Page 9 of Taken By the Dangerous Duke

“Maybe so, but the son of the meek won’t inherit Garriot Estate.”

“Fair point,” noted Parker.

“I want a woman who can stand on her own, who has opinions of her own, who can question things. A woman who does not need me to live her life, just in case….”

“Just in case what?” asked Parker. “You are starting to worry me now.”

“I don’t mean anything by it,” said Arthur. “I only want a strong woman to give me a child.”

Arthur clinked his glass against his friend’s, reassuring him that everything was well. Everything was well, he just didn’t necessarily want a marriage, only a child. A child with a woman who could stand on her own.

His mind flashed to Margaret. She was certainly such a woman, and it caused him to smile.

“Who are you thinking about?” asked Parker. “Have you already found yourself a woman?”

“Definitely not,” replied Arthur. “But I was thinking about a woman I did interact with recently. I would not like to get on her bad side, and I fear I almost did.”

“So, not a future wife?”

“I think she would sooner murder me than marry me,” replied the duke.

“So would many of us,” commented Parker.

“Anyway, I ride for York tomorrow, and perhaps I will find a woman down there.”

“One of the two young women who live in York,” quipped Peter.

“At least I will have a backup,” said Arthur. “But, in all seriousness, and no matter how foolish it might seem, I need to bring a child into this world. My father did not get to live out his life and see the man I have become.”

“The very mature boy you have become,” interrupted Parker.

Arthur continued on, pretending that he had not heard the joke. “It needs to be this year. As soon as I get back, I will need to make plans to find a wife. To fulfill my father’s last wish, I shall make sure I am married before the year is out.”

CHAPTER4

The Marriage Is Arranged

“Iam to be married!” gasped Margaret. “To who? How did this happen? I don’t want to be married. Mother, why was I not told about this?”

“First, you need to calm down, Margaret. You sound hysterical, and that is not becoming of a woman. Mr. Swanson will not take kindly to meeting you like this.”

“Mr. Swanson? Who is Mr. Swanson? Oh, no! Please don’t tell me that is the guest who arrived only an hour ago.”

“It is, Margaret. And I don’t see why this is such a big deal. Your father has gone through a lot of trouble to organize this for you, so please do as he says.”

“Just like you have your entire life?” asked Margaret. “Should I do whatever my husband tells me to?”

“I have just about had enough of you, Margaret. Perhaps a husband is just what you need to curtail this attitude of yours.”

“Mother, how can you talk like that? Please, you must have some humanity in you still. Has Father stripped that away from you too? I don’t even know this man. How am I supposed to marry him?”

“I never knew your father before we were wed.”

“And look how that turned out,” added Margaret.

“We are doing just fine,” said Eleanor quickly.

Margaret was not sure if she believed it to be true when it was very clearly not, or if her mother was saying that to try and convince herself. It was true that her mother’s marriage had been arranged, and she had not met her father until the wedding day, and she had hated her father for the longest time. Margaret was sure she still hated her father, but her mother had become numb to the fact.

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