Page 35 of The Duke Meets His Match

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Susan took a deep breath and then nodded to the footman to open the parlor door for her. She stepped inside. The Duke of Aylesham, seated opposite AuntMargaret, rose to his feet at her entrance. Susan watched carefully to see hisreaction to her changed appearance.

His gaze began at her face and then continued downward, eventuallyreturning to her eyes. His face remained as expressionless as if he’d just skimmed through a document. “Good afternoon, Miss Jennings. You are looking very fine today,” he said at last.

At best, his words were a platitude.

After all of Madame Veronique and Miss Lily’s work on her behalf, his remark was more disappointing than Susan wished to admit. Her fortitude wavered, and she discovered, much to her chagrin, that her eyes were burning as though they threatened tears.

Thatshe would not allow.

She blinked a few times to force them back and then pasted her most cordialsmile on her face. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said and strolled farther into the room.

“We were about to take luncheon,” Aunt Margaret said. “Would you care to join us, Aylesham? I have already informed our cook that you are here.”

“That is kind of you, but I must decline,” the duke said. “I have taken lunch already, you see, and I doubt I could eat another bite. But I thank you, and I apologize if my arrival has interrupted your plans.”

“Not at all!” Aunt Margaret assured the duke. “I myself had a hearty breakfast. It is Susan I’m thinking of—”

Susan hoped Aunt Margaret had stopped speaking because the dear,exasperating lady had realized she’d just said a bit too much for Susan’s liking. “I believe I can go without eating for a while longer without collapsing,” she said.

The duke made a small noise, but when Susan glanced at him, his face was as unreadable as ever. “It is settled, then,” he said. “Lady Walmsley, perhaps I may beg your forgiveness and ask again if I may spend some time alone with Miss Jennings. I am well aware that we abandoned you yesterday, and am deeply sorry about that. I shall make it up to you, I promise.”

“Quite all right, Your Grace, quite all right.” Aunt Margaret fairly bolted from her seat on the settee. “I have plenty of work with which I may busy myself in the meantime. Young people such as yourselves need time to get acquainted, is that not true? But I will not leave until I have had your opinion on my dear Susan’s new dress. What an enjoyable time we had yesterday after you left us as she tried on new gowns, and then again this morning when Miss Lily arrived to trim her hair! Did we not, Susan?”

“Indeed,” Susan murmured. She wished fervently that she could disappear through the floor at Aunt Margaret’s flagrant request for a compliment from the duke, but as the floor seemed to be made of solid wood, she didn’t put much stock in it actually happening. Who had referred to Aunt Margaret as her fairy godmother? Ah, yes, it had been James.AndMadame Veronique. Aunt Margaret needed to study her “How to Be a Successful Fairy Godmother” instruction book—if there were such a thing—a little more closely, in Susan’s humble opinion.

Thankfully, Susan wasn’t typically the blushing type, which was her onlysaving grace at the moment, as bright pink would undoubtedly clash with her pale-green frock. Instead, she simply stared back at the duke, whose attention had turned from Aunt Margaret toherafter Aunt Margaret’s unfortunate words.

“Miss Jennings is a vision of loveliness,” he said.

High praise indeed, Susan thought drolly.

“Will you join me now, Miss Jennings?” he asked her, gesturing to the settee where Aunt Margaret had been sitting.

“I shall, thank you.” Susan walked over and sat where he’d indicated.

“I’ll leave you two alone, then,” Aunt Margaret said, looking pleased as punch. “But I believe I will have Foster send for tea, at least. You know you hardly ate any breakfast, young lady, and I will not have you wasting away while you are a guest in my home.”

“Thank you, Lady Walmsley,” the duke replied. “Tea will be much appreciated.”

She nodded, satisfied, and left the room.

They were alone.

The duke sat back down, flipping the tails of his coat out of the way as he did so. He was not dressed so finely as he’d been yesterday, but his clothing was still of the finest quality. Susan was glad Madame and Miss Lily had visited her, despite the duke’s dismissive attitude toward her just now.

“Are you wasting away, Miss Jennings?” the duke asked.

“Indeed not, Your Grace, I assure you. Are you?” If he could ask such aquestion, then so could she.

“Some would say I am,” he replied. He paused. “No, I believe it would be more accurate to say they think I haven’t put the weight I lost back on. I may have alluded to the fact that I was recently ill.”

Had he? Susan didn’t remember but didn’t think so. “But you are recovered now?”

“Yes, for the most part,” he said. “I will not be making you a dowager duchess anytime soon ... assuming, of course, that you agree to wed me in the first place.”

And there it was.

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