Page 43 of Tempting Harriet
“Ah,” she said. “You must be glad of that.” The breeze felt cold suddenly. She wished she had brought a shawl anda bonnet.
“Harriet,” he said quietly. “She means nothing to me. You must know that.”
And I do?She stopped herself in time from asking the question aloud. She did not want to know the answer. It didnot matter if he cared for her or not. It would make no difference to anything. Only perhaps it would cause more painto know that he cared.
“You must not say that,” she said. “You are going to marry her. There must be more commitment than merely adesire for an alliance and an heir of appropriately blueblood. She is a person. She needs love and care as much asanyone else.”
"Harriet,” he said, “don’t try to arouse my conscience. I begin to suspect that I have none.”
A footman approached and bowed to them as soon as they had entered the house through a back door, and informed Harriet that Lady Sophia was in the breakfast roomand asking for her.
“Bellowing for you more like,” the duke said. “Take the children up to the nursery and summon their nurse,” he directed the footman and then offered his arm to Harrietagain. “Ishall escort you into the old dragon’s presence.”
“We ought not to be seen together,” she said.
But he made an impatient sound and his hand strayed to the handle of his quizzing glass. She linked her armthrough his.
Lady Sophia, seated at the head of the table, was munching on toast. The Duchess of Tenby was seated beside her, a cup of tea in front of her. The Countess of Barthorpestood with a cup of tea in hand. It felt rather like walkingout into a January morning without coat or muff, Harrietthought as the duke relinquished her arm in order to greethis aunt and the others. She was suddenly aware that shehad not gone upstairs to comb her hair.
Lady Sophia opened her arms to Harriet. “You were out walking, my pet? I am glad you have not been wasting thislovely weather,” she said. “It has brought roses to yourcheeks. Has it not, dear Archibald? Come and kiss me goodmorning, child.”
A marriage contract had been discussed at some length and agreed upon by both parties. The Earl of Barthorpe hadshaken his future son-in-law heartily by the hand and thatwas the end of the matter. Apart from the formality of amarriage proposal to Lady Phyllis herself, of course. Thatwould be accomplished sometime in the course of the dayso that they could appear together at church tomorrowmorning and the first announcement be made at dinner onMonday evening. Some of the earl's more prominent neighbors had been invited in anticipation of the occasion.
The duke had wandered out into the garden afterward in order to collect his thoughts. He had gone to the back of thehouse so that he would not meet anyone. At first he hadbeen annoyed by the sound of children’s voices, and thendrawn by the sounds of girlish laughter and childish giggles, and then enchanted at the sight of a rather untidy Harriet playing with infants. And looking thoroughly at homewith them too, despite the fact that the older ones provedthemselves to be little monsters on closer acquaintance.
It struck him forcibly that at her age she should be a mother already but had been deprived of what she wouldundoubtedly have counted a joy by an elderly husband. Italso struck him that she should be in serious search of ahusband who could rectify the lack without further delayinstead of wasting her time with him. But of course hecould not resist the temptation to spend half an hour withher even though doing so took him into unfamiliar waters.He had never had dealings with infants since reachingadulthood himself. It was time, he supposed, that he gotsome practice.
His grandmother, of course, was so tight-lipped after they had walked into the breakfast room together that onewould have needed a crowbar to open her mouth. And ifshe had held her back any straighter she would have beenleaning backward. She made no comment, though he escorted her upstairs as soon as she had finished her tea, andhe offered no explanation. Instead he told her that everything was settled satisfactorily with Barthorpe and that hewould be making his offer that afternoon. It was to bearranged that Lady Phyllis walk out alone with him. Hisgrandmother unbent enough to tell him rather chillily thatshe was pleased.
He wished he were pleased, the duke thought as he set off for the walk with Lady Phyllis after luncheon. Everyoneelse, it seemed, had been warned off joining them, thoughhe politely asked. The girl at his side was pretty and elegantand refined. But he wanted Harriet. More than ever hewished he could go back to Kew and change the way theafternoon there had developed. But thinking of Harriet reminded him of the scolding she had given him that morning. Lady Phyllis was a person who desired to be cared forand loved just like anyone else, she had said. He sighed inwardly. Perhaps he did have some glimmering of a conscience after all.
“The park is very lovely,” he said. “I had heard it was one of the most picturesque in England.”
“My father’s gardeners are dedicated to their job,” she said. “But I have heard that your park is quite splendid,your grace.”
“It is not so formally arranged,” he said. “But it is indeed splendid for riding. And the deer park is well stocked.”
They conversed politely for several minutes.
“Perhaps,” he said at last, “you will permit me to turn the conversation to more personal matters?”
“Yes, of course,” she said.
They both knew why they had come walking without chaperonage of any kind. It seemed very cold and calculated, the duke thought, glancing uneasily at Lady Phyllis.She was lovely. She should be courted with warmth and desire. He wondered if she ever dreamed of love. Did not allwomen dream of love? And he should be feeling eagernessand anxiety as he offered his hand and his heart to the ladyof his choice. There should be more than this arranged, entirely businesslike meeting. The whole weekend was business. That was the word his grandmother had used of it. Analliance—Harriet’s word. A treaty. The linking of twohouses, not the marriage of two hearts.
“I spoke with your father this morning,” he said. “He gave me permission to pay my addresses to you.”
“Yes,” she said.
“Will you do me the honor of marrying me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
He found his mouth opening to say that she had made him the happiest of men, but he could not do so. This wasbusiness. Why add the meaningless lies that conventionseemed to demand?
He stopped walking and took her hand in his. “Is it what you want?” he asked her.
She looked up at him in some surprise. “Is that relevant?” she asked, surprising him equally. It seemed that she was as reluctant as he to mouth platitudes.
