Page 32 of A Bride for the Devilish Duke
They entered the study, with Damien wondering what manner of illness could be helped by staying in the bustle of the metropolis. As Duncan turned to face him, he put the thought from his mind.
“My Lord Eastwick, I do not know how much your daughter has shared with you, but since meeting her at Redmane, I have resolved to marry her. I apologize for the bluntness of my declaration but there it is. I would request your blessing and consent, as custom dictates I should.”
“And does my daughter wish to marry you?” Duncan asked.
Damien did not smile and did not look away from Duncan.
“I would say not,” Damien said bluntly, “but that is neither here nor there. She will be a duchess, entitled to a share of my wealth and given unrestricted access to those of my association, including those at Court.”
“But do you love her? Or she you?” Duncan pressed.
Damien narrowed his eyes. “I shall be candid with you, Eastwick, no, I do not. Nor do I intend to fall in love. I do not seek it; it is simply marriage to a respectable woman from a respectable family. Yours is an ancient lineage, but something tells me it is somewhat reduced in circumstances.”
Duncan puffed himself up. “I beg your pardon, Your Grace. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hope you can see as much from this evening.”
“If I am in error, then I apologize,” Damien waved a cursory hand, “but an association with the Duke of Redmane can hardly harm your family or your social standing. If, for example, you wished to purchase property in addition to this, that would be a simple prospect.”
He did not want to anger Duncan or back him into a corner where he would refuse to give his consent out of sheer embarrassment, simply to save face. So, he circled the truth that both men knew: that the Montrose family lived in some kind of debt to Silas Sutherland.
“I will not deny that my family would benefit greatly from your union. I have long wished for and, though it pains me to admit,given up on the idea of Emma finding a husband. She refuses to entertain the idea. It has been thus for the past three years since she returned from a sabbatical on the coast.” Duncan sighed, then looked away. “I would dearly love to know whom she spoke to or what happened during those three months that led to her taking this stance.”
Damien frowned. “Asabbatical? What was her reason for such a thing?”
Duncan spread his hands. “I do not know, and neither do her siblings. She confided in no one. She was... it is difficult to put into words, but before she left, she was not herself, as though something had happened.
“If I did not know better, I would say that her heart had been broken. Whatever the reason, when she returned, she was as she is now, dead set against marriage or any association with men.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Emma, you are so blessed! To be sought out by a Duke to dance with, then for him to be invited to dinner with us. Now, you will see him again at luncheon. It can mean only one thing!” Rosie enthused.
They walked up Brimley Park's driveway; the three sisters arm in arm as they approached the house. It was a fine sandstone structure with three floors and a well-kept park in which deer moved contentedly in the distance.
“And what is that?” Emma asked distractedly.
Rosie arched a brow. “Emma, even you cannot be so blind. You must see it, surely.”
“The Duke means to ask for your hand in marriage,” Josie put in with a touch less enthusiasm. “Why else would he have spoken with Papa in private after dinner? A wedding to a Duke. Hmm.We will need an entirely new wardrobe, Rosie. We must begin planning at once.”
“That wasthree daysago, Josie,” Emma remarked, “and I have not received any word that the Duke wishes to marry me. Not from Papa, nor His Grace himself.”
Rosie looked scornful. “Emma, you cannot be so blind! It is coming as surely as Christmas!”
Josie nodded sagely. “And even our spendthrift father cannot deny that the sisters of a future duchess can afford to be outshone by other guests. Could we take the trap into Nettlebed tomorrow, Emma? I should like to browse Mrs. Spinnaker’s shop.”
“Josie, for shame, you think far too small!” Rosie scolded. “We require a French modiste from London for a marriage to a Duke.”
Josie clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up. “Oh yes, I was not thinking, but you are right! London it is. That would mean Papa will need to take a townhouse for a few weeks too!”
“The two of you are being particularly empty-headed,” Emma said with exasperation. “I must say. I have not been proposed to, and you do not know that Papa has been asked for permission. For all you know, the Duke wished to discuss business matters with Papa!”
The issue was that Damien insisted on speaking to their father alone after dinner. Why would he do that ifnotto discuss marriage? Emma wished it could simply be a desire to talk business, but she did not believe it.
“Then why exclude Sir Silas?” Rosie added smartly. “We all heard the Duke deliberately ask for time alone with Papa. It seems to me that men always wish to discuss business when there are two or more of them in one place, and the more the merrier.”
“Because they did not wish Sir Silas to know their private business,” Emma pointed out.
Her sisters scoffed at the notion. They had made their minds up.
