscular, but Lucien knew well that there was a differencebetween muscles that looked impressive and muscles thatwereimpressive. For example, he knew that he had a layer of fat on his chest and middle, enough to make him seem more stocky, and to protect the muscle and tendons underneath.
And yet I could snap him like a twig, I bet.
Apparently, Lord Easton was thinking the same thing. He took another step back and knocked most unchivalrously into his almost-bride.
“Ow,” said Miss Frances Knight, in a muffled, quiet sort of voice.
Lord Easton moved aside, and Lucien got a proper look at her for the first time.
They didn’t exaggerate her beauty, I see.
She was not tall, with a heart-shaped face, delightfully freckled, and framed by blonde curls. Her skin was pale, as was currently fashionable, but she did not have the scrawny frame that was described aswillowy. No, Miss Knight was a woman withproperwomanly curves, in Lucien’s opinion.
Not that it mattered, of course. He ought not to be thinking about such things, not yet. She was staring up at him with an intense and surprisingly direct gaze for a woman who had been described as awallflower. Those eyes were large and very green, mesmerizingly so.
Just about all of the guests had been herded out of the church by now. The Baroness came to stand beside Lucien, glowering up at him with a palpable hate.
“Explain to me why you ruined my daughter's wedding,Your Grace,” she said, her voice clipped and furious.
“I’ll be brief,” Lucien responded coolly. He kept his gaze on Miss Knight. Shewasa pretty little thing, but not in a vapid, passive sort of way. It was hard to describe it fully, but she had the sort of beauty that made a man want to look again.
At least, it madeLucienwant to look again.
“I came back to England only a week ago,” Lucien explained. “Amongst my father’s things, I found a contract between him, the seventh Duke of Blackstone, and one Baron Rawdon. Your father, I believe, Miss Knight.”
Something flickered across her face. She said nothing, so he continued.
“The terms of the contract were that if the Duke produced a child of one gender, and the Baron produced one of the opposite gender, the two would be married. It was to be one match between the families. I am the only living son of the Duke, and you, Miss Knight, are the only daughter of the Baron. The contract is very clear. We must be married.”
“What nonsense,” Lord Easton snorted. “That contract won’t be worth the paper it’s written upon.”
Lucien smiled. “Are you quite sure about that? It’s an old contract, but perfectly legal.”
Lord Easton spluttered. “This… This is outrageous. It’s a forgery; it must be. The Baron would never. Baroness, tell him that your late husband would never do such a thing.”
He was met only with silence. When Lucien glanced over at the Baroness, he saw a distinctly worried expression on her face. She made no move to respond.
She doesn’t know,he thought.She doesn’t know what her husband may or may not have been capable of. In any case, the contract was signed and created long before he married her.
Aloud, he said, “Might I have a word with Miss Knight, perhaps? In private.”
The Baroness narrowed her eyes at him. Lord Easton gave a sharp, mocking laughter.
“I think not,” Lord Easton shot back. “How dare you make such an outrageous request? Howdareyou? Why, I have a good mind to call the authorities. Perhaps you’ve escaped justice once, but this time…”
“Yes,” Miss Knight interrupted.
The Baroness stared at her daughter, clearly taken aback. Lord Easton’s jaw dropped almost comically. There was a taut moment of silence, while Miss Knight’s face grew redder and redder. She kept her chin up, however, and held Lucien’s gaze.
“This is ridiculous,” Lord Easton hissed. “Baroness, please…”
“If my daughter chooses to speak with you, that’s her concern,” the Baroness interrupted brusquely, gaze fixed on Lucien. “We will be just here. You may speak to her in that corner over there. No more than ten minutes.”
Lucien bowed. “Agreed, Baroness.”
The woman said nothing and made no acknowledgement at all. Glancing down at Miss Knight, Lucien raised his eyebrows and gestured to a quiet corner near the opposite end of the pews.
“Shall we?”
