Page 64 of The Heiress Gets a Duke
“August, believe me when I tell you that I had no part in that.”
Her eyes flared. “You had every part in that. Perhaps you did not force my mother to come to me earlier tonight, or my father to issue an ultimatum, but this is all your doing, Rothschild. Had you not forced this entire situation then this would not be happening.”
Evan made himself take a breath before answering her. He did not want her to think the anger he felt toward her parents was directed at her. Keeping his voice calm, he said, “I accept responsibility for approaching you and your family about the marriage in a less-than-ideal manner. Inhindsight, I would do things differently.” Her eyes fairly crackled with fire as she waited for him to finish. “However, I have in no way pressed them for an answer, nor was it ever my intention for them to issue such a devastating ultimatum.”
“Your intentions hardly matter, especially when you have received what you set out to attain. I am here and ready to be your wife.”
Joy and relief warred with anger and dismay. He could not stop himself from glancing at the paper she had brought in, wondering what it was and how it would have an impact on this discussion. The sheet contained a list. He could make out the wordschildrenand farther downjointure. A marriage negotiation, then.
Fighting that dark part of him that urged him to accept her, to grab her and hold on to her before she could get away, he thrust the slender thread of noble instinct he had left to the forefront. He could not accept her unfairly. “This is not necessary. Whatever they have said to you, I am certain that once I talk to them, things can be smoothed over. I do not want you to lose your position.”
She sneered. “I find that difficult to believe, since your goal is to have me as your wife. I could hardly continue my work and still be your duchess, now, could I?”
“But you could.” Since their last kiss, he had hardly thought of anything else but of how to allow her to keep a foothold in her family’s business.
She stared at him openmouthed before straightening her shoulders again and declaring, “You’re only saying that. Everyone knows that duchesses donotwork. They do a bit of charity work, possibly, but that is all.”
“Traditionally, yes, but there is no reason you cannot change that.” Christ, the way she stared at him now, as if she would never believe a word he said, was completely his fault.
“And how would your old Eton friends react? What about their wives? Do you truly deceive yourself that they would accept me?”
“August, your being American will be enough to makehalf of them ostracize you. The other half will certainly find it objectionable that you work. The lot of them can go hang for all I care. All that matters is you and me.”
She stared at him, but some of the anger had drained from her face. Seizing on that, he hurried on. “Perhaps your role would change a bit—after all, there are certain duties that you must carry out as duchess—but I see no reason for you to stop working completely. I believe that once there is an office established in London, you should assume a leadership role there.”
“You’re lying. Duchesses do not work.” Her jaw firmed with the resolve of a prosecutor who had already established the guilt of the accused.
He sighed, hating how she distrusted him and that her parents had forced the matter. Indignation at himself drove him to his feet, where he paced the length of the table and back. Bloody hell, he had well and truly botched this by approaching her the wrong way in the very beginning without any concern for her feelings. “I have seen how effortless it was for you to peruse my ledgers and accounts. To find mistakes and make suggestions for improvements. It comes naturally to you, or at the very least it is a skill that you have honed well in your years of employment. I would not take that away from you.
“In fact, should you agree to marriage, I would like you to also consider taking an active role in the running of the estates. With the agricultural improvements—”
She made a dismissive sound and waved her hand as if she was swatting away an insect. “Estate farming for profit is no longer viable. Your best course of action there is to make the improvements you can and then train your other tenants. Expand your best farms to absorb the vacant land—”
“And invest in industry,” he said. She turned her head to look at him with something akin to astonishment on her face. “Manufacturing and machine works. Factories to bring employment to the displaced farmers.”
She nodded. “I see you have been listening.”
“I listen to you, August.”
She blinked and turned back to stare at the sheet before her. “We have established that I am to marry you; there is no need for meaningless flattery.”
With a groan of frustration, he sat down again and took her hand. “And if I refuse to marry you?”
She laughed. “Then you would be mad.”
“You are right. I would be mad.” He stared at her profile earnestly, hoping that she would look at him and they could have a proper discussion and not this adversarial one. “But I want you to accept only when you want this.”When you want me.
Finally, she did look at him. Anger made the color rise in her cheeks. “And why would I wantthis? It’s a crumbling pile of stones that should have been razed a century ago or more.Thismeans subjecting myself to endless social engagements where I have to overhear all of the fine people talking about how mannish I am and how I don’t deserve to be a duchess. And they are absolutely correct. I don’t deserve it. There are at least a hundred other women I have met over the last few weeks who are far more deserving of it than me. They care for it so much more.” She rose in her fury and crossed to the fireplace, where she stood facing away from him toward the flames with her back stiff. “I only want to work and continue with the legacy my grandfather left us.”
He had lost her before he had even had a chance of holding on to her. Disappointment sat heavy in his stomach. There was no way to refute her argument. Evan followed her but stopped feet short of where she stood.
“You are right. They will call you names and say terrible things.” He took in a breath. “But they already do that.”
If possible, her shoulders stiffened even more. “You’ve heard?”
“They already say these things about you, and you have not bothered to care before now.”
She shrugged but did not look at him. “I am accustomed to their bitterness. Besides, there is a sort of insulation in being an outsider.”
