Page 3 of Yours Truly, the Duke
Wyatt hadn’t thought of it that way. “I do. More so, though, I’m told she prefers country life to London, which suits me perfectly as I have no plans to be a doting husband.”
Nodding in agreement, his friends continued to enjoy their drink.
“Epworth says the letter will be a mere formality,” Wyatt added after a few moments of silence among the three.
Rick gave a knowing chuckle as he poured the last of the brandy into his own glass and set the empty container on the table between his and Hurst’s chair beforeretaking his seat. “I’m sure that’s true. What lady declines an offer of marriage from a duke?”
“Indeed,” Hurst agreed. “Country girl or city lass, she’d be insane to do so.”
The throb at the back of Wyatt’s head and neck continued. “Apparently, Miss Hale is in need of a husband quickly too.”
Rick and Hurst looked questioningly at each other.
“Not for indiscreet reasons, I’ve been assured,” Wyatt hastened to add.
“Glad you clarified that for us,” Rick added as he threw another glance Hurst’s way.
Wyatt could always count on Rick to jump to conclusions. He was usually fast acting in any situation and reckless to a fault.
“She has a young nephew and two nieces she’s in charge of. Apparently, she’s quite attached to the children. An older relative who has remained childless in her marriage recently went to Chancery Court with an appeal to take the children from Miss Hale. With only a modest allowance, she has little chance of winning her petition to keep them from her wealthier cousin unless she marries.”
“The two of you should suit adequately then,” Rick offered in a tone that seemed to suggest the matter was settled. “Since she’s well-appointed with beauty, a pliant disposition, and has children to occupy her in the country, what more could either of you want?”
Hurst drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair in a thoughtful manner. “I agree. As much as you loathe the thought, I think you’ve found the ideal wife.”
“Does Miss Hale have others seeking her hand?” Rick suddenly asked.
“Not that Epworth mentioned. Her reason for needing to marry isn’t as pressing as mine. Courts aren’t usually in a hurry to settle these matters unless a child’s welfare is at stake. They’d rather see families have time to work them out if possible. I, on the other hand, only have a few days.”
“Which brings us back to—” Hurst rose and thumped the letter with his middle finger.
The men were silent for a moment as they looked at one another.
“You can’t win a lady’s hand with simple persuasion of the facts,” Hurst stated as if no other argument were necessary. “Ladies aren’t sensible when it comes to matters such as marriage, romance, and the rest of it. They want to be wooed, even if they know false intentions are behind the excitement of it all. Swallow your distaste for such things and say them in your letter to her.”
“He’s right. Working on borrowed time as you are, you must romanticize your proposal with things a lady wants to hear.”
“Please.” Wyatt puffed out a laugh and sipped from his newly refreshed drink. “This will be an arrangement of convenience for both of us. You can’t be serious about romancing.”
“We are.” Hurst leaned forward, resting both hands down on the desk. “We’ll put our heads together and write a proper proposal asking for her hand. Ladies are fond of moonlight, flowers, flowing brooks—that sort of thing. Between the three of us, we should be able to come up with something romantic.”
Stifling a groan of frustration, Wyatt picked up his glass again and downed a hefty swallow while he shoved aside the letter he’d written. “I can’t babble on about moonlight and roses. She doesn’t have long to make upher mind. She’ll have to send a response immediately. I need to wed by Friday.”
Rick shook his head. “Impossible. The Brass Deck is scheduled for a card tournament Friday evening. We’ll have no chance of winning without you. We’ve already committed. Other groups have too.”
“Let’s think about this.” Hurst rubbed his forehead as if it were pounding as hard as Wyatt’s. “You could marry by noon, have the afternoon to accept congratulations, and still be at Lord Tartanville’s for the tournament Friday evening.”
“And no reason you can’t make the fencing match on Saturday, as it isn’t until two in the afternoon.”
“Both of you are forgetting that I must first get her to accept my offer.” Now that he’d decided to go through with this, he wanted to get the job done.
Hurst held up his hand. “In the letter, say you’ll be arriving late on the morrow to hear her answer.”
“Excellent idea,” Rick praised. “All ladies want to think a man can’t wait to marry them.”
“Epworth can take care of posting banns, getting necessary documents ready to sign, and speaking to her trustee,” Hurst added, brushing his too-long hair from his forehead again.
“Did you get more details about her?” Rick asked. “The color of her eyes? Are they icy blue, summer green, or golden brown?”
