Page 38 of The Duke's Inconvenient Bride
Emma intertwined her hands and raised her head. “Daisy, could you call for tea, please?”
While Daisy did that, Emma addressed the duke.
“I’m surprised by your visit,” she said, figuring that there was no proper protocol for the situation since it wasn’t exactly a “proper” situation.
“Will you sit?” he asked, and she realized that he was obligated to stand until she did so.
She went to one of the chaises in front of the fireplace, which was cold and empty. He sat on the chaise opposite, his spine stiff and his expression impossible to read.
“I wanted to talk to you directly about the possibility of arranging an engagement between us,” he said.
“Oh.” Her gaze flicked to Daisy, and she wished her maid were closer so she could draw comfort from her presence. While Emma was relieved that the duke didn’t intend to yell at her for her parents’ ridiculous idea, she almost wished he would because the alternative was that he was considering it.
She’d been counting on him being horrified by the idea so she could get out of marrying him without it being her fault, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Your father said you agreed with the idea,” he said. “But—”
The door opened, and the housekeeper stepped inside, carrying a tray containing a teapot, two cups, and several small tea cakes.
“Thank you,” Emma said, grateful for the reprieve.
“You’re welcome, my lady.” The housekeeper left again, and this time the door clicked shut properly as she left.
Emma poured tea for each of them. “Do you take sugar?”
He shuddered. “No.”
She added sugar to her own tea and blew across the surface. “I’m sorry, what were you saying before we were interrupted?”
She put her cup down and buttered a tea cake. Her mother wouldn’t like it, but then her mother wasn’t here to tell her not to, was she? And perhaps a tiny part of her wondered if eating the cake might put the duke off the idea of marrying her, as Lady Carlisle had always claimed it would.
He watched her movements. “Just that I want to hear from you that you’re happy with the prospect of marrying me.”
She laid the knife aside and bit into her tea cake, which gave her a moment to mentally compose a response.
Did she want to marry him?
Not really. She definitely wouldn’t say she was “happy” with it. But nor did she have many alternatives, and doing this couldsave Sophie and protect her family. Besides, he didn’t seem to be a bad man. The fact he’d come here to ask her opinion rather than assuming her father spoke for her said a lot about his character.
“I am,” she said, her tone coming across more confident than she actually was.
He held her gaze for a long time but seemed to find whatever he was looking for, because he nodded and then buttered himself a tea cake.
“Do you understand that it won’t be a love match?” he asked, not looking up from the platter as he spoke.
“I do.” Although given enough time, maybe they could come to love each other. He wasn’t heartless, and she was willing to dedicate herself to the endeavor.
He lifted his tea cake to his mouth and paused. “You’re amenable to that?”
She pursed her lips. “It isn’t what I always imagined, but circumstances have changed, and I will be content with it.”
He took a bite and wiped a crumb from his lip. “I don’t wish to make you unhappy.”
Emma set aside what remained of her tea cake, suddenly not hungry. “Unfortunately, I cannot predict the future, but I can say, based on our current situation, that I think this might be the best chance at finding happiness that I have available.”
That was true enough, much as she may wish it otherwise.
He finished the tiny cake with a few bites and wiped his hands on a napkin. “I seem to recall you saying that you have no interest in me.”
