Page 64 of A Duke Reformed
Edmund hesitated, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Actually, Lord Mundy has been trying to secure a match for me with his daughter. But... I'm not particularly interested. I've been avoiding the conversation for a while, to be honest."
Andrew raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a slight chuckle. "Ah, I've heard rumors. The youngest daughter, I believe? Word around town is that she's quite beautiful."
Edmund nodded slowly, his gaze distant as if lost in thought. "Yes, she is very beautiful, I must say," he admitted with a slight grimace. "But she's far too young for me. A couple of years too young."
Solomon, who had been quietly observing the exchange, couldn't help himself. "It's a bit rude, isn't it? Speaking of another woman like that." His tone was colder than intended as he interjected.
Edmund's eyebrows lifted at the abruptness in Solomon's voice, but he quickly recovered. "I wasn't intending to cause any offense. I was just speaking frankly. I have plans to get married this season, just not to Lord Mundy's daughter." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "I'm sorry... Why do I get this feeling that you don't like me very much, Your Grace?"
Solomon rose to his feet, leaning on the table with both hands, his posture rigid and tense. "How do you think Miss Lockhart would feel if she hears you call another woman beautiful? "
"Miss Lockhart?" Edmund asked, visibly confused. He blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden mention of her name. "Emma?" he repeated, his tone slightly confused. "I... I don't know her well enough for her to be offended by that. We've spoken only a few times at social events."
"But you're engaged to her," Solomon said, the words leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. "You proposed to her. You're marrying her this season, yet you have the effrontery to–"
"Marrying her?" Andrew chimed in and turned to Edmund. "Edmund? You didn't tell me you were engaged to be married."
Edmund slowly rose to his feet, his expression shifting to something more guarded. "That's because I'm not," he said. "I wouldn't mind a courtship with Emma. Lord knows I have tried several times. But she's never shown any interest in me. She's...she's different. It's hard to get through to her."
Solomon's fists clenched at his sides, the urge to strike the man growing with each passing second. "What are you talking about?" he rasped, moving from where he stood to Edmund's side. "You are not engaged to her?"
Edmund glanced at Andrew and then back at Solomon. "Miss Lockhart is a beautiful woman, no doubt. But we are not engaged. We have never courted. I don't know where yougot that idea from, Your Grace. I wouldn't mind courting her though... now that I think about it."
The idea that Edmund even entertained the notion of courting Emma, let alone mentioning it so casually infuriated Solomon so much, it surprised him. He could feel his temper rising, and it took every ounce of control not to lash out.
Before he could act on the impulse, Andrew stepped forward, standing between him and Edmund with a hand raised in a calming gesture. "Solomon, don't," Andrew warned quietly. "You heard him. Is this why you have been so angry?"
Solomon stood still for a moment, his mind racing. He really wanted to punch Edmund, but only because he needed to let out frustration and Edmund seemed like the right vessel to pour that frustration into. But deep down, Solomon knew that Edmund did nothing wrong. If he was telling the truth then...
Emma had lied.
Emma had lied to him. She had lied to push him away.
The realization sliced through him, sharper than anything he'd felt in weeks. He took a step back, giving himself space to think. She had been playing a different game all along.
Solomon couldn't help but think of everything that had come before. His entire life had been built on lies. The lies his mother had told him about who he was. The lies that shaped who he hadto become. He had been broken back then, when he realized that nothing in his life was as it seemed. His trust had been shattered, and he had spent a long time rebuilding, learning to protect himself from the lies that had upturned his life.
Now Emma...Emma, the one person he had allowed himself to trust had done the same thing. She had lied. She could have come clean, could have told him the truth. But instead, she had hurt him.
The betrayal cut deeper than any lie before it and Solomon wasn't sure he could forgive her for it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
"I'm telling you! I heard from my cousin who is away on business in Northen England. The duke is engaged!"
Emma's eyes flicked toward the whisperer, a debutant whose name escaped her in that moment. She was speaking to a small cluster of women seated at the table nearby, their conversation now growing louder and louder.
She felt her pulse quicken as the words reached her ears, but she kept her composure, lightly tracing the delicate rim of her teacup with her fingers. Beside her, Cecilia perked up at the mention of the duke, her eyes flashing with curiosity.
"That is the third time I am hearing that today," Cecilia whispered to Emma, leaning in slightly. "To whom?"
"We don't know who the lady is exactly," another lady, who had been sitting quietly on Emma's other side, leaned forward intothe conversation, her voice carrying a bit too loudly, as if eager to insert herself into the gossip.
It took Emma a second to recognize Lady Patricia Danbury. She was also a debutante, but a very vocal and opinionated one.
"I overheard a conversation at the last ball," she said, her eyes darting around to make sure she had the attention of the others. "All I know is that the woman in question is the daughter of a local lord from the North. Apparently, His Grace has been visiting the lord's estate nearly every single day since he arrived in the country. It's all anyone is talking about over there."
Cecilia leaned in, her interest piqued. "That does sound rather serious."
