Page 52 of The Duke's Indecent Match
“Yes.”Zachary cast a dark look at Drake, who was already moving to the drink cart to get himself a glass.“She has decided the only thing that will truly make her happy now is if I marry her best friend’s daughter.I can only imagine where she got that idea.”
“If she had asked me, I would have told her it was a poor choice,” Drake replied blandly.He glanced at Zachary.“Drink?”
“Please.”Zachary’s tone was fervent, and he reached up to stroke a finger along Monkey Sinclair’s back.The little creature chittered and leaned against Zachary’s head.
Out of all of their coterie, Zachary had been the closest to Sinclair.That he was taking some comfort in his new pet was good.
“Has Lady Annabelle met Sinclair?”Sebastian asked, nodding at the monkey.Zachary made a face.
“No.”His tone was clipped as he answered.So far, Monkey Sinclair had shown an aversion to women, with one singular exception—Zachary’s ex-mistress, the Baroness Ashfield.Who was also a house guest, as she was one of Lady Astrid’s close friends and very likely the reason Zachary had not been invited to the house party in the first place.The pair’s feelings for each other made their separation extremely awkward whenever they occupied the same room.
Likely, Lady Astrid had meant to give the baroness a respite from Zachary’s presence during the house party, but Fate had had other plans.
“Perhaps if you are averse to marrying her, you should hasten with the introduction,” Gregory suggested, a mischievous light in his eyes.
“I think I will have to keep Monkey Sinclair away from her for as long as possible.”Zachary sighed, resignation writ in every line of his body.“For the first time, my mother has been… lighter, I suppose is the best word.No longer so mired in her grief.I am reluctant to negate the change prematurely.”
“You are not actually going to marry a woman just to please your mother, are you?”Sebastian sounded utterly horrified.
From the expression on Zachary’s face and his lack of immediate response, he was considering doing just that.
“Let us talk about something else.Especially in a house where Delilah is also present.”Zachary took a long sip of his drink.The pain in his eyes when he said his ex-mistress’ name was impossible to miss.The daft fool.He had choices, and he was making all the wrong ones.“Have I missed anything other than Nathanial tripping into the parson’s trap?”
They all exchanged looks.
“Just Lady Johanna’s rather abrupt departure,” Matthew offered up.It was the only other event of note, considering how little time they’d spent.They all fell to discussing the lady and her companion, as well as her middle-of-the-night retreat, before moving on to prodding Zachary to update them on the latesttongossip.
Zachary regaled them with the story of the Countess of Spenceraccidentallyputting a fork through Lady Hatchet’s hand.No one believed it was an accident, of course, as Lady Hatchet had put said hand on the Earl of Spencer only half an hour before the unfortunate incident, and onlookers had described the lady’s demeanor as decidedly flirtatious.He’d shown her no interest, but it hardly mattered.
While Spencer had had a reputation for being an unmitigated rake before his marriage, his countess had an even stronger reputation for being both wild and possessive.She did not take kindly to ladies importuning her husband, despite his disinterest in the charms of any lady but his wife.His attitude had become something of a challenge for theton’sbored matrons, but they did so at the risk of the countess’ displeasure… as Lady Hatchet had discovered.
Nathanial wondered what kind of wife Miss Little would be.
He frowned at the idea that she might become one of the boredtonmatrons in search of an accomplished rake to warm her bed.
Equally, the idea of her being possessive of him made him feel rather pleased.
Which made him frown all the more.
This marriage was an arrangement he had been trapped into, nothing more.He should not care whether his wife was possessive of him or not.That he felt so of her would likely wear off once she’d borne him an heir.It was only natural that he would want to be the only man in her bed before she had fulfilled her duty.
That was it.
Nothing more.
19
Kalina
The night before her wedding was the worst night of sleep Kalina had ever had.For the first time in her life, every time she started to drift, a noise would jerk her awake.She felt like she heard everything.
The whisper of a lady’s skirts out in the hall, passing by her door.
The murmur of someone’s voice coming from another room.
The hooting of the owl outside.
It did not matter that the damage had already been done, and there was no reason for anyone to appear in her room now; she could not fully relax enough to sleep.When Margaret knocked on her door and entered in the morning, she jerked awake at the sound.
