Page 15 of A Fake Courtship with the Duke
“What a reason to marry a gentleman,” he said dryly.
Susan reached out and put her hand over his.
“I don’t mean to imply that you are not a worthy husband,” she said. “But the two of you do not have much time. Something must be done quickly to prevent the two of you from ending up in miserable marriages. And Anne isn’t one of those shallow, arrogant ton ladies, like Lady Eleanor and her friends.”
Richard shook his head again, but deep down, he was thinking over his sister’s suggestion.
“How do you propose we accomplish a wedding?” he asked. “No one would ever believe that we suddenly decided that we wanted to marry each other. Especially not Mother.”And we both know that Mother is hardly a fan of Miss Huxley, and would never approve of such a match,he added silently, not daring to speak the words aloud with Miss Huxley so close.
Susan chewed her lip, noticing how close her friend was to the carriage. She looked at Richard, her eyes filled with urgency, clearly determined to finish explaining her plan before Miss Huxley boarded the coach.
“What if we were to stage a courtship between Anne and you?” she asked. “It would show Mother that you are at least giving a search for a bride a real try, and perhaps keep her from pushing any more young ladies on you. It would keep Anne from being forced into marrying her cousin, at least until her parents gave up on the idea. And once everyone was properly convinced, the two of you could call off your courtship. Or not, if you chose to marry to ensure that you never had to face the chance of marrying someone you dislike in the future.”
Richard shook his head, even though he couldn’t bring himself to protest. It was a crazy idea, to be sure, especially if they were only faking a courtship. It would eventually end, as they would only be doing it to fool their respective families. That could lead to scandal, particularly for Miss Huxley. And Richardthought she had likely had more than enough time in the scandal sheets, especially since she was not a compromised woman.
And yet, there was an appeal to his sister’s plan. Such a pretend courtship would, indeed, protect both of them from their family’s interjections into their lives. And clearly, Miss Huxley was, as Susan had said, not one of the snobby, gossiping women whom Richard despised. She might have made a name for herself as a woman who acted out at gatherings. But she was also not afraid to say what she was thinking, even if it jeopardized her reputation within the ton. That was something Richard could respect. At least, his time spent with her wouldn’t feel oppressive and miserable.
But before he could voice his reservations or consent, Miss Huxley and her maid were assisted into the carriage by a footman. Anne's presence disrupted the conversation, and Richard was left to stew in his thoughts as they set off on their journey to Gunter's.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was just as tense as it had been in the drawing room of the Huxley townhouse. Richard didn’t mind the silence, as his mind was filled with thoughts of his sister’s idea. In any other circumstance, he would have surmised that she had been ensnared by his mother's aspirations for him to enter into matrimony. But he knew that she loved Miss Huxley deeply and she seemed to genuinely want to help Richard avoid entering a marriage that would make him miserable for the rest of his life.
However, he couldn’t fathom how they would ever get their mother over such a notion. He knew there was likely never any chance that the dowager duchess would ever accept Miss Huxley as a viable marriage option for him. But nor did he think she would be any more agreeable to him ending the courtship when they felt sure they had escaped meddling families trying to arrange marriages for them. He couldn’t help smiling to himself.In truth, he didn’t care if his mother approved. As far as he was concerned, it would befit her justly for pushing women he didn’t want onto him. Why couldn’t he have his turn to push a woman that she didn’t like onto her?
Normally, the ride to Gunter’s would have only taken about half an hour. But with the silence in the carriage, it seemed to be taking much longer. Richard had pulled himself back to the present moment and into the lingering silence. He thought it was odd that a woman who was normally not afraid to say anything hadn’t spoken more than a few words, especially considering how close she and Susan were. He supposed she might be as shocked and suspicious of Susan as he had been. He thought it was interesting that, if that were the case, they thought so much alike when they hardly knew each other.
Just when Richard thought the tension might swallow them all, Susan perked up. She smiled brightly at Miss Huxley, who looked at Susan warily.
“What flavours of ices should we get?” she asked.
Miss Huxley looked just as surprised at the sudden casual conversation topic as she had been when Richard and Susan had arrived at her home. She stared at Susan, and for a moment, Richard thought she would finally ask what Susan was up to. Instead, however, she shrugged, opening her mouth and closing it a couple of times before she finally answered.
“Strawberry,” she said. “I like the strawberry ones.”
Richard nodded, keeping silent. The strawberry ices were his favorite, but he was content to let the two women talk.
“I would like a rhubarb one,” Susan said, sighing happily. “Raspberry is my favourite, but I understand that those might not be available until later this summer.”
Miss Huxley seemed to relax, if only a little. She nodded, giving Susan a small smile.
“I enjoy a raspberry sorbet,” she said. “Perhaps, you and I could go and get one of those once raspberries are in season.”
Richard picked up on the emphasis when Miss Huxley said ‘you and I.’ He took no offense, however. He knew she must have been stunned to have him just show up at her home.
Susan nodded, her smile full of relief, now that her friend was speaking to her.
“That would be delightful,” she said.
As the two women continued discussing the iced cakes and the ice cream flavors served during the summer and autumn at Gunter’s, Richard sneaked looks at his sister’s friend. Now that he had the chance to really look at her, he was surprised to notice that she was quite beautiful. Her jade green eyes, which were slowly losing their suspicious glint, sparkled as she laughed at something Susan said to her. Her auburn hair was pinned loosely atop her head with diamond combs, framing her porcelain face perfectly.
Perhaps, Susan and Thomas are onto something,he thought, allowing himself to picture how it would look to engage in a pretend courtship with Miss Huxley. She might find her way into the scandal sheets from time to time. But there was nothing she had done that Richard found even remotely repulsive or distasteful. As he listened, he noticed how musical her laugh was, and how sweet and light her voice was when she spoke. Now that she had relaxed, she seemed to be enjoying herself. He could certainly do worse than Miss Huxley, that much was true. But what would she think of such an arrangement? What if Susan was wrong, and she wouldn’t agree to such a sham?
As the carriage pulled up to Gunter's, Richard's mind was still a whirl of thoughts and ideas. He shook off the notion for the moment, focusing on the afternoon ahead. He assisted Susan out of the carriage, and then, he offered his hand to her friend. The brief contact of their fingers sent an unexpectedwarmth coursing through his arm, and he had to force himself to withdraw his hand slowly, so as to not appear to be recoiling from her in disgust.
The sensation was fleeting, yet potent. A mixture of feelings he couldn't quite identify lingered within him as they stepped into Gunter's. He still wasn’t sure if he would agree with his sister’s plan. But he couldn’t deny that the more he thought about it, and the more he looked at Miss Huxley, the more intriguing it sounded.
Chapter Seven
The tension of the carriage ride to Gunter’s dissolved the instant Anne’s hand touched that of the Duke of Calder. For a single instant, all she was aware of was just how handsome he was, with his black, unruly hair peeking out from beneath his hat and his shrewd blue eyes with, until that brief moment, always appeared hard and disinterested. It had made her heart race, and the moment seemed as though it lasted forever. But the second that the world came back into focus around Anne as they stepped inside Gunter’s, it was as if the strange, tingly moment had never occurred.
