Page 31 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“Ah, but summer brings so much more than warm weather,” Rupert said. “Without summer, we would have no season and with no season, there would be no beauties to admire at balls and soirees.”
He heard the Duchess tut, but he paid her no heed. The Duke chuckled, and that was enough for him.
“I must say,” Rupert continued. “The garden party last week was simply wonderful. Such an interesting array of guests, and the quartet was marvelous. I shall have to look out for them for my own ball, later on in the year.”
“My beautiful daughter, Alison, did such a prodigious job of arranging it,” the Duke said. “She shall make someone a great wife, one day.”
The Duchess slurped noisily at her tea and Rupert turned to look at her in astonishment. She held the saucer in one hand and the cup in the other, and she watched Rupert warily.
If I have trouble with anyone, it will be with her. She will make me work to gain her daughter’s hand.
“I have actually come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage,” Rupert said quickly, wanting to finally get the proposition said. They had avoided the topic for far too long, and Rupert had no desire to spend the entire afternoon in the Salsburys’ company.
“Well now,” the Duke beamed, as though he hadn’t known that was Rupert’s intention all along. “Isn’t that—”
“Tell me, Lord Belmont,” the Duchess began, interrupting her husband quite boldly. “Is your home quite suitable for a family?”
“Why, yes, of course, Your Grace,” Rupert said. “Generations of my family have lived and died there. It has everything a family could possibly need.”
“I see,” the Duchess said, still not taking her eyes from him. “But is it modern? Up-to-date? I would hate to see my daughter trapped in a house of the past. She has very exacting standards.”
“I do believe I visited Belmont Manor once or twice,” the Duke said, ignoring his wife’s slight and looking into the distance as he remembered. “Lovely place. Plenty of space.”
“Indeed,” Rupert said, smiling politely. “And yes, I have ensured the décor of the house has moved with the times. I am certain Lady Alison will love it.”
“And you have the means to support a wife and a family, do you?” the Duchess asked. Her lips were pinched, and she looked at him askance.
“Why, yes, I do,” Rupert replied, blinking at the rudeness of the question.
“Of course, you would receive a handsome dowry to help in that support,” the Duke said, shooting his wife a look that Rupert couldn’t quite decipher.
“Assuming we agree to your proposition, of course,” the Duchess said, returning the Duke’s glare.
“Of course,” Rupert replied, bowing his head as though in reverence, although in reality it was to hide his distaste. “Although I must remind you both of Lady Alison’s age. At six-and-twenty, she has rather passed her prime and—if you do not mind my speaking boldly—it would be difficult for you to find another suitor.”
“She is indeed of some age now,” the Duke said sadly, rubbing his chin in thought.
“All the more reason to ensure she is matched with someone who will treat her well,” the Duchess said, “And not simply with the first option that comes along.”
“She has had no other offers?” Rupert asked, feigned innocence written across his face. “I cannot believe that of such a beautiful, intelligent young lady as Lady Alison.”
“Not the first, no,” the Duke admitted. “But things were… difficult when her sister was missing, and we didn’t want to push her.”
“And now?” Rupert asked. “Are her previous offers still on the table?”
“Well, no,” the Duchess replied, pinching her lips even tighter. “Unfortunately, offers this season are few and far between.”
“Please, Your Graces, if I may speak freely?”
“Please,” the Duke said, raising his hand in welcome, “speak as freely as you wish.”
“I understand your concerns,” Rupert said. “Lady Alison has experienced some trauma and grief in her life. But now, she is ready to marry, and I believe I am the best match currently available. My estate is well kept and my investments well managed. With me, your daughter will be cared for and your family name will not suffer for having a spinster in its midst.”
“She will not become a—”
“Together, both our households will be stronger,” Rupert said, ignoring the Duchess and looking pointedly at the Duke. “With my means and with Lady Alison’s dowry, we shall prosper well. And—as much as I hate to reiterate it—I suspect time is running out for her.”
“I suspect you are right,” the Duke said, looking into the distance as he thought, his lips twisted in concentration.
