Page 10 of Yours Truly, the Duke
Fredericka didn’t think she’d ever been so close to a man. Not even when dancing. His proximity to her wasn’t threatening in any way. It was quite stimulating. Impossible as that was to believe, for a moment or two she wanted to forget about the responsibility of the children, the pressure from Jane to give them up, Mr. Maywaring’s sniffing, and everything else that had occupied her mind for the past few days and just enjoy the sudden romantic feelings that cloaked her like a warm blanket in the bleakest of winter.
But those were foolish and fanciful notions she didn’t need to dwell on when such important matters were at stake.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. There was a serious set to his full lips and strong, square jaw. An intense gleam brightened his eyes. “I’m not leaving, yet. Perhaps we should have a private conversation.”
His words did nothing to alleviate her worry, irritation, and impatience to have him gone, but they did bring her sanity crashing back. Whether or not he meant to intimidate her, he had.
But that only strengthened her resolve not to recoil or budge an inch from his powerful body.
She searched his tight brow. “It’s not necessary nor appropriate for us to be alone, Your Grace,” she reminded him, once again wanting only to be rid of this man who infuriated her but also reminded her of suppressed womanly desires. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll be happy to oblige so you can be on your way.”
His brows rose in anticipation briefly, but then he lowered his lids slightly over those expressive blueish-gray eyes as they suddenly filled with amusement. A trace of a grin curved the corners of his mouth. Without warning or reason as far as she could tell, he moved his face even closer to hers and placed his lips just above her ear.
In a husky and almost sensual voice, he said, “That’s good to hear, Miss Hale. I know you are looking for a husband, and I’m here to ask you to marry me.”
CHAPTER 4
THE EVERLASTING ROSE
—ANSTER
Thine is, methinks, a pleasing dream,
Lone lingerer in the icy vale,
Of smiles that hail’d the morning beam,
And sighs more sweet for evening’s gale.
Fredericka felt as if she’d swallowed an apple. Whole. While a tingle ran through her limbs.
His words couldn’t have startled her more if he’d declared he was her long-lost twin. She couldn’t speak or blink. Staggering heat blazed up her neck and into her cheeks like fire sweeping through dry brush. Sheer will, summoned from deep inside herself, kept her legs from wobbling out from under her. Only when she realized the children had gasped and stirred behind her did she spin and see a bug-eyed expression on each innocent little face.
A tidal wave of emotions too tumultuous to discern washed over her.
Though his words were clear to her as a resounding bell, she whirled back to him and asked, “Did you say what I think you said?”
Locked in her stare, he nodded slowly, seeming not to have noticed the astonishment that had to be evident inher expression and voice. Typically, she was fairly good at concealing her emotions, no matter the circumstances. However, right now she was astounded.
Seconds ticked by. A sense of inadequacy filled her, threatened to overwhelm her, but pulling up her outrage like a shield, she forced her voice to remain steady and said, “You can’t be serious.”
He seemed to reflect on that for a moment. “Proposing to a lady isn’t something a man would joke about. Not even a scoundrel like me.”
“You can’t just come in here and say an incredible thing like that to me,” she challenged, keeping her voice low. “And in front of the children! What were you thinking?”
Fredericka rushed over and helped Bella off the chair. “Elise, go with Charles and Bella out to the garden and find Miss Litchfield. Tell her I said to take you to the schoolroom by the back stairway.”
Bella gave Fredericka a wide girlish grin and asked, “Are you getting married?”
“No, no, of course not,” she mumbled nervously, and immediately realized what a blatant untruth that was and hastened to add, “not today, anyway.”
“I want a wedding when I get married,” Bella announced innocently.
“Is that why you’ve been receiving gentlemen guests?” Elise asked, looking confused and almost grief-stricken by the thought. “Are you going to leave us?”
“Leave you?” Fredericka’s heart squeezed at the pain in Elise’s voice. She glanced over to the duke and gave him what she hoped was a stern expression that said,Look at what you’ve done, and then turned a softer countenance to Elise. “I would never do that, my darling. What would I do without you three in my life?”
Fredericka felt the sharp prick of guilt as she realized she’d waited too long to explain what she was being forced to do. She had wondered if, at the age of nine, Elise would know what Fredericka must do. Certainly, Bella at five and Charles at seven were much too young to comprehend Fredericka needed to marry so she would have a better chance of keeping them under her guardianship.
