Page 20 of When her Duke Returns
The second course was upon them before Mary had even had time to digest the first. The Duchess had not lied—the evening was proving to be exquisite and laborious.
A host of footmen danced about, clearing the table of the first set of dishes, and laying around another. The table swelled with meats, puddings, and drippings, and Mary was delighted by the sight of it all.
She had been seated on the side of the table closest to the door with Alexander at her right and a Mr. Parcell to her left—though the man seemed far more concerned with the conversation tohisleft, led by a young and most beautiful Lady Hampton. The Duke’s grandmother headed the table, a safe enough distance away that Mary did not feel so on edge. Her brother was sitting opposite, regaling the Duke’s mother with all sorts of tales that made her laugh most loudly.
Alexander had been sitting in comfortable silence for most of the dinner, speaking only when spoken to and laughing along with the rest when the flow of the conversation called for it. Mary noticed how he appeared uninterested in the food and most of his company, choosing instead to nurse his drink—of which he had already had one too many.
Shealsonoticed that the two young ladies at the table looked almost exclusively at him, though, whether out of curiosity, lust, or shock, she could not tell. Two eligible ladies, one affluent suitor, and a grandmama bent on furthering their reach… It did not take long for Mary to put two and two together, and when both she and Alexander reached a lull in their conversations, she sought to pry.
“Am I correct in assuming your grandmother is looking to make you a match?” she asked while talk roared elsewhere. “The ladies are here on your account, are they not?”
“You’ve always been too clever. Cleverer than is good for you,” Alexander said into his drink. “I did not know they would be here, or I would not have invited you. I would never toy with you.”
Mary began slicing into a fillet of veal if only to appear disinterested. “Well, there is no good reason for you to ignore them as you have been. You are not otherwise engaged, and they are both pretty and well-spoken.”
“I do not care,” the Duke stated plainly.
“Does beauty not factor in a match?”
“Certainly, but I am not looking to make one, so it’s of no matter to me.”
“Why?”
Alexander chuckled softly and shook his head. “Truth be told, I’ve found myself rather disinterested in most members of the fairer sex since my return as they seem most disinterested in me… although I cannot fathom why,” he added.
Mary swallowed hard, surprised to find herself both panicked and relieved at his admittance. She knew it was silly for her to want him as she did, to want him to wantherbecause nothing could come of it. And yet, she continued. “Perhaps you need a moment to settle,” she said at last. “To build new bridges and such until you find someone you like.”
“Perhaps,” he said with a scowl and took another swig of his drink.
Every move he made, every gesture and quip, sent ripples of yearning through her. Their feet had brushed accidentally beneath the table on one occasion, and Mary worried she would never recover. This experience was totally new to her, and it was more powerful than anything she had read or heard of. At last, the mystery of desire had revealed itself.
“So,” Mary began anew to fill the silence, “fishing, is it?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Earlier, in the park. You were fishing with two other gentlemen. I hadn’t known you liked fishing.”
Alexander seemed to light up at her attempt. “Yes, I’ve taken to it rather recently. It does one such good to get out in nature and to be at one with oneself. Besides, people are less like to stare out of doors.”
Mary dropped her gaze. “Has it been difficult for you?”
“Not where it matters. Though I’m eager to get back to the country where people do not mind as much.”
“You’re headed out?” Mary asked.
Alexander acquiesced. “Headed to Whitcliff, yes. There are matters that require my attention there. So, two birds…” He let the rest of the idiom hang in the air and waved it away.
“We shall be neighbors anew, then,” she said and then added, “at least to some extent,” for the breadth of the Duke’s estate swallowed three-fourths of the county.
“It had not escaped my attention.”
Mary smiled. “I imagine we have friends who shan’t like that much. Your grandmother for one.”
“Your husband for another?”
“He is not my husband, yet.”
“That too, I had noted.” Alexander finished his drink and edged closer to Mary. She could feel the whisper of his spirit-laden breath on her skin, and it made her heart race. “Perhaps you might accompany me the next time I go fishing.”
