Page 21 of An Unwanted Spinster for the Duke
Lady Elizabeth looked like she might dig a hole into the floor so she could disappear, but her father seemed unaware. He kept his smile, but it did not reach his eyes.
“You might want to thank His Grace for shooting the stag this afternoon. What he did deserves a lady’s admiration. One clean shot! What do you think, dear?”
“T-Thank you for the stag, Your Grace. I’ve heard about how skillful you were, and I wish I had seen it for myself,” Lady Elizabeth said meekly, clearly following her father’s script.
Dominic felt pity for the young woman, who was clearly frightened and pushed around like a pawn on a chessboard. His eyes could not help but dart back to the door he had seen Marianne exit through.
“Lady Elizabeth,” Olivia spoke up, looking like she took pity on the girl. “I would love to learn more about the artwork in this room—if that is all right with you, Lord Grisham.”
“You may now be excused, Elizabeth,” Grisham declared in an even tone.
It might have been Dominic’s imagination, but it looked like the Marquess had just given Olivia a slightly displeased but controlled look.
“You can tour the room with Lady Darfield.”
The men watched as the two women departed. Dominic surmised that Lady Elizabeth must have felt a great sense of relief. He knew all too well the discomfort of being foisted on women, as if the matchmaking efforts were a kindness, when all they did was create tension.
“My apologies, Your Grace,” Grisham offered, seemingly able to regain his graciousness.
“For what, my lord?” Dominic asked, genuinely curious about what the older man would say.
“For my daughters. First, my Marianne had made a scenetwicetoday by refusing to eat the venison you so skillfully brought us, and by letting her cat around Lady Etheridge. And now, my dear Elizabeth is being too shy around you.”
“My lord, I can tell you on my friend’s behalf that he does not find your daughters’ actions offensive. Lady Marianne is a woman with her own mind. Her cat undoubtedly takes after her, as pets tend to do with their owners. As for Lady Elizabeth,she is the type of respectable woman thetonneeds,” Simon interjected.
“Ah, so you are now my solicitor?” Dominic asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Sometimes, I am not certain if you are ever going to say anything at all,” his friend replied with a slight shrug.
“That’s fair,” Dominic allowed, seeing the curious look the Marquess was giving him and Simon. “But Lord Darfield is correct, Lord Grisham. That is precisely what I think about your daughters. You are fortunate to have them.”
Something flickered in Grisham’s eyes, a flash of irritation quickly masked by his usual composure. He held Dominic’s gaze for a moment, his lips pulled tight, as if considering something. Finally, with a smooth, controlled exhale, he nodded.
“Why, thank you, Your Grace. And you, Lord Darfield.” His tone shifted to the typical politeness as he addressed the two men. “Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen. I must see to my other guests.”
With that, he turned around, his steps measured and deliberate, as though he was leaving only when he deemed it appropriate.
Finally left alone, Simon turned to Dominic with a bewildered expression on his face. “Was that girl terrified of her own shadow? She was shaking like a leaf in the midst of a storm!”
“The girl is not afraid of her own shadow. She is afraid of her father. Perhaps all of the Grisham girls are, to various extents,” Dominic noted grimly. “Lady Elizabeth does not belong here. She should not be offered to me as a bride, as Grisham intends to do.”
“Oh, but you think Lady Marianne should be offered instead?”
Dominic didn’t even look at his friend. His voice was a low growl. “Keep testing me, Simon, and I’ll make sure you walk out of here looking like you’ve been trampled by a herd of cows.”
Simon raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “But I do love a good stampede.”
Again, Dominic’s silence was louder than any of the words he’d said, and he was certain that Simon understood.
Chapter Eleven
Marianne should feel settled. The house had gone still, with guests in their rooms and servants dismissed. Even the lamps had been dimmed.
Of course, anyone could tell you that she had the right to feel restless. The day had been harder than most, but again, she had expected it. Nothing good could have come out of a stag hunt.
It wasn’t the hunt or the insults that troubled her, though. It was that man—the hunter who had lost his prey because of her.
The guests were still in the manor. Because she was tossing and turning, she was afraid that her mind would not be clear enough for tomorrow’s challenges. And with her father trying his best to please his guests, there would be many.
