Page 22 of The Odyssean Duke

The Duke of Rothbury did not answer at once. Instead, he merely stared at her with his unfathomable dark eyes, letting the silence between them linger. Evelina did not know if he intended to leave the question unanswered or if he was waiting to see if the silence became unbearable to her before it did him. She waited.

At last, he said, “It is an unfortunate family matter.”

“Is that so?” Evelina frowned, trying to think of what thatfamily mattermight be.

“My proposed arrangement included the stipulation that we would both leave one another to our own affairs,” His Grace said. “The matter need not concern you in the slightest.”

“I might agree with you,” Evelina said, “except that I would have more to lose through a marriage than you would. Can youfault me for wishing to know the exact situation that I might be entering?”

The Duke of Rothbury narrowed his eyes. “Have you considered my offer, then?”

She clasped her hands behind her back, hoping that the gesture looked coy and confident. In truth, Evelina was resisting the impulse to fidget. “I have thought it over, but I am not entirely convinced yet that this arrangement is in my best interest. I suspect that you have similar feelings.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I noticed that you were speaking to three unwed young ladies before approaching me,” Evelina said. “It does not take a particularly astute individual to guess as to why you might be doing that.”

She dug her nails into her palms. His Grace had promised her nothing yet, and she had agreed to nothing. Still, something inside her tightened when she considered the possibility of him proposing marriage to other, younger and lovelier ladies. Was it indignation that he found her so utterly replaceable? The thought was ridiculous, but it was the only feeling that made sense.

“I find your jealousy rather amusing,” he said.

She wondered if he would be like her late husband, after all. Could Evelina live with a man like that, one who wanted to warm every woman’s bed except her own? Evelina swallowed hard. As long as he provided her with a child, she supposed that she could.

It would be difficult and frustrating. But what care should she have if her husband, who wished to live separately from her, did not desire her? If anything, that was a desirable outcome. She would not need to think about his desires at all during their marriage of convenience. That was, of course, assuming that she agreed to the proposal. Evelina had not yet. A small part of her thought the whole suggestion was ridiculous, but there was another part that was acutely aware His Grace had given her forty-eight hours, and she had only thirty-two or so left.

“Why do you assume that I am jealous?” Evelina asked.

“Because you are,” he said smugly. “And it is fascinating. It gives me hope that you will provide me with the answer I want tomorrow.”

“Does it now? I should think you would expect me to decline given that you have already decided to pursue other prospects.”

“I will need another plan in the event that you refuse. I am hopeful, but you have proven yourself to be exceedingly unpredictable.”

“Unpredictable,” she mused. “I like that.”

“I assumed you would.”

“You make many assumptions, Your Grace.”

Men often did, though. Evelina had seen countless gentlemen in the ton who believed they knew more about the fairer sex than women themselves did, and she had always found them to be rather arduous. Strangely, the Duke of Rothbury did not seem like those men to her. He spoke in a careful and measured way, as though he was considering each assumption thoughtfully before he made it. Some of his conclusions were correct, too.

Evelinadidlike being unpredictable. So very much.

She heaved a great, melodramatic sigh. “Alas, I fear that I must depart, Your Grace. But thank you ever so much for this invigorating conversation.”

His Grace looked taken aback, and Evelina grinned.

“I had assumed that you would be distraught at my absence,” she said slyly. “I will likely arrive home to a sea of suitors. Do try to conceal your jealousy.”

The Duke of Rothbury opened his mouth as if to offer some retort, but no words emerged. He shut his jaw with an audible click.

Evelina curtsied. “Good day, Your Grace.”

“I must escort you to your carriage.”

“Why?” she asked, giving a light laugh. “Do you imagine that I will be beset by some villain along the way?”

“You have already found the villain, my lady.”