Page 41 of The Jilted Duchess
Alexandra was acutely aware of the fact that Penelope was standing beside her. She couldn’t allow herself to be spoken to in this way while her sister was watching. It was unacceptable. She had to show Penelope that she was strong, that she could stand up for herself?—
Then she felt a hand on her waist, large and very familiar.
“Good day, stepmaither.” She’d have known that accent anywhere. “I see ye’ve decided to engage me wife in a chat.”
“Yourwifehas arrived here looking like some commoner,” the dowager duchess said. “Your stepbrother had the sense to walkaway from this one, but you apparently felt she would be a worthy match for you.”
Hector snorted. “I shouldnae be surprised to see that you daenae understand me marriage. I doubt ye understand anythin' at all about the power of a love match, do ye?”
A love match.
He was putting it on to impress the rest of the ton, of course. It was a performance for the sake of the onlookers. And yet, Alexandra couldn’t suppress the feeling of exhilaration that surged within her at the words—at the very suggestion that she could be someone that he might love.
It wasn’t real. She knew it wasn’t real. It was nothing more than a show.
But she allowed herself a moment, just the same, to imagine that it was true.
“What made you decide to come?” she asked him once they had escaped, leaving his stepmother shocked and gaping at the insult leveled her way. Alexandra could hardly believe he had said it aloud. She knew that his father had had an affair, of course—it was the reason the dowager was no more than a stepmother to him, the reason his brother was really only ahalf-brother. But to say it in front of people like that, to throw it in her face that shehad never really been loved—she couldn’t believe he had done that.
There was something impressive about it. Something that made her warm to him. He had done it to save her from his stepmother’s slander, she knew. It was for her sake that he had ridiculed his own family in public.
It isn’t a love match, she reminded herself. And yet…there wassomethingabout it, wasn’t there?
“Ye should have asked me to come with ye from the start,” he said. “Why did ye nae do so? Did ye nae want me along? Embarrassed of me beastly nature?” His fingertips went to the bruise on his cheek.
She was surprised and could admit it. “I didn’t think you would want to come,” she told him. “I’m here because I had to escort Penelope, but there was no reason you needed to be disturbed, and I didn’t want to inconvenience you. I thought you would be happy I left you alone about it.”
“Well. Next time ye shouldaskwhat would make me happy instead of just assumin’.”
She stared at him for a moment, taken aback.
It was as if his beastly nature had never existed. He looked…younger, somehow. He looked like a teenager intent on gettinghis own way, not understanding why he was being thwarted. He looked fiery and unhappy, and she had to laugh.
He scowled at her. “What’s funny now?”
“It’s just…I don’t know. I had everything under control,” she told him. “I really didn’t need assistance—if that’s what this is. If you’re feeling as though you let me down in some way by not being here from the start—you didn’t. I was only trying to see to my sister’s affairs, and I didn’t need any help.”
“Oh, yes, yes, ye never need help,” he grumbled. “God knows ye’ve never needed help a day in your life. Why ye even have a husband is beyond my capacity—surely ye’d be happier on your own.”
“Don’t do that,” she chided. “I’m very happy you’re here, Hector, truly. And if I’d thought there was a chance you would want to accompany me, of course I would have asked! I just don’t want you to feelobligated.”
“It’s a privilege to feel obligated to one’s wife,” he said, but his face softened slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned upward. “Besides, I do love dinner parties.”
She turned to look at him in utter surprise and saw that the corners of his mouth were now twitching with barely suppressed laughter.
“You don’t love dinner parties,” she chided, but she was smiling too. “Don’t you treat me like a fool, Hector. I know perfectly well that that isn’t true.”
They were both smiling at each other now, and it struck Alexandra how handsome he truly was when he lowered his guard—when his eyes went soft and his facial features relaxed, when he allowed his true personality to shine through. At least, she wanted to believe this was his true personality—this laughing, happy version of him.
Without thinking about what she was doing, she reached up and caressed his face.
And then she caught herself. What was she thinking, touching him so tenderly? And doing so in the middle of this party, no less—where anyone might see them, where they might be interrupted at any time…
She began to pull away.
He stopped her, though. He reached out and caught her hand in his. His eyes were wide with surprise at what she had done, but he clearly didn’t want to put a stop to it.
And then, to her utter shock, he drew her palm to his lips.
