Page 30 of Lusting for the Duke's Kiss
That afternoon, the Duke took her on a long walk of the estate, her mother trailing behind. The grounds were extensive, with crisscrossing paths, flanked on either side by tall, white statues of Greek gods and goddesses. The gardens were glorious, too, tended to by a team of gardeners, all busy at work, digging and trimming.
It was hot, the air filled with the humming of bees that seemed to form a cloud above the flowers and bushes.
“What do you think?” he asked her, smiling. “Does Warwick Manor pass muster?”
She smiled back, cautiously. “It is truly beautiful. You must be very proud to be the owner of such a historic residence.”
“I am,” he said slowly. “Very proud. But it was touch and go for a while on whether I would be able to keep all of it intact.”
“Why?” she asked curiously.
He sighed. “My father was not a wise man when it came to money,” he said slowly. “He bled the coffers dry, with his extravagance.” He paused. “His legacy to me when he died was little wealth, and much debt. It took me years to pay it all off and recoup it. For a while, I thought I might be reduced to selling off portions of the estate, to keep afloat. It would have broken my heart.”
“How awful,” she said, in a quiet voice.
He took a deep breath. “Yes, well, I just had to get on with it.” He glanced at her sideways. “It was the reason that I never tried to find you and court you after we met at that ball. I could not offer for your hand when I was in such a precarious position. But I never forgot you, Hetty, not for a moment.”
She smothered her surprise at his words, remembering her father saying the Duke had been charmed by her but was unable to pursue her in the past.
“I did not forget you, either,” she said slowly, her heart beating fast. “I searched for you for months when I was out at parties and balls. But you were never there …”
He stopped abruptly, gazing down at her, a solemn expression on his face. “Is it true?” he whispered. “That you thought about me, as well?”
She nodded, her face burning. “You made an impression upon me,” she admitted. “But then Frank came along, and I thought that I would never see you again …”
He was silent for a moment, his green eyes glittering as he kept gazing at her. Her heart flipped over in her chest.
Desperate for reprieve from the intensity thickening between them, she forced herself to look away, her eyes trailing the grounds. She saw a small cottage in the distance.
“Is that house part of your estate?” she asked, to change the subject.
He jumped, a little, almost in alarm. “Yes. I own it …”
Curious, she stared at him. Why was he reacting this way to such a benign enquiry?
She was just about to keep walking when he laid a hand on her arm, stopping her.
“Hetty,” he said gravely. “There is something that you must know. Something that I must tell you.”
She felt herself grow cold, all over. She knew it. Her instinct had been right. Therewassomething that he was hiding from her.
She gazed at him, feeling goose flesh breaking out on her skin, despite the heat of the day. He looked almost as if he was about to be sick. Pale, with beads of sweat, along his hairline.
Her heart fell to the ground. “What is it that you want to tell me?”
He looked away, for a moment, staring into the distance. But then, he took a deep breath and turned back to her.
“You must believe me that it is you that I always wanted,” he said in a strangled voice. “I fell in love with you, at first sight. I could not get you out of my mind.” He gave a short laugh. “I told myself it was ridiculous to feel such a way towards a lady I had barely spoken to. But the image of you was so strong, so powerful …”
She gasped in shock. “You claim that you have always been in love with me?”
He laughed shortly. “Youmustknow. I told you, the day that I heldyou in my arms, that for me, there has only ever been one woman.” He paused, gazing down at her, intently. “But I was not in the position, as I just said, to court you. I told myself that I would do it when I had recouped my wealth. Only then, could I put in an offer for your hand.”
She was silent as the words sank in. Yes, it was true. She had always known that he loved her. She had just been running from the truth of it, not willing to admit it to herself. She had been too scared, too hurt, fighting him, at every turn.
“But it took longer than I expected,” he said in a strangled voice. “Much longer. And then I heard that you were engaged, to Frank Blackmore. That my chance was gone.” He blinked back tears. “I was devastated that I had lost you before I ever had the opportunity to have you. I made a silly mistake …”
She gazed at him, feeling another shudder fall through her.
