Page 21 of Captured By the Cold Duke
“Cherie—” he called out, just as she turned the doorknob.
“Yes?” She turned back around to face him, and he suddenly felt tongue-tied.
“I—” he swallowed and tried to speak again. “I never wanted this.”
I never wanted ours to be a cold or uncomfortable relationship. I never wanted to cause you this pain.But he couldn’t get the words out, and immediately, Cherie’s face twisted with anger.
“Well, neither did I, as I’ve made abundantly clear,” she snapped. “And if you didn’t want this, then you had every opportunity to call it off.”
She turned and stormed from the room, leaving Thomas gaping after her, wondering how he could have married a woman who never seemed to understand what he was trying to say. Wondering if she ever could come to understand.
Eight
“Ahh, Lady Chastity, Lady Minerva, what a pleasant surprise!” the duke said as Cherie’s friends approached down the path of the Serpentine. It was a beautiful afternoon, and everyone who was anyone seemed to be outside, promenading. Including them, although the purpose of their promenade wasn’tjustfor the exercise.
“Your Grace,” Lady Minerva murmured, sweeping into a curtsy. The duke took her hand, and as he kissed it, he sent Lady Minerva a wink. Cherie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
She kissed her friend’s cheek, shook hands with Lady Chastity, and then turned to the dour-looking fellow who was standing next to her, and whom she had been trying to engage in conversation for the last ten minutes—to no avail.
“Lady Minerva, Lady Chastity, may I introduce Lord Joshua Dawson? An old friend of my husband’s! Lord Dawson, this ismy dear friend Lady Minerva Berrymoore, and her sister, Lady Chastity Berrymoore.”
If Lord Dawson suspected that this entire meeting on the Serpentine had been arranged and carefully planned down to the last detail for his sake, he gave no sign of noticing. Instead, he stepped forward and removed his hat, then bowed low to the ladies.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he muttered, so quickly that Cherie almost couldn’t hear them. He straightened, and his eyes swept over Chastity again, and this time, Cherie caught the twinkle of recognition in them.
“I believe we have met before,” he said to Chastity, bowing again. “Did not we speak briefly at the Tallot ball?”
“Indeed we did,” Chastity said, lowering her eyes demurely. Although in her case, it probably wasn’t a coquettish trick. Chastity really was that shy. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance properly.”
“As am I.” The viscount held out his arm to Lady Chastity. “May I?”
Chastity nodded and took his arm, and the two of them began to walk ahead of the group. Cherie watched them with narrowed eyes. Lord Dawson walked very stiffly and did not seem to be asking Chastity many questions. He barely even looked at her as they set off ahead of them.
“He is introverted,” Minerva said, taking her arm, and sharing a meaningful look with her that said that she had noticed this as well. “Perhaps she likes that he doesn’t speak much.”
“Or perhaps,” the duke said quietly, leaning towards them, “he’s afraid of opening his mouth because he knows that everything he says is insipid!”
Cherie and Minerva both laughed, Cherie pressing a hand to her mouth to muffle the sound.
“Your Grace! That is cutting!” she whispered, and he grinned.
“Didn’t you listen to him moaning about having to give a measly portion of his farming profits to his tenants?” the duke asked, shaking his head. “You tried so hard to engage the man in conversation, and the only thing he could think to speak of was how dreadful it is to be a rich, titled viscount with pesky tenants who want to keep some of the profits of their labor!”
Cherie couldn’t help but laugh, although she sobered when she saw the look of concern on Minerva’s face.
“Fear not,” she murmured, taking her friend’s hand. “If Chastity likes him, then I am sure he is a good man. He is just shy, as you said!”
“Indeed,” the duke said, bowing to Minerva. “I shouldn’t make assumptions about a man I hardly know.” He slid a glance at Cherie. “Although any criticisms I have are simply because Ithink Lady Chastity deserves the best. And anyone who knows me could tell you I have a long-standing history of standing up for tenants!”
“Yes, I have read about your work with your father’s company,” Minerva said, eyeing the duke. “I must say I was rather impressed. You flew in the face of your father’s opposition, as well as his board of investors, in order to demand a higher wage for your workers.”
The duke looked suddenly embarrassed. His cheeks went pink, and he looked down at his toes. “Yes, well, it’s important to make your workers happy,” he said quickly. “They make the product, after all!”
“How did you read about His Grace’s exploits in India?” Cherie asked, turning with some surprise to her friend.
“It was in theFinancial Times,” Minerva said with a shrug. “And I found it rather interesting.”
Of course she reads theFinancial Times! Cherie shook her head. Minerva was too smart for her own good.
