Page 26 of The Duke Meets His Match

Chapter 7

Susan froze. He could havetold her she had sprouted wings and could fly to the moon and she wouldn’t have been any more astonished. She was utterly speechless.

The Duke of Aylesham, for his part, stood there looking like he needed to wash the bitter taste from his mouth.

Suddenly, the absurdity of his words hit her, and something deep inside her bubbled and expanded upward. She snorted, and then it burst within her, and she began to laugh—she couldn’t seem to help herself—throwing her hand over her mouth in a meager attempt to stifle the sound. Her eyes teared up. Shoulders heaving with laughter, she squinted to look at Aylesham.

He was watching her hysterics with a look of utter horror.

It was all too absurd for words.

“Please excuse my outburst,” Susan choked out as she tried to curb her hilarity and search in the pocket of her gown for a handkerchief. Drat! Once again, she’d been caught without.

The duke huffed out an impatient sound, produced his own, and handed it to her, which only made her laugh more. She dabbed at her eyes and nose. She was going to have a complete collection of handkerchiefs embroidered with anAon them at the rate she was going.

“Have you gone mad?” His Loftiness asked her, still wearing that grim look of distaste on his face.

“I was going to ask you the same thing!” Susan said, still dabbing at her eyes. Her laughter now under a bit of control, she looked at him more carefully. His face seemed carved from granite; his dark eyes glittered but gave nothing away. Susan’s humor fled entirely. “You were joking, weren’t you?” she asked. “James put you up to this.”

“Not in the slightest,” he replied curtly.

“You’reserious?” she said, aghast.

“Most assuredly.”

An offer of marriage from the Duke of Aylesham was the last thing Susan hadever expected, and even more than that, the last thing she would ever consider. “I am flattered by your words, certainly ... except that I am also confounded by them,” Susan said. “Our previous encounters have not precisely been happy ones; in fact, I assumed you disliked me.”

“You are not incorrect in that assumption,” he replied, his gaze taking in the whole of her. She felt his eyes take in every detail of her appearance—her faded gown, her cap—and could tell he was passing further judgment on her as a result. And yet, he had spoken those words of marriage regardless.

How dare he trifle with her like this. “You dislike me, you accuse me ofbeing an eavesdropper, and you could not even finish a waltz with me, no doubt because you consider me a clumsy, dusty spinster. Now you stand here judging me further—I can see it in your eyes. And yet, you propose marriage to me.”

His Loftiness said nothing, which only made Susan’s blood boil. “Well, Your Grace, we have something in common, for I dislike you as much as you dislike me,” she spat. “No doubt you are of the opinion that any woman presented witha proposal of marriage from you would be ecstatic and would accept withouthesitation—butIam not that woman.”

She rose to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides. “I believe we have said all there is to say between us. You may see yourself out.” She turned abruptly away from him, strode to the window, and stared out, waiting to hear the door open and close.

She waited.

Nothing happened.

Shewould notturn to address the Duke of Aylesham again. She had said her piece.

Two birds squawked at each other from a wisteria bush that stood by a small stone bench.

The duke apparently wasn’t going anywhere. Her shoulders slumped in exasperation. “You are refusing to do the gentlemanly thing and leave, then?” she said at length.

“I am not leaving, no,” he replied.

Susan spun around, incredulous.

He stood exactly where he’d been, still unmoving, still with features chiseled from granite. “There is more I must explain before I do,” he said before Susancould utter any words of reproach. “And then, if you still refuse my offer ofmarriage, I shall do as you wish and leave.”

Susan pondered his words.There is more I must explain.

Confound her blasted curiosity!Susan, despite her best intentions, wanted to hear what that explanation was. She doubted anything His Loftiness could possibly say would change her mind about marrying him, but it might make for a good story to recite to Rebecca in her next letter.

She stalked back to the chair in which she’d previously been sitting and satagain, gesturing to the chair next to it. “You have my full attention.”

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