Page 61 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
“I promise to be an upstanding husband,” Gabriel said, standing from behind his desk.
He moved to approach Gemma, but she gave him a small nod before fleeing from his study, leaving Gabriel to wonder what was going through her mind at that moment.
What caused her to say yes? Why was she running away? This was supposed to be a happy occasion.
***
Accepting Gabriel’s proposal was one of the hardest things Gemma had to do. She knew that her reputation would be ruined if society found out about their intimate moments. Though she did not care at first, the more she thought about it, the more she did not want to be ruined. And Gabriel would be ruined as well. Ashbourne Estate would be ruined, and she couldn’t let that happen to the late duke’s memory.
Gemma loved Gabriel and marrying him would not be a punishment unless it was a loveless marriage. She knew Gabriel felt some way for her. He kissed her and was intimate with her for a reason. He may not have loved her, but she could settle for that. It was better than seeing him with someone else or being in a loveless marriage to another man.
As Gemma fled Gabriel’s study, she ran to the storage closet they shared their first kiss in.
She stared at the mural and reminisced about their first kiss as she touched her heart.
Marrying Gabriel would not be a feat, it may even be a pleasure but the thought that he did not love her still hurt her deeply. She could live with a loveless marriage with him, but it would bother her.
Gemma sat down on the dusty floor as she gazed at the mural.
Being the Duchess of Ashbourne was something she had never even dreamed about. Ashbourne Estate was her home and things did feel like they were coming full circle, but she was still shocked she was going to be duchess.
Being able to stay in her home was something that had appealed to her, which was part of the reason she said yes.
She was going to have to be married one day. Why not marry a man she loves? Why not marry a man with a lot to offer?
On paper, it made sense to marry Gabriel. It was just Gemma’s heart that had been torn apart which made marrying such a man a pure act of folly. It was no wonder that she had found her head to be smarting with tension of late. This was such a tension-filled bit of thinking to do, after all, was it not?
Marrying simply for marriage’s sake and perhaps for land and name was risky enough as it was, Gemma thought to herself. Marrying the wrong man for the right things could go any number of ways, to a place that she did not need or want.
As she pondered how this decision could affect her for the rest of her life, her breath even seemed to quicken as her thoughts kept time with it.
Chapter 25
It had been over a week since Gabriel had become engaged. It had also been over a week since he had talked to his betrothed.
At every turn, Gemma fled away from Gabriel as did he from her.
Both were fearful of what a conversation between them would mean, but there was a ball that night and Gabriel knew they would both have to attend, so he sought Gemma out.
He lightly rapped on her door.
“Come in!” Gemma’s delicate voice echoed through her bed chamber.
Gabriel threw the door open with a loud bang out of nervousness. He did not mean to call such attention to himself, but he overestimated his strength.
“What are you doing here?” Gemma shouted.
“We need to talk.” Gabriel maintained a calmness in his tone.
“I thought you were ignoring me?” Gemma was certainly not keeping a calm tone to her voice, whatsoever.
Gabriel huffed, not wanting to make this a difficult conversation.
“Now, none of that. I am here for an important reason,” Gabriel started.
Gemma threw her hands up in the air but took a seat on one of the chairs in her bed chamber. Gabriel sat down on the one across from hers.
They stared into each other's eyes, electricity passing between them with each second.
