Page 13 of The Wicked Duke's Convenient Bride
“I am quite content with the present arrangement. You provide me with an heir, and I ensure that you are successfully married. Even if that man chooses to speak against you later, I will still not abandon you. I will be your husband for as long as we both live unless you have changed your mind about all this.”
Now, she definitely felt as though he was trying to goad her into breaking the engagement. Well, His Grace was about to be most disappointed, for Tabitha was not a fragile, wilting flower. For better or worse, her parents had taught her to be independent. She would not be dissuaded by this man, no matter how highly he clearly thought of himself.
She squared her shoulders and tipped her chin up, trying to effect the effortless authority that she imagined a great queen would have. Tabitha smiled. “Why would I wish to break the engagement? This arrangement works perfectly for me. I do not wish for anything save to marry you and spare my family’s reputation.”
“Very good, then.”
He sipped his tea, and Tabitha continued to watch him with that same false, pleasant smile. Then, she deliberately placed her teacup onto its saucer. “Now that you have discussed your terms for the marriage, it seems only right that I should explain mine.”
Chapter 6
“Your terms?” Matthew asked. “Surely, I misheard you.”
Lady Tabitha smiled sweetly. “You did not mishear me,” she said.
There was something strange about her. Moments before, she had been sharp and sullen, but now, there was a slyness about her that he had only seen glimpses of before. It was intriguing. He fought down a fissure of excitement as he tried to anticipate what the change in demeanour might indicate.
“Why do you assume that you are allowed terms?” he asked.
“Is there any reason I should not be?”
“You are in no position to negotiate,” Matthew replied. “You need to marry me quickly. However, I do not necessarily need you. As you have said, many young ladies would like to become Duchess of Hillsburgh.”
“But you said you want an heir quickly,” Lady Tabitha countered. “I can be wed quicker to you than any of them. Besides, a broken engagement will not make you particularly appealing. In time, I am sure that your reputation would be repaired, but not as quickly as you might like. Besides, if you expect me to fulfill my weekly marriage bed duties.”
“Weekly?”
“You said that you want an heir quickly,” she said. “Weekly encounters should surely do it.”
“Daily encounters,” he said. “I said quickly. The more frequently you perform your marriage bed duties, the more quickly you will produce my heir.”
The idea was more appealing than he wanted it to be. His eyes fell on the round swell of her breasts above the bodice of her pale blue gown. He thought of what it would be like to pull her gown from her shoulders and bare her form on their wedding night.
Would she be shy and vulnerable, like on that first meeting when she tripped when greeting him? Or would she be like she was now, strange, brazen, and trying to assert her power in a situation where they both knew she had so little?
“If we are having an amorous congress every day, how will we manage to fulfill all our other obligations?” she asked. “You are beginning to make being the Duchess of Hillsburgh sound like quite a commitment.”
He laughed despite himself. “Are you surprised to learn that marriage is a commitment?”
“No,” she replied. “I accepted that I would have to commit to being your wife and that it would mean certain sacrifices, but I had not expected the duties of the marriage bed to be quite so frequent.”
“Only until you produce my heir.”
“How can I not, given how often you want to try?” she asked. “Given that we are going to spend so much time together, though, I think I do want romantic words to be part of my terms.”
“Oh, do you?”
“Yes,” she said. “Otherwise, I imagine that those duties of the marriage bed will become quite a chore rather quickly.”
Matthew felt his lips twitch into a smile. He shook his head and stared at her, unsure what to do exactly with this young woman. “Since when do young ladies speak so brazenly about the marriage bed?”
“Since their betrothed ones decide to speak so bluntly about having heirs as quickly as possible,” Lady Tabitha replied. “I am showing you that I can keep pace, Your Grace.”
“Well done,” he said.
Her expression brightened, and she looked just like a cat who had stumbled upon a bowl of cream. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
He nodded, acknowledging her gratitude.
