Page 76 of A Bride for the Forbidden Duke
“No,” he countered, “because I want to walk beside you. As husband and wife. As Duke and Duchess. As… as Henry and Veronica.”
He felt like a damned fool.
“If you will not answer my questions, and you still continue to shut me out, then why should we keep up such a silly pretense? I will not be hurt by you, Your Grace. If you are to have your defenses, then I need mine.”
“I know,” he said, “and I understand. So, if you need to walk away then you can, but… I am asking you… To stay.”
“Asking or ordering?”
“Did you not listen? I told you could walk away.”
“And I am still here,” she whispered in a hiss. “Does that not tell you I do not back down when things are hard? That I do not give up?”
“You began to walk away.”
“I saw something glistening on the ground,” she told him. “I was going to pick it up and ask you what it was.”
He followed her gaze. There, in the mud, was a golden talisman, and he immediately knew what it was. Henry let out a laugh.
“That is your surprise,” he said.
“What?”
“I arranged something for you today. As the new Duchess of Westley, the villagers will be hoping for sponsorship from you. There is a concert later tonight. My surprise was to invite you to first play and then announce what musician you wish to sponsor. That includes not only a prize gifted to the musician but also this talisman. The mark of our name.”
Veronica searched his face for any deception, but it was all true. He had ventured out several days before, riding hard into the village to organize it all with the village council and those he’d placed in charge.
“Well then.” Veronica lifted her skirts, so they did not trail the dirt.
To Henry’s surprise she began picking her way across the muddy puddle that was not deep but still wet and splashed around over her boots. Standing ankle-deep in mud, Veronica swooped down and snatched up the talisman and sauntered back to him, right past, and dunked the golden coin in the fountain to wash it.
Then she returned to his side, holding up the coin. “This is what you mean?”
“Yes,” he laughed.
“If it is important when it comes to announcing my musician of choice, then perhaps it should not be left in the mud.”
“Maybe whoever dropped it wanted to know how adventurous the Duchess was. Having this title is not all elegance and balls.”
There was a streak of mud on her face, and he lifted his hand to her cheek, smearing it off with his thumb. Veronica closed her eyes briefly, her face moving with the movement.
“You… confuse me,” she said quietly. “Terribly.”
“As you do me,” he answered her. “As I do myself.”
“We would be a lot less confused if you simply talked to me and stopped shutting me out whenever a conversation is sensitive for you. If you do not wish to discuss your past, then that is all right, but you do not have to dismiss everything we have built.”
“And what is it we have built?” He meant it to come out sharply, defensively, but it sounded more teasing.
Veronica lifted her chin defiantly. “I think you can answer that question,Your Grace. Now, I actually do find myself rather ravenous. A certain Duke had me cleared from breakfast after only one slice of toast despite there being many delicacies.”
“You did not have to follow me into my study,” he reminded her as they walked along to where a village stall offered hot cakes dripped in honey. “And especially not to kiss jam from my mouth.”
“Your Grace!” Veronica said, surprised, and a bark of laughter came from her as she whirled to face him once again. “You would speak of such scandalous things in public?”
He moved close to her, paying no mind to if anybody watched them. “I thought I made myself clear last night that I do not care for public propriety.”
She wriggled away from him, still giggling. “I believe you should when it comes to your own village. You must have more decorum about yourself.”
