Page 28 of Loving a Noble Gentleman
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Walter breathed a sigh of relief as he read the words in front of him written by Duke Smith. He had suspected that things were heading in the right direction and that everything was going to plan, but to have that confirmed after what felt like forever was wonderful. He had been dealing with this nightmare of a will clause for far too long. He would be so glad for all of this to be over and done with so he could return to what he wanted to do.
“Perfect,” he muttered to himself as he picked up his quill to write out a reply. “Just perfect.”
‘Your Grace,
Thank you very much for your letter. I was very pleased to receive it. I am certain that Lady Mary Roberts will be very happy to learn of your request to marry her too. Now that I have received this information from you, I shall start legal proceedings with regards to the inheritance of the house, and I shall also be in touch with regards to the dowry also.
Do let me know when you plan to visit again.
Mr Walter Thompson.’
After Walter had written out his reply, he tucked it into his pocket to post and left his office to get into the carriage to go straight to Mary’s home. Maybe Duke Smith had been hinting that he wanted to tell Mary about the marriage proposal himself, but Walter could not take any chances. He needed Mary to know what was coming because he did not want to give Edmund a chance to back out of his promise. He did not think that he would, but he could not take chances. He had been alive for long enough to realise that nothing good could come out of taking chances and trusting in people.
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“Lady Roberts?” Daisy looked panicked as she called out to Mary. It was hard for her to pull her head out of her copy ofFrankensteinsince she was so lost in the storyline for yet another time, but there was desperation in Daisy’s tone that grabbed her attention. “Mr Thompson is here to speak with you.”
“He is?” Mary placed her book carefully on the table beside her and stood up. She brushed her skirts down and touched her face gently, hoping that she looked presentable for this unexpected meeting. “I am not expecting him today; did he say what he wanted?”
“He did not?” Daisy shook her head rapidly. “But he said to let you know that he has something urgent to tell you.”
“Right.” Mary nodded as her heart raced in her chest. “I see, yes.”
What can it be?Walter did not come to her home without some news to share with her. Sometimes it was wonderful news, often not so much. Mary was not sure why, but she felt a little fragile. She got the impression that any bad news would break her.
With tentative footsteps, she made her way downstairs to where Walter stood in the hallway. As he heard her coming, he glanced upwards and smiled serenely at her. Maybe that expression was designed to help her relax, but it did not. Mary knew that something Walter considered to be good news did not necessarily mean that she would agree.
“Good morning, Mr Thompson,” Mary declared professionally and politely. She had become almost expert in hiding her feelings well. “What a wonderful surprise to see you here.”
Walter waited until she had fully descended to the bottom of the stairs before he spoke out. “Yes, Lady Roberts, it is lovely to see you again.” He folded his arms across his chest, revealing just a small glimpse of the letter in his hand. “Today, I received word from His Grace, Duke Smith.”
“You ... you did?” Mary could tell that this was not just another meeting arrangement. It was written all over his face. “And what did it say?”
“His Grace has declared his intention to marry you.”
Mary felt a burst of intense excitement, followed by the calm sensation that could only come from knowing that the pieces of her life were finally all coming together. This was what she had been wanting for so long. To hear it was incredible.
“That is wonderful,” she gasped. “I am very pleased.”
“Yes, I thought you would be,” Walter drawled. “So now that you are officially engaged, I would like to let you know that I am about to start legal proceedings on the home.”
“Right, yes of course.” The home in which she had spent her entire life was about to become officially hers, and that was not even the part that she was most thrilled about. “That shall be wonderful. Thank you.”
I need to tell Daisy,she thought as Walter continued to talk to her, filling her in with the finer details.And Charlotte too, this is wonderful. I am engaged ...
Maybe she did not quite feel engaged; there was nothing to suggest that things were different, but she knew. The knowledge was there that soon she would be a Duchess, married to a Duke who she cared for very much.
