Page 38 of The Duke Who Dared Me
Verity scoffed.“Why exactly?I hate being told what to do.I can never hold my tongue.Is it because you mistake our friendship for convenience?You think I will be relieved to be done with the marriage mart and turn a blind eye to your extracurriculars?”
“I need a wife, Verity,” he said, his voice bordering on the edge of pleading.“My sisters are about to be sent away.”
“I will help how I can, but I can’t marry you, Hugh.I’m sorry.”She shrugged.“Everyone is in such a rush to see me wed, but I can’t agree only so I can be less of a problem.Silly, I know.But somewhere in these past few months, I have figured out I have worth.”
Hugh’s sad smile was enough to signal he knew he had lost.Not that it was ever a battle.But at least he knew there would be no winning the battle.“I thought you’d want to win the wager.”
Frustration bubbled up until she was laughing.She was closer to unraveling than she originally feared.“I don’t love you.”
He swallowed, narrowing his eyes at her.It was then she noticed he must have been well into his cups by the way he leaned to the left.He gripped the chair for support.“If this has anything to do with Tunstall…”
She lifted her chin, challenging him to continue.She didn’t want to speak of Alistair, no less during a failed marriage proposal.
“You’re going to lose.Lady Clara has all but secured the title of duchess.”
“Good evening, Lord Brookhouse.My brother will show you out.”She blew out a breath as she stepped out into the hallway.
Verity glanced at Percy, who looked into his glass, then proceeded up to her room where she pushed open the door, shut it behind her, and dove onto her bed.She screamed into her pillows.Better to have that drowned out than to wake Colin or draw concern from Percy.She screamed until the air burned in her lungs, then sat up, and nearly screamed again.
A man was at her window.
A booted leg swung awkwardly over the sill before a mess of dark hair, a muttered curse, and a very familiar coattail caught on the latch.
“Criminy!”Verity wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or laugh at this point in the evening.“Why are you climbing into my bedroom?”
Alistair huffed and yanked his coat free, finally setting both feet onto her rug.“I wasn’t about to knock.I came to speak to you, not Percy.The trellis looked sturdy enough.”
“You’re mad.”
“Probably.”He straightened, brushing leaves from his sleeves.“Whoever planted that rose beneath your window was a decidedly wicked genius.The thorns must be an inch long.I may never walk again.”
Despite herself, her lips twitched.“What are you doing here?”she asked, softer now.
He didn’t speak at first, only studied her.She wasn’t sure when it happened exactly, but suddenly she could prescribe a hundred different words to the way he looked at her and felt the answering warmth in her chest once she recognized he truly saw her.
“I just came from rejecting a marriage proposal.I think.”She kept her voice low, waiting for Percy to knock on the door.It would be the perfect way for this evening to end if she knew her luck.
“You think?”
“Hugh never really asked.I think he assumed I would agree.”
He straightened, his blue eyes suddenly cold again.“Did you?”
“How can I agree to something when I was never asked?”
He raised a brow.
Fine, she was being difficult on purpose.“No.”
“That’s a great answer.”His smile was slow, tugging up one side of his mouth.For a moment, he looked like a complete rogue, and she loved him a little more for it.
She crossed her arms.“Why are you here?”
He glanced at her, the door, then motioned for the lock.She shrugged, then quietly turned to lock her door.
“Better?”she whispered.
He shook his head, then crooked his finger.
