Page 34 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke

“His Grace is here!” her mother explained, rushing across the room and snatching the book from Caroline’s hands.

“Mother! I was reading?—”

“Later,” she waved her down. “I’ve had the staff direct him to the sitting room, but we are to join him immediately.”

Caroline sighed and started toward the door. “Fine. Did he tell you why he has?—”

“Caroline! What are you doing?”

Caroline stopped and turned back, surprised by the aghast look of horror that her mother fixed on he. “Er... going downstairs to see?—”

“Dressed like that! No, no. You have not seen His Grace in two weeks! This is as good as a first impression, Caroline, and you only ever get one!”

Under her breath, Caroline mumbled, “unlike in this instance...”

Nonetheless, her mother directed her to change into something more appropriate. Caroline had been half-dressed, seeing as she was to spend the day sitting around the house. By the time she made her way downstairs, however, she was in full dress, closer to being ready to attend a ball than a simple visit from her betrothed.

I might have liked to have not looked so dressed up. If for no other reason than to remind him of the circumstances of this marriage—that it is purely of convenience and nothing more.

The truth was that Caroline had come around greatly to her impending marriage, resigned to it now. She knew there was no chance of its cancellation, but conceded that it would not be as bad as she had originally feared on account of the assurance the duke had given her when she’d approached him. A marriage of convenience, this was to be, and nothing more.

This would allow her to avoid him. This would give her an excuse to not spend any time with him. It might be a loveless marriage, but it would not be one that saw her test the limits of her control...

She and her mother thus found the duke waiting for them in the sitting room. Caroline was unsure what she expected from this unexpected visit, conceding by the time it was over with that even she could not have foreseen how sterile it would be.

“Lady Grayhill,” the duke greeted Caroline’s mother as she and Caroline appeared in the doorway. “And Lady Caroline. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

“Your Grace...” her mother purred as she crossed the room. “Think nothing of it. We are as good as family.” She reached the duke and dropped into a curtsy. “And we must begin to act like it. Shall I have some tea poured?”

“No,” he said. “There is no need for that. I will not be staying long.”

Caroline lingered in the doorway, admittedly taken aback initially because in the two weeks that had passed, she’d forgotten much of the duke’s physicality, and had been able to ignore what it did to her. But seeing him again in the flesh...he is just so big. And brawny. And intimidating. I should feel terror at the sight, knowing that soon he and I will be forced to live alone. Strangely, that is not even close to what I am feeling...

“Caroline!” her mother hissed at her and waved her over.

“Oh...” A shake of the head and she waded into the room. “Good morning, Your Grace.”

The duke looked her over, but quickly, and was then back on her mother. “I have come to inform you that the marriage license for your daughter and me has been procured. I was able to pull some strings, hence the suddenness, but I figured that, under the circumstances, haste is necessary.”

“You... you have?” her mother blinked in shock. “That is wonderful!”

“Two weeks hence,” the duke continued, still looking at her mother, seeming to be purposefully avoiding Caroline’s gaze. “A small ceremony, as discussed, which I will leave to your discretion.”

“Your Grace, that is...” Her mother still looked surprised by the forthrightness of the announcement. “This is very considerate, and it will be done. Two weeks, you say?”

“Two weeks.”

The duke left almost immediately after that. He said goodbye to Caroline’s mother, he nodded once at Caroline—barely making eye contact—and then he strode from their home and was atop his horse before Caroline had so much as a chance to blink.

“That was unexpected,” her mother said as they watched his horse trot down the drive.

“No,” Caroline said to herself, her gaze caught on the duke as he was swallowed by the gate and gone from sight. “Not that unexpected at all.”

The past two weeks had been a confusing time for Caroline. Although she and the duke had discussed the terms of their marriage and he had confirmed for her that all he wished for was a marriage of convenience, she hadn’t been able to say whether she believed him or not. Worse than that, she still couldn’t say if she believed it herself.

For weeks now, all she had been able to think about were those two nights when she found herself alone with the duke—and that wasn’t even counting the night they had slept in the same bed! She could not stop thinking about that kiss. She could not stop thinking about his hands around her waist. And she certainly could not stop thinking about what might happen once the two were married, alone, with no more excuses to stand between them…

It should not be this way! It should be the duke who I do not trust, not myself. And I should be happy that he has agreed to a marriage of convenience, not upset that he had said yes so easily. What is wrong with me?

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