Page 3 of The Duke's Only Desire

He scoffed. “Does she have her mother’s temperament?”

Grandmama stiffened at the mention of Sophie’s mother, but her smile never wavered. “Of course not.” As if used to entering into battle, she twisted the question back on him. “Does your sonpossess the duchess’s temperament? I would think not. Children raised away from their parents rarely take on their mother’s disposition.”

The duke froze only for a heartbeat, but Sophie knew her grandmother’s arrow had hit home.Thatwas the reason they’d traveled six days through an icy winter to be here. To remind Malvern how limited his son’s prospects were for a decent marriage. To show him in person how appealing Sophie would be for a daughter-in-law. To offer Grandmama’s fortune as her dowry in return for making Sophie a duchess.

“She will do her duty.” Grandmama pretended to fuss with her hair, although not a single strand was out of place. It wouldn’t have dared to defy the dowager Viscountess of Kelsey. “And she will give you beautiful grandchildren.”

The design of the rug blurred before Sophie’s eyes. But she knew better than to let slip even a single tear.

“When she turns eighteen,” Grandmama persisted in her persuasion, “she’ll eagerly marry your son and make a respectable Marchioness of Colsworth. I guarantee she’ll be with child by the end of the first year.”

“You’ll guarantee more than that.” Malvern returned to his desk and sank into his chair, disrespectfully sitting in front of them. But the message was clear. They were no ladies to him. They were nothing more than business adversaries. “A penalty of twenty thousand pounds if the engagement is broken off either by the girl or your family.” He arched a brow. “Or if she ever leaves the marriage once wed.”

The angry bitterness lacing his voice made Sophie tremble, yet she declared, “I would never abandon my marriage vows.”

His eyes darted to her, with the same surprise as if a chair had spoken.

“It would be an affront to God,” she explained.

“It would be an affront to your grandmother’s bank account,” Malvern flung angrily at her. “You do understand what you’re being asked to do, correct?”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Her voice fell to barely a whisper. “I’m to marry your son, the Marquess of Colsworth.”

“You are to become Duchess of Malvern,” he shot back. His eyes narrowed on her, his face hard as stone. “Do you know what that means?”

A chill raced down her spine, and she suddenly couldn’t find her breath. Even then, though, with the world tilting sickeningly around her, she knew what was expected of her and said the words Grandmama had drilled into her over the hundreds of miles from London. “It’s an honor to join together our two families, and I would be proud to ensure that—”

“What makes you think that you’re good enough to become a duchess?” he interrupted.

Grandmama interjected, “Of course, she’s good—”

He cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand and leaned back in his big desk chair, studying her coldly. “I want the girl to answer. What makes you think you’re good enough to become the Duchess of Malvern.”

Sophie stared at him, at a complete loss for words. Forany thoughtsat all, in fact. Her mouth opened and closed nervously before she burst out honestly, “Nothing, Your Grace. But Grandmama says I must.”

“That obedient, are you?”

She didn’t dare answer.

He laughed at her silence, a sound more sarcastic than amused. Oh, how Sophie hated that sound! And the man behind it.

“She’ll do.” Leaning forward in his seat, he folded his hands on top of the desk. “Lady Kelsey, are you authorized to negotiate the settlement on behalf of her father and Granville?”

“I am.” Finally, Grandmama released her shoulders, only to reach inside her spencer to withdraw a folded piece of paper. She handed it to him. “Here are their signatures.”

He scanned over it, then tossed it onto his desk. He pointed at the chair in front of his desk in a silent command for Grandmama to sit.

Grandmama smiled tightly, a gleam sparking in her old eyes. She gave Sophie a push toward the door and ordered, “Go wait in the salon.” She sat in the chair and faced the duke. They stared at each other across the desk like two warring adversaries negotiating terms of surrender. “I will collect you when we’ve finished.”

“Yes, Grandmama.” But even the relief she felt at being dismissed from the room couldn’t prevent the rising sting in her eyes.

The butler, who had been waiting outside the door, led her back to the great hall. Although he made several comments about the house as she followed him, she couldn’t seem to make herself care about any of it now.

After all, she would have the rest of her life to learn about it.

“In here, Miss.” He opened the double doors of the salon off the main hall and hesitated. He looked down at her thoughtfully. “Perhaps you’d prefer to wait in the library?” He gestured toward a long gallery heading away from the main hall in the opposite direction of the duke’s study. “His Grace owns a rather large collection of books you might find interesting.” When her watery eyes lifted to his, his face fell, but he continued as if he hadn’t noticed her tears. “All kinds of books with art prints and maps, several that—”

“Garden books?” she whispered hopefully. “You said three hundred acres of gardens, so I thought…”