Page 12 of Her Cursed Duke
The Duke was quite a mystery, and hopefully, their arrangement would provide her with the opportunity to get to know him better.
Distracted by her thoughts, she did not notice his grip on her hand tightening until he tugged and she stumbled forward, rightinto his arms. His gaze pinned her in place when she looked up, shivering as he raised a hand, his fingers lightly caressing the column of her throat, reaching up to hold her jaw.
His thumb grazed her lower lip lightly and then slightly pressed against it as he mumbled, not taking his eyes off her, “I do not think I need to tell you to not mention this to anyone, Lady Prudence. Aside from the fact that it will land you right where you started if I catch wind of your betrayal—far from my good graces—I suggest that we keep this agreement to ourselves. It will protect us from whatever fallouts might ensue in case we have to part ways earlier than expected.”
Prudence swallowed harshly, begging her voice to work as she tried to speak. “That goes without saying, Your Grace. Do not worry, I know how to carry myself with discretion,” she assured, absentmindedly noting that the fireworks had ended and she would have to go in search of Agnes soon.
“Aiden.”
She blinked at him in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”
He released her, and she felt as though she was finally able to breathe, noting a sudden chill over the places he had touched.
“You can call me by my name. Aiden. We will be courting, after all. I feel as though it will help us become more comfortable with each other—enough to function well as a courting pair.”
“Do you not think that is too soon? Would people really expect us to have gotten so close in a few hours that we refer to each other by our Christian names?”
“I think that would work to our advantage. My godmother would not doubt me, as I was formerly opposed to the idea. If she learns that not only a lady piqued my curiosity, but I am interested in her enough to allow her to address me by my Christian name, it will make her happy.”
“Even if the bond between us is a farce,” Prudence pointed out.
“Even still,” Aiden maintained strongly. “If you would rather not—”
“No,” she hastily said, then cleared her throat before speaking calmly. “No… I do not mind. But perhaps we can try it out in private first? Just for a few days. Then we can call each other by our Christian names in public.”
“That is fine by me,” Aiden conceded easily.
“Thank you.” Prudence sighed in relief. “I must go and find my sister, Your—Aiden. Rest assured, I will keep my word and uphold our deal.”
“Thank you, Prudence. I am grateful for your willingness to assist me with this. I will send you an invitation to spend some time together soon.”
She curtsied with a smile. “Of course. I look forward to it. Have a good night, Aiden.”
And then, she turned around and left the balcony.
Aiden let out a breath once she was out of sight, a little surprised that she had been willing to go along with his plan but thankful nonetheless to be receiving her assistance. He felt a little guilty for the deception he was about to engage in but knew that it was ultimately the best choice for everyone.
His godmother would not let go of the matter otherwise, and her expectations could not be met. Aiden was touched by her desire to see him happy and no longer wholly reliant on her as his only source of company, but he also knew the harsh truth she was not willing to consider.
No one would ever love him—not of their own volition.
The women who had approached him today could not completely hide their repulsion, all of them more enchanted by his castle than the prospect of entering an everlasting bond with him. He could not blame them, as he was more well aware of their thoughts of him than anyone else. If he were in their shoes, he would have likely done the same—focused on the rewards that would come out of a marriage to a cursed duke rather than on the downside.
Ultimately, it would only result in an ill-fated union, and he would not wish that on anyone. At least with this plan, he did not have to spend possibly the entire summer meeting with boring,conniving women who might just take it upon themselves to serve as the end of the Cursed Duke.
His mind wandered to Prudence, lingering on the soft feel of her skin beneath his fingertips, how she trembled in his embrace, how her scent rendered him a little lightheaded. She was truly something, a worthy compensation for the exhausting activities he would need to engage in to make this ruse believable. And maybe, just maybe, he might be rewarded for his efforts with a taste of her.
Aiden smirked to himself and continued his journey upstairs to his chambers, deeming it a suitable time to retire from the party, consequences be damned as he resolved to put his plans in motion as soon as he could.
This was the best course of action, and he was willing to do his best to keep the charade going for the sake of his godmother, and himself as well.
Whatever it took.
Prudence found her sister easily enough, as Agnes had also been searching for her. Agnes said that their grandmother had grown weary and was ready to retire for the day and was already in the carriage with Silas but was willing to let the girls stay if they wished. Prudence had declined, also feeling somewhat weary from the events of the day and suddenly missing the warmth of her bed.
And so they returned to the Fitzroy estate, Prudence heading upstairs with her grandmother to give her the medications and help her get ready for bed. Once Martha had settled beneath her sheets, Prudence bid her a good night and retired to her own room, a few doors down from her grandmother’s.
Agnes and Silas’s room was only a door away from hers, and she momentarily wondered if they had settled in properly, hoping that there was nothing they needed at this hour. She slipped into her room and quickly got ready for bed with Aria’s help.
