Page 10 of The Duke's Spinster Bride
“And a marriage to me would be that?” He arched an eyebrow, but his smile did not falter.
“If you are fishing for compliments, you will not find them here. There are plenty of women only too happy to flatter you and I have no intention of being one of them.” Andrea narrowed her eyes at him.
“Are you this prickly with everyone or is that reserved just for me?” The Duke canted his head towards her.
“I am not prickly.” She snapped.
He gave her a disbelieving look and Andrea found herself slowing down. “And if that is not prickly behaviour, then I am a goat.”
For a moment, she hesitated and then she found herself saying, “It is just that you seem to have things so easy. You breeze in and out of situations and women throw themselves at you, clamouring to be married, meanwhile I am here chasing men with the slimmest hope of success.”
“My life is not so easy as all that.” He shook his head, his brow creasing. “Ever since grandmother’s announcement, I have been hunted by every eligible woman in the ton and her mother. This latest escapade is the fourth such instance I have avoided.”
He wrinkled his nose and then smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Thank you, by the way.”
“I did not do it for you, I did it for her. And this is precisely what I am talking about. You act as though you are hard done by, when in truth you could have your pick of anyone in the ton. And even if you never married, you would face few repercussions.” Andrea gritted her teeth.
“Just my grandmother’s wrath. Besides, I do not have every woman in the ton throwing themselves at me. Grandmother told me that you were searching for a husband and yet you have not thrown yourself at my feet.” He gestured to himself, and gave her a mocking bow before adding. “The struggle to find a husband is just the same as the struggle to avoid a wife. I spend my life having to look behind bushes and plant pots.”
“That must be so hard for you. How truly awful to have every eligible woman want your affection.” Andrea’s every word dripped with sarcasm as she shook her head, making a disgusted noise. “We truly live in different worlds.”
She stalked off. Of course, a man like that could not understand the situation she was in. He had choices. He would not lose anything through marriage, where she would.
Once more his footsteps followed behind her but she ignored him, speeding up instead...
“Leave me alone. If we are discovered, the scandal will be all the ton talks about for the next month! We will become social pariahs. Or worse, married.”
“You truly have no wish to marry me?” his footsteps faltered and the surprise in his tone stopped her in her footsteps.
She turned to face him, and found that he was looking at her with a serious expression on his face. She flexed and unflexed her fingers.
“It is nothing personal, in truth I have very little desire to get married at all. Yet I have no choice. My father… Well it does not matter, I have to marry”
“You say that as though it were a death sentence. I thought all women longed to be married.” He canted his head towards her, an earnest expression on his face, his lips pursed thoughtfully.
“You would think it a death sentence if you had to wed Lord Crossley.” The words tumbled from her mouth before Andrea could stop them.
She expected him to make some kind of joke or to shrug it off as though it were water off a duck’s back but instead he nodded. “Many women would. He is not a particularly pleasant man.”
“He is not.”
“That is why you are looking for a marriage of convenience. But surely you could find a love match? It is not as though you are hard on the eyes. Why, you are even pretty when you glower!” He grinned at her, the earnestness fading as he swept a hand through his hair.
She ignored the compliment, grateful that her blush would be hard to see in the moonlight. “I cannot afford a love match.”
“Why not?” His dark eyes searched her face, brows raised.
“Because marriage would rob me of everything. And love… Love does not guarantee I could keep my independence. My freedom.” A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard, the last thing she needed was to cry in front of this man.He has already managed to get me to share far more than I wish.
Duke Caverton’s eyes widened. “You are talking about your house, are you not? It will go to whoever you marry. It will be your husband's property.”
“As will I.”
The Duke nodded thoughtfully. “You should marry me then.”
“Marry you?” Andrea snorted.Of course, he would make such a joke.
“Think about it. Neither of us have any desire to be married, and I have more wealth than any one man needs – I am sure we could find a way of you keeping some things in your name or at least ensuring you have your independence.” He gave her a wry smile. “It would certainly be nice not to have to spend every waking moment searching for traps.”
