Page 4 of Pursuing a Duke
After all the callers finally bid farewell, her mother turned to her, looking upset, and said, “I wish you had engaged the marquess in a deeper conversation. I fear he looked bored and disappointed you paid such little attention to him. I’m not worried about the other three who stood off to the side, but you knew how I felt about Littleton.”
Her mother was right, of course. She had been rather rude to the marquess. If he called upon her again, she would be more attentive. “I’m sorry, Mama. Lord Quincy and Mr. Fitzpatrick kept my attention and were quite entertaining.”
“Yes. Well, they were. I even found myself hiding laughter a time or two. But will giving all your interest to them get you engaged?”
Engaged.Yes, she wanted to find a husband, but she didn’t want to be betrothed this early in the Season. She wanted to enjoy the festivities and get to know someone before she became betrothed. She wanted to flirt with handsome gentlemen like Lord Quincy and Mr. Fitzpatrick. She wanted to dance until the wee hours of the morning. She wanted to stroll in a garden on the arm of a suitor. She wanted to drop her fan purposely and have an admirer to pick it up for her. She wanted to experience so many things before an engagement and marriage tied her down. And most importantly, she wanted to marry for love.
Once she became betrothed, the fun would end. The planning of her wedding would take precedence over anything else. The modiste’s fittings for her trousseau would occupy her days, and the evenings would be spent with her betrothed. No more flirting, laughing, and enjoying herself.
No, she refused to listen to her mother. There was no reason Emmeline needed to find a husband this Season. Her entire life she had been preparing for her debut; why should it have to end so quickly?
*
“You do realize,”Andrew said as they mounted their horses and made their way toward Brooks’s on St. James’s Street, “we cannot both pursue Miss Connolly.”
“Why not?” Fitzpatrick said. “If we promise not to let her come between our friendship. She will eventually choose one of us, and the loser will bow out gracefully. That is what friends do for each other.”
Had he lost his bloody mind? If, say, a month went by, and both he and Fitzpatrick fell in love with Emmeline, and she chose the other, how would that not come between them? Andrew’s head hurt thinking about what might happen. Perhaps he should bow out now before his heart was invested one hundred percent? Unfortunately, he didn’t think he could, because what if she chose him? Of course, all this worrying could be for nothing. Tomorrow, she could announce she was engaged to the Marquess of Littleton. Women were fickle creatures that Andrew could never figure out.
*
Lord Quincy andMr. Fitzpatrick, now called Andrew and Aiden in private, doted on Emmeline for the next two months, lavishing her with attention. Even though her mother swore neither of them would offer for her and all her other potential suitors had bowed out, she allowed the courting. With her mother as chaperone and her father home because of his declining health, one or the other, and sometimes both of them, took her to the theater, the opera, soirees, and private dinner parties. There was also Almack’s on Wednesday evenings and ear-splitting musicales on occasion.
The more time she spent with them, the more her heart became entangled. Even though she had the most wonderful time each night, she cried herself to sleep. The thought of choosing one over the other made her heart break into tiny pieces. She had no idea you could love two men simultaneously. Why had no one warned her? When she spent time alone with Andrew, she was convinced he was the one for her. She loved him and couldn’t live without him. Then, the next day, she would take a stroll in the park with Aiden, and her heart would flutter for him, and she couldn’t see herself with anyone but him.
Something was seriously wrong with her. She hated herself for her indecisiveness. The longer three people remained in this courtship, the more complex the decision would be for her, for she didn’t want to hurt either Andrew or Aiden. Nor did she want to cause friction between them. No matter that they joked about nothing tearing their friendship apart, she didn’t believe them. When the time came for her to choose one or the other, she was sure the gentleman pushed aside would resent the other. How could he not? Perhaps she should break off both courtships. It would nearly kill her and eviscerate her heart to do so, but it would be the kind thing to do.
She never had the chance to call anything off, nor did she believe she would truly have been capable of doing so. And three days later, sitting in the family drawing room, her mother consoled her over the turn of events. “There, there,” her mother said as she hugged her daughter. “All is well. You were fortunate enough to have two marriage proposals. And now you will marry Mr. Fitzpatrick. You love him, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Emmeline sobbed into her mother’s bosom. “I do love him. But... but... I love Andrew, too.” She hiccupped several times. Her lungs ached from crying, and her heart had nearly ceased to exist. “I was going to choose him, in truth, but he withdrew his offer. I don’t understand. He seemed so sincere inhis offer of marriage. And then today I receive his note with two sentences. All it said was, ‘I regret my offer of marriage and need to rescind it. Please forgive me. Andrew.’” She breathed in her mother’s subtle flowery scent, trying to calm down. “I love them both. How will I ever survive this?”
“Oh, my dear daughter,” her mother said with such patience Emmeline didn’t know where she found it. “You will have a wonderful life with Aiden. You said so yourself, you love him. In time you will forget the love you had for Lord Quincy and wonder how you could ever have thought you loved anyone but Aiden. Now dry your tears. We have a guest arriving for dinner.”
Aiden was dining with them that evening, and she didn’t want to have puffy eyes, making him think she was unhappy with their betrothal. She loved Aiden. She did. She wanted to be his wife.
Until Andrew’s face flashed in her mind, and then she loved him.
All of this was too much for her. Never in her life had she expected to be heartbroken when she was engaged. She should be rejoicing.
*
After taking anap, using cold compresses on her eyes and then cucumber slices, Emmeline looked refreshed enough to face Aiden at dinner. Papa wasn’t feeling well, so besides them, it would only be Mother. Mother sat at her usual end of the table, with Emmeline on one side of her and Aiden on the other. Her eyes kept straying to him as she nibbled on one course after the other. He looked relaxed, happy, and very handsome, dressed in navy blue with a cream linen shirt and cravat.
Every time their eyes connected, heat radiating from his creamy brown eyes had her insides aflutter. They had neverdone more than kiss, but sitting opposite him now, her body reacted to his heated look. When they retired to the drawing room after dinner, her mother gave them time alone with the door ajar.
“I thought we would never be alone,” Aiden said as he drew her close. One arm circled her waist, and the other cupped her cheek. “You are so beautiful. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” she asked, more than a little intrigued.
“I purchased a townhouse on Hyde Park Street for us. I can’t wait to show it to you. I think you’re going to love it, and you can decorate it however you wish. All I care about is living there as husband and wife. And after we are married I’m going to spend time each week preparing to oversee Fitzpatrick Industries. Although I can’t imagine my father ever giving up the reins completely to me.”
“What about finishing university?”
“There is no need. My future is set. My family is wealthy and respected among theton, even if my father runs a company. We shall never want for anything.”
“I understand, but I thought . . .”
“Don’t think,” he whispered right before he kissed her with all the desire she’d witnessed in his eyes during dinner, causing them both to gasp and breathe heavily. His hands roamed her body up the sides of her waist until his thumbs caressed the outside of her breasts, and she moaned into his mouth as the sensations made her dizzy. He broke the kiss and placed barely-there kisses down her neck and across the tops of her breasts. “I can’t wait until our wedding night.” More kisses. “Until I can make love to you properly.” He took her mouth, devouring her as one hand cupped her behind, pulling her tight to him. She gasped at the hard bulge in his breeches. Her hips moved of their own accord, grinding into him, shocking her with her wantonbehavior even if she didn’t know what she sought. Her insides coiled up tight, and she felt the wetness between her thighs and a pleasant tingling sensation there as well. She may not understand what she needed, but her body did.
