Page 2 of His Scottish Duchess

Finally, the Duke noticed them by the door, and a curious expression graced his features.

“Oswald, who is that woman?”

“Your Grace?—”

“I am your bride-to-be, Your Grace,” Catherine announced, glaring at the women still clinging to him.

Their faces immediately dimmed with disappointment, and one of them asked, “Bride-to-be? You are getting married, Your Grace?”

“That’s not possible. I hadn’t fully accepted?—”

“You did not dismiss the offer. In fact, a date has already been set. One you apparently agreed to,” Catherine cut him off, unable to keep herself from flinching when his eyes darkened. “Your Grace.”

The Duke’s eyebrows rose in mild surprise for a moment, then the corners of his lips twitched into a smirk as his eyes roamed over her. She fought down a shiver as he studied her, feeling a little too aware of her slightly unkempt state after the long journey in the cold weather.

She wished she had gotten the chance to freshen up before she met him—she was mildly overcome with embarrassment.

“How interesting,” he mused with a grin that told her to be wary of him, as he did not seem like someone she should take lightly.

One of the women by his side reached out to hold his hand, her lips in a pleading pout, only for her to gasp in shock when he pushed her hand away.

“Leave, now. Your presence is no longer necessary,” he instructed plainly, his formerly open expression now tinged with a severity that left no room for argument.

Catherine couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were fixed on her disheveled form, as though there were no other people in the room but them.

“Surely, you jest, Your Grace,” one of the women said, trying to reach for him.

“She will not compare to—” the other started to say, only to fall silent when the Duke held up a hand.

He wasn’t looking at them anymore. His gaze was firmly fixed on Catherine, whose confidence continued to dwindle at the intense way in which he stared at her.

It was as though the air around them had turned heavy and thick, the lighthearted mirth evaporating as the women paled. Quickly, they left his side without another word, both of them giving Catherine looks of disdain as they walked out of the house.

“See to it that her things are taken care of and escort her to her chambers, Oswald,” the Duke instructed the butler, before shifting his gaze to Catherine. “Wash up and rest for a bit. We will talk in my study in an hour. Oswald will bring you to me then.”

He gave her one last lingering look, then turned and walked away.

It felt as though Catherine could breathe freely now with his gaze off her, and she exhaled deeply, confused by the anxious thrumming of her heart. For some reason, she felt more nervous now than she had been once it had been decided that she would marry the Duke.

“Right this way, Miss Lennox,” Oswald called, drawing her attention.

“Right.” Catherine swallowed, following the butler as she tried to ignore the lingering image of her husband-to-be in her head.

“There she is,” the Duke said, with a sharp grin. “My bride. Or so she claims.”

“That is what I am, Your Grace,” Catherine stated, feeling the familiar itch of anxiety creep beneath her skin. “I would appreciate it very much if you did not make it sound as though I am lying or jesting.”

“Then you should come to terms with the fact that mine is the only voice of authority here,” he said darkly. “You think too highly of yourself. After all, I never officially agreed to marry you. I can change my mind if I wish, and send you right back from whence you came.”

“But you won’t. Because if you were going to, you would have done so long ago, when the idea was suggested,” she pointed out, ignoring how her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Catherine wished to snap back at him, but she knew that it would be unwise to jeopardize their potential union.

The Duke watched her for a moment silently.

“It seems your father did not instill in you a sense of wariness of strangers. You will soon learn, I expect. I trust your chambers are comfortable. However, if you need anything changed, saythe word and it will be done immediately,” he instructed in a dismissive tone.

Catherine shook her head, a little on edge after his initial statement. “It is all fine, thank you.”

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