Page 55 of A Wounded Duke's Passion
Anna smiled slyly. Bridget strongly suspected that she was thinking of Mr. Russell and how he had kissed her behind the shelf. With a sharp pang of longing, Bridget wished she could remember her kiss with Anthony so fondly.
“Lord Elmonde has always taken delight in having the ton gossip about him,” their mother said. “I am unsurprised.”
“Anthony did mention hearing talk of Lord Elmonde’s poetry,” Bridget replied, “when the lord attended Cambridge.”
“Anthony,” their mother said. “You and His Grace are rather fond of one another, are you not?”
Bridget nodded. “Very fond.”
Fonder than she ought to be, truth be told. She swallowed hard and tried to calm her racing heart.
“Given that His Grace is so fond of Bridget,” Anna said slowly, “I should imagine that a proposal will soon follow.”
Bridget cast her sister a warning look, which Anna did not seem to notice. “Anthony has said nothing about a proposal yet,” Bridget said.
“But surely, we must consider the possibility that he will,” Anna argued. “Given that, it would surely be wise to rethink Bridget’s engagement to Lord Thornton. Why should she wed a marquess when she can be a duchess?”
Their mother’s brow furrowed. “That is an excellent question,” she murmured. “Perhaps I could speak to your father about his decision to wed you to Lord Thornton. I am sure he is likely thinking of Lord Thornton’s feelings. Your father must approach the marquess carefully, as I am sure Lord Thornton will be angry to learn that His Grace is courting you.”
“Do you know why Father wishes for me to marry the marquess?” Bridget asked.
“I have not the faintest. I assume it is because the Marquess of Thornton is a friend of this family and your father’s valued business partner.”
Bridget did not think her mother was lying. It seemed she did not know the full extent of the matter, which was that their family was in debt. She considered telling her mother what she had overheard, but she could not bring herself to do it. If she told her mother all that she knew, her mother would be horrified. She might even confront Bridget’s father, and Bridget would feel dreadfully guilty if her family was all upset with one another on her account.
“However,” their mother said, “I am sure Henry will see reason. He has always insisted that you may have a love match, and it is quite obvious that you and His Grace love one another deeply.”
“Yes,” Bridget said. “So very deeply. He is all that I think about.”
That was not even a lie. Her body felt so alive when she thought of him. Bridget found her mind lingering over him again and again, thinking of the kiss and the subsequent rejection.
“That is so romantic,” Anna said, sighing. “It will be a wonderful Season, indeed, if both you and I find love matches!”
“Yes,” their mother said. “You have both done very well on the marriage mart. His Grace is quite a suitable match for Bridget, and Mr. Russell is a good man.”
Bridget privately suspected that good man was her mother’s kind way of noting that Mr. Russell had a significant fortune to his name. The man was untitled and, therefore, less desirable. Bridget hardly cared for such things, but she knew some of the ton did. Although she was not one who indulged often in gossip with other ladies, seldom enjoying the company of women who were not Rose or her sister, Bridget had no doubt the ton was already alive with whispers and rumors about the unconventional match.
“A very good man,” Anna said. “He supports numerous charities. Did you know that? He is evidently a much-lauded advocate for the betterment of working women. I have never seen a man with such compassion.”
“I did not know that,” their mother replied, “but I am pleased to hear it. Well, I wanted to make you both aware of the plans for tea tomorrow. I am afraid I have some obligations that I must attend to, so I will leave you to your arts.”
Their mother left, and Bridget let her shoulders slump. She suspected her father would not relent so easily. Maybe if Anthony proposed to her, Bridget’s father and Lord Thornton would respectfully decide not to follow through with the engagement.
Of course, she could only imagine that being a temporary solution. When Anthony inevitably broke the engagement or no wedding was forthcoming, her father would want to try again to see her wed. She sighed.
“I am sure you will be allowed to marry His Grace,” Anna said. “It is so obvious that you are both deeply in love with one another.”
“I do not know,” Bridget said. “Sometimes, I think that he loves me, but other times, I fear that our love may simply not be great enough.”
“Why not?”
Bridget considered the question. “You have kissed Mr. Russell,” she said.
Anna’s face reddened. “So I have.”
“Did he regret it?”
“No.” Anna paused, and her expression became soft and concerned. “Did His Grace indicate that he regretted some affection exchanged between the two of you?”
