Page 25 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke
He was the second son of a duke who was assigned a modest fortune by his father, which made him an eligible suitor in Magnus's eyes, especially because he had no use for a woman's fortune. But Cecilia would rather marry a fortune hunter who respected her than one who looked down on her for superficial reasons.
It was no surprise that he had not come to see her this morning, because he had told her that he had no reason to stand in a queue, insinuating that men who do that were without purpose and had no self-respect.
That arrogance might be a character trait that would be admired by some clueless debutante who had the misfortune of being timid as well, but certainly not for her. She had lived long enough to know what she wanted and it definitely was not a boring life with an equally boring man that thought of himself as God's gift to women.
"And what if Lord Finch decides that he doesn't want me?" she asked quietly. "What happens then?"
She had mentioned his sour character to her brother but the man wrote them off as initial misunderstandings.
"You will come to like him once you know him better," he had said before launching into a tirade of the man's prospects.
She had only seen red and wished she couldaccidentallyspill some punch on the man's pristine shirt.
"That would never happen," Magnus replied distractedly. "He knows what he stands to gain from this match."
"And what would that be, pray tell?" she asked her tone coming out sharper than she would have wanted.
"He gets to marry the sister of a duke and consolidate power, in addition to having someone of a similar temperament as a spouse," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
Heaven forbid that she shared the same temperament with the easily aggravated and constantly disapproving Lord Finch.
She would definitely grow mad with repressed rage.
For a man that was so against marrying her off to gentlemen he suspected to be fortune hunters, it was ironic that he was comfortable marrying her to one who was hunting for titles and connections instead.
"And if he abandons me beyond all expectations?"
"Then we would find another suitor for you," her brother said too calmly, like getting a suitor was as simple as choosing a new ribbon in the market. His nonchalance about her future annoyed her so much she could not help her next outburst.
"Why is it that you want me to marry quickly but whenever I show interest in any gentleman, you ruin it?" she asked, feeling a burst of angry tears blur her vision.
She hated how anger drove her to tears when she would much rather be articulate in her words.
Her brother was not a man moved by emotion but reason and the fact she still cried when angry only fueled his beliefs that she was immature and needed a strong husband to guide her.
"That is because you are naive, dear Cecilia," he retorted. "These men are nothing better than wolves in sheep's clothing."
"I am one and twenty, dear brother. I am in no way naïve."
"You might think so, Cee, and I am tempted to allow you fall into one of the traps these men have prepared for you so you would see reason but I would be a horrible brother if I did so and your delicate sensibilities might not survive the incident. Not to speak of your reputation."
Delicate sensibilities?she thought.
She scoffed internally.
The memory of her deal with his friend, the Duke of Emerton, struck her then and she wished she could tell him all that she had done with herdelicate sensibilities.Perhaps he would know she was not a mere child to be treated as such.
Wisdom however stilled her angry thoughts.
Her outburst would end up with her locked in the countryside or in marriage to someone she despised more than Lord Finch and with the Duke of Emerton's blood on her hands as well.
So despite how she wished she could scar him as well, she bit down the words.
"Perhaps you should, Your Grace," Cecilia replied bitterly. "Perhaps my perceived naivety is a result of being coddled all my life. Perhaps I might benefit from being allowed to live my life the way I see fit."
"You want to be free?" Magnus replied, dark laughter shaking his entire frame. The sound was ugly, a desolate sound that had no iota of amusement. "Trust me, you do not know what the outside world looks like. Perhaps if you did, you would prefer to remain coddled forever."
"Perhaps I want to take that risk. It is my life after all. I decide how I want to live it," she shot back.
