Page 6 of A Fake Courtship with the Duke
“I must say that I can’t be any more enthusiastic about your suggestion than I am about Mother’s pestering,” he said. “How can I find a bride when a bride is the last thing that I want?”
Thomas shrugged, eyeing the table for his next shot before speaking again.
“No one could expect you to embrace the notion immediately,” he said. “Just take some time to consider it. Surely, if you kept in mind that you are doing this to keep control of your own life, you could keep an eye out for a lady that piques your interest. Even if it takes you the rest of the season, it should appease your mother than you are taking some initiative in finding yourself a wife.”
Richard shuddered at Thomas’s last word as his friend took his shot. Thomas must have seen the movement, as he laughed and scratched the cue against the table, barely bunting his ball from its spot on the green material.
“I do not mean to laugh at your plight,” Thomas said, despite continuing to laugh. “I am just surprised by how reluctant you seem toward marriage.”
Richard nodded, leaning on the stick he held in his hand.
“I am sure it sounds strange,” he said. “We are all taught from a young age that we grow up, we marry, we have children, we care for our families and then we pass on. And I am aware that I owe my family’s dukedom an heir. But having a wife seems like more of a hindrance to me than an asset.”
Thomas frowned, tilting his head.
“Do you mean to say that you do not believe in love?” he asked.
Richard shrugged.
“I do not judge those who claim to have found love,” he said. “How could I possibly cherish a lady devoid of intellect and personality, akin to a faded sofa cushion?”
Thomas burst out laughing, slapping his knee as Richard smirked.
“That is true enough,” he said, wiping at the corners of his eyes. “But what if there was a woman out there who had a little more personality and intellect than that?”
Richard snorted.
“Then it would be only a little more,” he said. “And that would be a miracle that even the heavens likely couldn’t deliver.”
The two men shared a laugh, and Richard relaxed a bit with the humorous interlude. Then, Thomas nodded, straightening his coat and shaking his head.
“I think that no man could suffer a woman such as you described for long periods of time,” he said. “But I think that you could find a woman who could offer that which you seek.”
Richard sighed again, shaking his head.
“But what I seek is an escape from marriage,” he said. “I can’t find that and find a wife simultaneously.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No,” he said. “But you mustn’t rule out the idea of picking a woman you could tolerate for the rest of your life. We both know that your mother will never relent. And it isn’t as if you need to make up your mind this instant. Just think about it, my friend. It can’t be any worse than what your mother will undoubtedly deliver to you if you don’t take control of the situation.”
Richard nodded slowly as Thomas’s words continued to sink in. He knew that his friend was right. There was nothing thatwould get him out of a marriage to some noblewoman, short of him fleeing London, and thus, his responsibilities as duke. And his dukedom was something he took very seriously, so running away was out of the question. He would never desire marriage. But if he didn’t want to guarantee his own misery for the rest of his days, he knew he should do something to take charge of his own decisions in the matter.
"I'll consider it," Richard finally conceded, sinking a ball with a soft thud. “But I am placing a bet right now that I could never find a woman I believe to be worth more than five minutes of my time.”
Thomas raised his eyebrows in intrigue.
“Is that a money-worthy wager?” he asked.
Richard snickered.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said jovially. “If I find a woman worth marrying by the end of this season, I will pay your membership dues here for the next ten years.”
Thomas laughed heartily again and nodded.
“I am happy to take that bet,” he said.
Richard offered his hand, feeling confident in his side of the wager.
