Page 38 of A Marquess to Save Her
“Then, one of our very distant relatives will show up and become the Duke after me,” Callum said, “I will never be the Duke that my grandfather wants me to be and I know he will be mad in the grave when he realizes that his only living offspring has refused to continue the lineage.”
Louise shook her head. “You have given this matter quite a thought.”
Callum nodded. “Indeed. I made the decision a while ago and nothing can change my mind, especially not my grandfather.”
“Is the reason you made this decision in any way connected to the betrayal secret that you would rather not share with me?” Louise asked.
Callum looked away then, saying nothing.
“It seems our dance has come to an end,” he finally said. And truthfully, the dance had indeed ended, and with that, Callum walked away.
“Lady Louise,” Lord Pembroke, said, extending his hand for their dance.
Louise plastered a smile on her face even though smiling was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. She gave Pembroke her hand, and they began to dance. However, as she danced with him, she could not get the conversation that she had just had with Callum out of her head and what it meant for her.
The fact that Callum had sworn not to get married meant she had no chance with him. It was far easier for Callum to go against his grandfather's will than to go against his resolve not to get married.
As they danced, Pembroke began to make small talk with Louise, but her mind was not in the conversation as she looked around to see where Callum was. As they twirled and turned, she caught sight of him dancing with Catherine. Louise's eyes narrowed in anger, but she did nothing.
“Lady Louise, are you quite all right?” Pembroke asked, peering curiously at her.
Louise quickly planted a smile on her face and nodded. “Certainly. And I must say, I enjoy dancing with you. You are the best dancer I have danced with this evening.” This seemed to put Pembroke's heart at rest as he puffed his chest in a self-important manner.
“Well, I have had a lot of ladies tell me this,” Pembroke said.
From experience, Louise had learned that the best way to get to a man was by complimenting him. “I do not doubt that,” Louise replied as her eyes traveled to where Callum and Catherine were dancing.
She was presently pressed tightly against him in an exaggerated manner of dancing, which was not very pleasant to Louise. Callum did not seem very pleased either as he looked like he would rather be elsewhere.
She was relieved when her dance with Pembroke ended, and from the look on his face, Louise could already tell that this would not be the last she would hear from the Earl. By the end of the night, Louise had danced with no less than eight men, and most of them seemed to be positively enamored by her.
Louise was glad that her plan of getting a suitor was working, and it was all thanks to Callum. Yet, she could not be happy, and it was all because the person she really wanted could never marry her.
ChapterTwelve
It was daybreak and the young men were all gathered at the stable, preparing for the hunting day ahead.
“The last time I went hunting, I killed a wolf,” Wessex said to the hearing of everyone.
“Wessex, you must think us all fools if you think we would believe such a lie,” one of the gentlemen said.
“Vermouth, you know I would never lie. In fact, I wounded a red deer and almost caught it but it got away,” Wessex continued.
“Do you believe him?” Felington asked Callum.
They were standing a distance away from the other young men, getting their saddles prepared for the eventful day ahead.
Callum scoffed. “Of course, he is lying. I am certain Wessex has never killed a bird in his life.”
Felington laughed out loud. “You are right. Wessex is definitely the type to boast about something when he has never done it,” Felington said.
“My Lord, I did not know you were joining the hunting trip,” a voice said. It was Catherine, Emily's friend, who had been trying all she could to get Callum to notice her.
“Lady Catherine,” Callum said, “of course, I would. Where else would I rather be?”
Catherine laughed, and Callum wondered for a moment if he had said anything funny.
“I am glad. Then, you can protect me during this hunting trip,” she said, smiling.
