Page 34 of Sincerely, the Duke
“Don’t say it,” she whispered, condemning herself for unintentionally setting up whatever remark he had in mind to say. She’d rather not hear any more of what he thought about their disposition.
A knowing grin widened into a full-blown smile. “I don’t have to say it.”
No. He didn’t. Edwina wanted to smile too but refrained, and instead took to defending them again. “Their behavior in the drawing room has nothing to do with their true natures. They are ladies, Your Grace.”
He barely concealed his grin again, before answering almost under his breath, “That is my hope.”
She inhaled a deep breath of warning to him. “I’ll have you know Elle is quite tenderhearted, impressionable, and writes beautiful poetry, as did our father. Eileen is so knowledgeable and, like my father, could talk with any man on any subject and hold her own.”
“And what about you? How are you like your father?”
“I’m the sensible one, of course.”
A whisper of a chuckle passed his lips. “You really think that?”
“My father told me many times.”
He quirked his head. “Would a sensible, well-brought-up young lady stand in a duke’s vestibule and demand to see him?”
By the light in his eyes, she knew he was teasing her and she was determined not to be any more affected byhis infinite charm than she already was. She could tell herself she wasn’t attracted to him but knew it wasn’t true. It helped to distract her that the child across the street started squealing gleefully as a carriage stopped in front of the house. The neighbors’ bids of happy welcomes helped give her time to collect herself.
“I did what I felt was right.”
“And you were right. Did any of you take after your mother? You never mention her.”
“Oh,” she whispered, softly, quickly. A pang of sorrow slowly cut through her and she grew still as she looked at the handsome man in front of her. There was much regret that she never knew her mother. The beautiful, strong lady who had given her life for her three daughters. Somehow, Edwina felt her mother would have liked the duke. “I never met her.”
His lids lowered over his eyes a little. A sincere expression settled on his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up sad memories.”
“I never mind being reminded of my mother or father. They were both extraordinary people. It gives me the opportunity to tell you that we all three took after our mother.” She smiled pridefully. “She had red hair and green eyes.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” After giving her a mischievous, yet somewhat sympathetic, expression, he nodded. “The gentlemen I was considering introducing to your sisters will not be good matches. The men are much too old and stodgy for them. I’ll have to rethink my selection to include younger gentlemen with—” He paused.
Edwina’s eyes narrowed and tightened. “Perhaps you should be on guard with what you are about to say.”
His answer was to hide more amusement dancing inhis eyes by clearing his throat and looking away for a few seconds before his gaze swept sensually up and down her face with something akin to longing. It pleased her. This time he didn’t try to hide his amusement. “I am always on guard with you, Miss Fine.”
She didn’t believe that for a moment. The duke was never on guard about what he wanted to say.
“You are right that it might be harder than I thought to find your sisters husbands, but I got them to London,” he said softly. “Half the battle has been won, has it not?”
The duke’s expression was warm and infectious. It filled Edwina with a sudden intimacy with him. It was as if the neighbors, the carriage noise, and the squealing child were no longer across the street. She and the duke were the only two people in the world, and she wanted to enjoy that feeling.
“Will you at least give me that concession?” he asked when she didn’t immediately respond.
“Yes, you deserve to feel quite good about that.” A small laugh escaped past her lips. “I am happy they are here. We’ve never been away from each other before. I’ve worried about them as well as missed them. I have always been sensitive about what people say about them.”
“Why would anyone say anything unkind about two beautiful young ladies?”
“The usual superstitious things I don’t want to mention,” she said, realizing her error in what she’d stated. She didn’t want to go into the things she’d read about women who didn’t measure up to someone else’s standard—be it having a black cat, more than one babe at a time, or a wart on the nose. If Edwina was careful and fate kind maybe she’d never have to tell him about the strange phenomenon of her birth.
He nodded his understanding and she felt a closeness tohim, as if he really understood how she felt about being different from most young ladies. “You said there were few eligible bachelors to choose from where you lived. There are many here in London, and I will introduce them to every gentleman in Town if I must. The sooner we can get them used to Society, the better chances we have of getting them married. That would settle my commitment to you, and yours to your papa so that he may rest easy in his grave.”
Stonerick’s mention of her debt to her father warmed her heart. “Yes, thank you.”
He reached and opened the door for her. “Now, Miss Fine, stop dawdling over every word in the contracts and get them back to your solicitor tomorrow. We have a wedding date set.”
Realizing she didn’t want him to leave, she asked, “Will I see you again before then?”
