Page 8 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess
Andrew nodded. “I, too, had my grandmother step in to raise me.”
“I did not realize you had lost your mother as well,” Kate’s brow furrowed as she searched her memory for notice of his mother’s death. Then, she recalled there had been a scandal attached to the late Duke of Devonport as his wife had left him. “I apologize. I did not mean to touch on a sore subject.”
“I am no longer bothered by my mother’s dishonorable conduct. Her actions helped me realize at an early age that women cannot be trusted.”
“Pardon?” Kate sputtered at his audacious words. “I must have misheard you, for I am a woman of honor.”
Andrew turned his blue eyes toward her, and they blazed with scorn. “If you were a woman of honor, would you have offered yourself to me as you did on that night?” He reached out a finger and traced her jaw with it.
“Why, you—” Kate couldn’t get the words out.
Andrew barked out a laugh. “I am simply pointing out to you the fallacy of your argument. No need to be distressed. Let us call a truce for the sake of Julia and Harry. We shall work together to plan their wedding, and then we shall both go our separate ways. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” Kate knew her face was flushed, whether from anger or heat from his touch, she did not know. She lowered her gaze and said, “Let us go and discuss the wedding while we have our tea. My cook makes a delicious variety of cakes that it would be a shame to waste.”
As they walked toward the orangery, the back entrance opened and her butler, Mr. Scoville, walked inside with Tibbs at his heels. Tibbs ran toward his mistress, his little tail wagging furious, but at the sight of the Duke he skidded to a halt and began to bark furiously.
“Pardon me, ma’am. I did not realize you had company, or I would have left the dog in the drawing room.” Mr. Scoville leaned down and scooped Tibbs up. Tibbs looked at Andrew and one lip curled up showing his small white teeth.
“It seems your dog is as fierce and disagreeable as his mistress.” Andrew clasped both hands behind his back.
“Perhaps he is just an excellent judge of character,” Kate said, and reached over and scratched Tibbs behind his ears. “You’re a good boy, Tibbs. Mr. Scoville, if you would please take him to the kitchen and give him an extra bit of meat with his dinner this evening.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
Kate continued down the hallway without waiting to see if Andrew followed. Manners be damned. The man was insufferable. Kate’s staff had laid out their afternoon tea in the orangery attached to the rear of the house. Despite the cooling temperatures outside, the orangery was warm and cozy. Sally seated herself in a corner. Her head bent to her needlework as she served as chaperone.
Kate poured the tea and offered him a cup. When he reached out to take it from her, his fingers brushed hers. The cup rattled on its saucer. She quickly moved her hand away and poured herself a cup. She tried not to notice the way his lips touched the rim of the cup.
This will never do. He is not to be trusted.Kate focused her attention on a nearby potted fern in the corner. “I think we ought to hold the wedding outdoors. The weather promises to be glorious, and the autumn flowers will be in full bloom.”
“I disagree. Weather in autumn is completely unpredictable. It could rain and the wedding would be ruined. We should host it in your family chapel and then guests can enjoy the post-wedding breakfast here.” Andrew took a small strawberry cake and popped it into his mouth. “You are correct. These are delicious.”
“It won’t rain. This time of the year is usually sunny. We might have a bit of a breeze, but it shan’t be unbearable, and guests can easily move from the ceremony outdoors to the ballroom in the evening.” Kate chose an orange-flavored tea cake even though strawberry was her favorite. She wouldn’t enjoy the same cake as him.
Andrew sighed. “You know as well as I that weather is not at our behest. I am sure Julia and Harry would agree. It is too much of a risk to hold it outdoors at this time of year.”
Kate jutted out her jaw prepared to do battle. “I think that the weather will be glorious. The scarlet and gold of the changing leaves will provide a most appealing setting for our guests.”
“The guests who might be drenched by cold showers or chilled by an autumn wind? It is much too large of a gamble for such an important event. We would be unable to move so many guestsinto the castle quickly if the weather changed. I insist that we hold the wedding inside.”
Kate wished to argue further, but the bullish tone of the duke’s voice told her that she should approach the matter at another time. She decided to acquiesce for the moment on this small point and save her verbal assault for something of greater consequence.
“Fine. We can host it in the family chapel, but that means we will need additional decorations for both the chapel and the ballroom since we will no longer enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.”
Andrew scowled.How did I get trapped into planning a wedding with this obstinate woman? Harry owes me a favor after being forced to spend time with her.
Kate lifted a finger. “We will need to decide on the music for the ceremony and afterward. I propose a simple sonata on the pianoforte for the ceremony.”
Andrew shook his head. “Would we have you caterwaul like a cat while another woman plays? A string quartet would be seemlier and would strike the right mood.”
“I don’t caterwaul, Your Grace. In fact, I have been told that I have a beautiful voice; however, I was not proposing anyone sing during the ceremony. I was proposing a simple tune that would not overshadow the vows.”
Andrew took another sip of his tea and did not respond. Kate considered plowing forward with her next suggestion when Andrew held up his finger in a mirror image of her earlier one and said, “I will agree to your demand as long as you promise to sing one song for me between now and the wedding. I shall see if you are a songbird or a feline.”
Kate’s brow furrowed as she glared across the table at his audacious request. Then, she reminded herself that she promised Julia that her wedding would be a glorious occasion that thetonwould speak of for years to come. “Fine. One song. Shall we discuss the flowers?”
Andrew yawned. “I am tired after my trip from town. Can we discuss it later? I think I shall take a note from your grandmother’s book and rest. We can make further plans tomorrow.” He stood and inclined his head. “Thank you for the tea, Miss Avery. I shall see you at dinner.”
