Page 17 of The Scottish Duke Tames the Bluestocking
CHAPTER9
The golden glow of the morning that filtered through Harriet’s bedroom window the next morning felt like a stark contrast to the dread building within her. For all the promissory cheer of the day, an oppressive cloud of unease seemed to pervade every shadowed corner as Harriet readied herself to receive her caller.
“My lady...”
It was Prudence who glanced in the door, her countenance a mask of curiosity. “There is a gentleman for you at the door.”
Harriet could do nothing but nod stiffly, feeling lightheaded at the thought - as though the very air had been leeched from the room. She patted her upswept chignon one final time before gathering her resolve and sweeping into her mother’s room.
Her face was a pale mask as she entered and the sympathy in Jennifer’s eyes was evident. “He is here,” Harriet whispered through dry lips and Jennifer stood quickly, taking her daughter’s hand.
“I am here with you,” the older women whispered and, for a blissful moment, Harriet allowed herself to feel at peace.
The moment faded quickly when William’s knuckles rapped against the door and he looked at the women sternly. “He is here.”
Jennifer and Harriet shared a quick look before making their way down to the front door.
The sight of the imposing Scotsman looming near the windows, hands clasped rigidly behind his back as he surveyed the sculpted gardens beyond, sent a fresh ripple of unease skating down her spine. He looked every inch the haughty aristocrat in his severe black jacket and crisp linen, the only hint of whimsy a rich crimson vest that strained flatteringly across his broad chest.
At the soft sound of their entrance, Hugh pivoted slowly, his expression unreadable. A tense silence stretched between them until, at last, Jennifer cleared her throat pointedly.
“Your Grace,” she greeted with a shallow dip of her head, eyes twinkling archly as she inserted herself into the fraught tableau. “We are honored by your presence this fine day.”
“Thank you, Lady Notley,” he responded and inclined his head in a curt nod of acknowledgment before his inscrutable stare found Harriet once more. She lifted her chin beneath the weight of that piercing regard, refusing to be the first to break the brittle impasse.
At length, Hugh heaved a barely perceptible sigh, shifting his weight in a gesture of uncharacteristic discomfiture. “Lady Harriet,” he rumbled, the rough timbre seeming to reverberate through the very air between them. “I hope ye'll accept me gratitude for extending this... renewed opportunity.”
Harriet blinked, startled by the almost deferential note underlying his words. Was that contrition she detected woven through the gruff utterance? They made their way towards the waiting carriage together. Hugh helped them into the carriage first before climbing in too.
The carriage was quiet until they reached the gardens of Hyde Park - and for the first part of the promenade, the silence reigned supreme. It was Hugh who broke the tense silence, speaking rather suddenly, and Harriet looked at him with lifted brows when the deep timbre of his voice suddenly sounded out.
“I must make one matter plain from the outset,” he stated, clipped brogue scraping across her senses. “This... courtship is motivated by necessity, nae ardor. A means to an end, that end being the preservation of yer standing in the eyes of thetonby way of a respected marriage match. Nay more, nay less.”
The stark words seemed to reverberate through the garden. Beside her, Jennifer stiffened almost imperceptibly, but Hugh merely leveled them both with a challenging look.
“I... daenae know if ye hoped for romance and tenderness to precipitate such matters,” he went on, pulling no punches. “But I'll nae deal in falsehoods or airy sentiments to that effect. So long as we share the same understanding—this arrangement trades solely on pragmatism, propriety, and the occasional pretense for public consumption— I've nay qualms movin' forward. Should you require more...that I cannot provide.”
His mouth curved faintly at the corners, hinting at a wry amusement that fired Harriet's temper despite her attempts to smother it. Rather than rising to the bait, however, she surprised them both by arching one eloquently dismissive brow. Surprisingly, she felt an ounce of relief flooding her.
“Well, that was certainly...unvarnished,” she murmured, bestowing him with a look of lofty condescension. “I must admit, Your Grace, your flagrant disregard for diplomacy is almost impressive in its dogged persistence.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Harriet caught the faint twitch of her mother's lips as Jennifer gamely fought to suppress her amusement. Emboldened, she took a measured step forward, refusing to be cowed by his towering presence.
“And while I can certainly appreciate your noble transparency in casting our... circumstances in such stark terms, I fear your proposal...” her mouth curved with sardonic relish over the word “...leaves something to be desired, sir.”
Hugh inclined his head a fraction in a silent prompt for her to elaborate. Taking a fortifying breath, Harriet pressed on.
“As direct as you have been,” she admitted, “and as much as I respect you for it... I cannot bring myself to accept entering an alliance without knowing the full measure of you first - and I do suspect that the reverse holds true as well.”
Hugh frowned at this, seemingly nonplussed by her words, and Harriet continued, her voice clear.
“I understand your... condition,” she said at last. “And I will not pretend that I am not relieved by knowing that you share my doubts about this marriage. It does not trouble me, Your Grace, that you do not feel as though you are able to offer me love. But... I do believe that we still need to know each other better.”
Hugh remained quiet, though his lips curled a bit at the ends - encouraging her to continue her rant. “I propose,” she said now, “that we embark upon a period of proper courtship. Let us say... a week? This will give us an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with one another.”
She came to a halt and looked at him earnestly.
“As much as this marriage will salvage our reputations, we must... we must determine if this path is the right one. If we see within the week that we will be unable to get along cordially, then it might be prudent to reconsider.”
