Page 15 of The Duke's Treasure
“Do you need a maid?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I am a widow. If there is one advantage to my marriage, it is that I can now do as I please.”
With that, she led him out the door.
“We shall walk,” she said decisively. “It is a beautiful day, and the town isn’t far.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, and she fixed him with a stare.
“Of course,” she said. “I wouldn’t have said otherwise if I wasn’t. Besides,” she lifted the hem of her dress ever so slightly to show him her footwear. “I am already wearing my boots.”
“Should you be dressed for mourning?” he asked, and she shook her head.
“You know what? I think I’ve mourned enough.”
Mariana asked him of home as they walked into San Sebastian, and she wasn’t surprised that he told stories with surprising ease, his words flowing and his expressions intriguing. He told her of his brother, the loss of his father, and freely described how unenamoured he was with taking on the role of duke.
“You do not enjoy being one of the most powerful men in the country?” she asked with an arched brow, and he shook his head.
“I do not like having people rely on me,” he said. “I would far rather simply look out for myself. A life of duty, responsibility… It holds no attraction for me. Adventure and a thrilling chase are what captivate me.”
“Which is also likely why you have no wish to marry,” she remarked, and he looked at her quizzically. She laughed, wondering why he had never seen it for himself.
“If you enjoy the adventure and chasing things, what interest would you have in settling with one woman for the rest of your life?”
“I never quite thought of it that way,” he said, looking her over. “But I suppose if it was the right woman…”
She laughed out loud then. “I hope that was not an invitation to me, Your Grace.”
“What, you wouldn’t want to come brave England’s winters?”
“Absolutely not,” she said with a snort. “Besides, I already told you. I have no wish to settle down again with one man.”
“I can appreciate that,” he said, his teasing subsiding. “Although something can be said for opening yourself up to some fun, can it not?”
Mariana felt the heat spread through her body, seeming to emanate from the very place her hand was resting lightly on his arm. She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering what it would be like to allow a man to touch her again, to invite him to her bed. As much as she played the part of wealthy widow, she had not been with another man since her husband, nor did she have any wish to.
Especially with an English duke.
Except… he fired something within her, something that no other man had, including her husband in the days before she had realized just what sort of person he truly was.
She shook her head, ridding it of those thoughts. No men, she reminded herself.
Including – and most especially – this one.
CHAPTER 6
While the colors, the dress, and the weather might be different, it was apparent that a Spanish town was not so different from an English one. People called to one another from across the way, knew each other’s lives, had a familiarity that wasn’t as common in a city like London.
Edward watched the reaction of the townspeople asDoñaPalencia passed by them. They all stopped for a moment, pausing in deference with a respectful nod or curtsy. But, unlike what Edward had often seen when persons of noble blood walked through a London town, it was not with any ill intent. No, the people here respected their lady – that much was apparent. Their gestures were made with smiles on their faces, and they seemed quite pleased to see her.
She, in turn, knew each of them, calling to them by name, asking how their families were, what their children were doing, what was new in their places of work.
Despite her dress, which, while large, was not nearly as grandiose as some of the styles Edward had seen in the ballrooms of London, she crouched down in front of a child, holding out a hand and surprising him with sweets. Edward himself couldn’t quite figure out from where she had magicallyproduced the candies, but he was impressed. The child thanked her profusely while his mother smiled upon the marquesa.
She rose, giving her attention back to him, and he could understand how appreciated each person felt when the majesty of her smile came upon him.
“The docks are this way,” she said in that husky voice of hers, and he could only nod as the truth washed over him in a wave. He wanted this woman. Whether or not she had any interest in having him in turn remained to be seen.
