Page 42 of The Heiress Gets a Duke
The wariness in her voice was nearly his undoing. “It is the unfortunate state of things.”
“So that is why you decided to speak to my parents without me present. You wanted to get their agreement without regard to my opinion on the matter.”
He nearly groaned with how he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss away her reservations. Hereford’s ball had been an eye-opening experience to say the least. If nothingelse, Evan could arouse her, ease her into accepting things as she floated on a cloud of pleasure.
“I want to marry you.” He kept his voice low. “Your thoughts and feelings do concern me. They will from now on.”
Her breath faltered. They were so close he could hear it skip, could watch her chest fail to rise with it. He moved to reach for her, but checked the move just as quickly, knowing that his touch would not be welcomed.
“What if my feelings are that I do not want to marry you?”
“August, you must know that I have no choice.”
She gasped aloud. “You should not call me that.”
“Why?” He smiled at her perplexed expression. “You kissed me. I want to marry you. We’ll soon be intimate enough that first names will come naturally.”
A strangled sound came from her as she got to her feet and rushed to stand before the fire, her back to him. “I will loan you ten thousand pounds to use for your estates.”
He could not help but stare and wonder if she meant it. The solemn look on her face was enough to assure him that she did.
She held up a hand to silence him as soon as he rose and opened his mouth. “Before you refuse, let me assure you that I have the funds in an account under my own name. Should you accept, the terms of repayment will be extremely lenient, obviously, given your... your situation.”
Evan could hardly believe that she meant it. “You have ten thousand pounds? Your own funds?” His own mother did not have that much money set aside in her personal account. She never had.
“In liquid assets, yes. I could likely gather together another five thousand should that be helpful to you, but there would be a short delay. My brother, Maxwell, would have to arrange to sell stocks he’s purchased on my behalf.”
“How do you have this at your disposal?”
She shrugged. “I draw an income from Crenshaw Iron Works. My brother helps me invest it. I do hold shares in Crenshaw Iron, of course, but I would not sell those. Lately,I’ve been speculating a bit in gold and copper shares and have done fairly well.”
She said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say. As if she wasn’t possibly the only woman in Mayfair who could be offering her own funds to save a duke. This woman he planned to marry was quite amazing. “I appreciate your generosity, but you have failed to understand the depths of my... need.”
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t understand. There are many who could live on that for life—”
“Charrington Manor has over two hundred families alone. Don’t forget my other properties. All entailed. There are nearly fifty thousand acres. It won’t be nearly enough.”
She paused, a strange stillness coming over her face. Finally, she said, “I didn’t realize.”
“You could not have known. I confess I failed to grasp the enormity of the mountain ahead of me in the beginning.”
She nodded, clearly surprised that her generous offer had been rebuffed. He could hardly blame her.
“Thank you for the offer.”
“You needn’t thank me. It was more out of self-preservation than generosity.”
He smiled. “Nevertheless, I thank you.”
She sniffed and stared down toward the fire as if the flames might provide an answer for her. When it did not seem as if she would address him any time soon, he took a step closer to her and asked, “Why did you kiss me?”
She startled and glared at him but did not step away. “I wanted to know what it was like.” She surprised him by answering honestly. “If it would be the same as I remembered from the fight.” Her gaze went to the nick in his hairline. “Speaking of that night, you seem to have recovered from your injuries.”
Absently, he raised a hand to the scar that would fade even more in the coming weeks. “Was it as you remembered?”
She flushed, her gaze dropping to his mouth as if by accident before she jerked it away.
When it was clear she would not answer, he took a stepcloser. “I am glad you decided to find out. It was indeed asIremembered from that night. We are good together, August.” He was aware that his voice had dropped intimately, but he could not do a damned thing to stop it. He leaned in a bit forward and breathed in her sweet scent. His skin prickled in response, and desire flamed to life in his belly. Her family was likely just outside the door, and his cock was already hardening with his need for her.
