Page 24 of His Haunted Duchess
“Of course!” she said fervently. “Of course, I believe Your Grace is in earnest. But I?—”
His eyes lost some of their hardness but took on extra shades of confusion. He frowned, his eyes tracing her face. Caroline rushed on.
“I am not inclined to marry,” she said. Her response sounded hollow even to her own ears.
The duke stared at Caroline, a whimsical look on his face. If he did it a moment longer, she worried she’d shrivel up and wither into the seat cushions. What a relief it would be at least. Ajaxwhimpered somewhere behind the couch. Aunt Olivia shifted nervously, playing with the tassel on her boot.
The duke turned to Aunt Olivia.
“I would like a word with Lady Caroline alone, your ladyship.”
Aunt Olivia pursed her lips but arose and withdrew. The heat rose from Caroline’s neck like she was walking in midsummer.
“Perhaps,” the duke said slowly, “I owe you some explanation for my suit.”
He leaned forward.
“Lady Caroline, I’m not as noble as you believe me to be.”
Caroline’s heart pattered like reins on a startled horse.
“The marriage I’m offering would be purely a convenience. It is, given the scandal, all I can really provide. There will—” He cleared his throat. “There will be no love, as some may call it, between us. You will, however, still be my duchess, and we can endeavor to become friends at least.”
An odd hope peeked out around the edges of Caroline’s fear. If she truly didn’t love the duke, would he still be in danger from her curse? Perhaps not.
“Additionally, you may feel welcome to maintain the relationship with your aunt,” he continued. “Though occasionally eccentric, she has a good name and—from what I’ve judged in our limited contact—a good disposition. It might console her to see you happily settled.”
Happily settled. The words clanged around Caroline’s mind like bells in a belfry. Just for a moment—a short moment—she imagined herself seated in the duke’s home, presiding over tea while Winifred and Aunt Olivia looked contentedly on. She opened her mouth to speak. The duke held up his hand.
“And as for my last point—were it not for my interference, however well meant, neither of us would be caught in the current scandal that embroils us and our families.”
Caroline shivered in shame.
The duke continued. “I wish to take full responsibility for the thoughtless actions I took last night, and hopefully repair what I must.”
He settled back into his chair. Caroline knitted her eyebrows in consternation.It wasn’t your fault!she wanted to cry.It wasn’t anyone’s fault except for the horrible, gossiping girls who spoke when they ought to have stayed silent!
Even as her heart revolted against the injustice of it, her reason applauded his willingness to preserve both his honor and hers, even in a loveless but equitable marriage—that spoke very highlyin his favor and good judgement as Winifred would have pointed out.
Aunt Olivia tapped at the sitting room door.
“Enter,” the duke said over his shoulder. He turned back to Caroline. “If you are concerned about a change in your lifestyle, please do not trouble yourself. I will ensure you have all of the resources necessary for your position as a duchess.”
A duchess. The Duchess of Blackmore. He needn’t be hurt, and they both knew—at least from the plain description that had come from his own lips—that they weren’t marrying for love.
Aunt Olivia entered, still wearing her riding boots. Her hopeful eyes turned on Caroline. Ajax whimpered, begging for treats. Caroline sighed.
“What about Oscar?” Caroline asked. The duke blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Oscar. He’s my cat. May I bring him to Blackmore?”
Aunt Olivia beamed until it seemed she might replace the sun for brightness if not enthusiasm. The duke smiled.
“To my knowledge, I have no major aversion to animals.”
He really did make excellent points. As much as she feared the curse, she ought to concern herself with the tangible effects of scandal and how they may affect her—and her aunt. She wrestled with her fears and the facts of her situation as they tossed her heart between them.
