Page 54 of Last Duke Standing

She sighed. “Don’t be daft. He’ssupposedto woo me.”

“Oh aye, and that he will. That will be the thing you most esteem about him, mark me. He’ll be charming and solicitous and far too admiring of himself.”

She squinted at him. “What are you talking about?”

He was going about this all wrong. “How many times have you been forced to thank him for the flowers?”

Justine considered it a moment. She held up a finger. “I grant you, he is very pleased with his gift.”

“Pleased! He practically begged you to genuflect in your praise of them.”

“No, he didn’t.” She picked up her pace a little. “He seems very kind. And he’sveryhandsome. Not enough attention is paid to fine looks in these things, if you ask me.”

William snorted his opinion of that. “Is that what you want? Someone who is kind and handsome?”

Justine laughed. “Should I prefer someone who is cross and does not bring me flowers and is plain?”

“Should you no’ want someone who is compatible with your person and is charming with onlyonebouquet? One is manageable. Five wagons full present a bit of a problem. This man is unsuitable to you as a lifelong companion. He’d probably drink your wine cellar dry, Justine. You’re too—” he struggled to find an appropriate word. She was tooeverythingfor him “—soft for him.”

She looked up at him with surprise.“Soft?”

“Soft.”

Her brows dipped. “What makes you think I’m soft?”

“You may be a princess, aye, but you’re a woman, and no’ so different from the rest of your sex.”

Her brows dipped even lower. “And what, pray tell, doesthatmean?”

“It means that women, on the whole, are easily conquered by men.”

Her lovely mouth gaped open. “Not only is that not even remotely true, it’s the most absurd thing you’ve said yet!”

“You have no’ answered my question. Do you want a husband who requires praise at every turn? And once he’s grown accustomed to extracting that from you, what will be next? To sit on your throne? To take your meetings with ministers?”

She stopped and stared at him with astonishment. “You went from too many flowers to complete usurpation?”

He groaned. Yes, he had, but only to make a point. “I’m only trying to say that this will be far less painful for you if you take my advice. I donna mean to boast, but I will say again, I’ve a good head for these things.”

“Well,Ihave a good head for the true character of a person. And why shouldn’t I admire a man’s assertiveness in asking for what he wants? No matter what you think of it, no one can change the fact thatIwill be queen—not him.”

William put his hands on his waist. “Mark my words, Justine. You will regret the day you met him.”

“You are soarrogant.” She lifted her chin. “I think he seems perfect.”

“You do no’ think that. You say so only to vex me, and in that, you have succeeded. I am trying to help you.”

“William. My mother has engaged the expertise of Lady Aleksander for what I am sure is an outrageous sum.Youdon’t know anything.”

Wasn’t it interesting how just a few words, strung together in a certain order, could highly motivate a man? Particularly when the person to utter the words was so bloody attractive and so bloody stubborn. “I will have great empathy for whoever ends up at your side, for you can be quite imperious.”

She gave a bark of laughter. “That is truly the pot calling the kettle black!” She began striding toward the corner her sister and Aggiani had turned, marching away from him. William started after her. But when she reached that corner, she came to such an abrupt halt that he accidentally plowed into her, and had to catch her shoulders to keep from knocking her over. Not that she seemed to notice.

He looked over her head to see what had stopped her.

He was shocked into silence that one man could be so bloody stupid. And yet, in the corner, there he was, the dumbest man to inhabit the earth and Princess Amelia against the hedge. Their arms were wrapped around each other in a fierce embrace and they were kissing like long-separated lovers.

“Amelia!”

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