Page 48 of The Scottish Duke Tames the Bluestocking
But before she could speak, Hugh’s voice cut through the air like a knife, his tone icy and commanding. “I beg your pardon, Lady Granfouly,” he said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “But I daenae believe I quite caught that. Would you care to repeat yourself, so that everyone in the room can hear your thoughts on the matter?”
Lady Granfouly’s face paled, her eyes darting nervously around the room as she realized the gravity of her mistake. She had gone too far, had overstepped the bounds of propriety and respect in her eagerness to condemn and judge.
But she was not one to back down easily, and so she lifted her chin once more, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. “I said what I meant, Your Grace,” she said, her tone defiant even as her hands shook. “And I stand by it. Your marriage is a sham, a disgrace to everything that society holds dear. And you... you are nothing more than a brute, a man without honor or decency.”
Harriet gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock at the old woman's words. She could see the anger building in Hugh's face, the way his jaw clenched and his eyes flashed with barely contained rage.
But before he could speak, before he could unleash the full force of his fury upon the hapless Lady Granfouly... Harriet stepped forward, her hand coming to rest gently on his arm.
“That is enough, Lady Granfouly,” she said, her voice calm and measured even as her heart raced in her chest. “My husband is one of the last true gentlemen remaining in this society, a man of honor and integrity who has shown me nothing but kindness and respect from the moment we met. And a well-bred lady such as yourself should know better than to speak to a duke in such a manner, no matter what your personal feelings on the matter may be.”
Lady Granfouly's mouth fell open, her face flushing with anger and embarrassment as she realized the full implications of Harriet's words. She had been put in her place, had been reminded of her own station and the respect that was due to those of higher rank.
But Harriet was not finished, and she turned to face the rest of the room, her head held high and her voice ringing out clear and strong. “My husband and I may have had an unconventional start to our marriage,” she said, her gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd. “But that does not give anyone the right to judge us, to speculate on the nature of our relationship or the motivations behind our actions. We are here tonight because we choose to be, because we refuse to let the narrow-minded opinions of others dictate how we live our lives. And if that is a crime, then so be it. We will bear the consequences with pride and dignity, secure in the knowledge that our love is true and our commitment unshakeable.”
A murmur went through the crowd, a ripple of surprise and admiration at the strength and conviction of Harriet's words. She could feel the mood in the room shifting, the hostility and judgment giving way to a grudging respect and even a hint of envy.
And as she turned back to Hugh, as she saw the look of pride and amazement in his eyes... Harriet felt a rush of love and gratitude so powerful that it nearly took her breath away. He had stood by her side, had defended her honor and her reputation even in the face of such blatant hostility and disrespect.
“Hugh,” Harriet said, her voice ringing through the hall. “Let us dance.”
Hugh looked at his wife, his eyes wide. His mouth opened and closed and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. “I... I...”
Harriet, though, would not take no for an answer. Instead, she took Hugh’s hand in this, her eyes meeting his. “Dance with me, Hugh,” she said again, mindful of the various gazes upon them. This was the closest she’d been to her husband in quite a while, and she let out a sigh.
“Please?”
Hugh could not help but smile as he looked down at her, then he nodded.
“All right,” he said at last, his voice a mere whisper. “Let us dance.”
Harriet’s heart fluttered wildly in her chest as she placed her hand in her husband’s and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. Around them, couples stood ready to dance - but Harriet paid them no mind.
She saw nothing except the man in front of her and she opened and closed her mouth, wondering silently if she would find the words - the right words, words that would help her.
She wanted nothing more than to plead with her husband to stay put, to not go to another estate. She wanted more than anything else in the world to plead with him to give their marriage another chance.
But she couldn’t. The promise they had made to each other to not develop feelings was fresh in her mind and it suddenly felt foolish.
Foolish as she knew it to be, however, Harriet knew she had no choice but to smile and dance - after which she would have to give her husband the freedom she was quite certain he craved.
CHAPTER27
As the first strains of the waltz filled the ballroom, Harriet felt a shiver run down her spine, her heart skipping a beat as Hugh's hand settled on her waist, his fingers strong and sure against the delicate fabric of her gown. She looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the intensity in his gaze, the way his eyes seemed to drink her in as though she were the only woman in the world.
And then they were moving, their bodies swaying in perfect harmony as they spun and twirled across the floor, the rest of the room fading away until there was nothing left but the two of them, lost in a moment of perfect connection and unspoken understanding.
Harriet could feel the heat of Hugh's touch through the layers of silk and lace, could feel the way his body molded to hers as they moved together, every brush of his hand and every press of his chest sending sparks of electricity racing through her veins. She let herself get lost in the sensation, in the way her heart seemed to swell and expand with every passing moment, until she was sure it would burst from the sheer force of the emotions that swirled within her.
And as the final notes of the waltz faded away and the room erupted into polite applause, Harriet found herself clinging to Hugh, her fingers gripping his shoulders as though she never wanted to let him go. She could feel the weight of his gaze upon her, could see the way his eyes searched her face as though looking for some sign, some hint of the feelings that lay hidden beneath the surface.
But before he could speak, before he could give voice to the questions that burned in his eyes...Harriet pulled away, her heart pounding in her chest as she mumbled an excuse about needing some air. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her back as she fled the ballroom, her skirts swishing around her ankles as she made her way out into the cool night air of the garden.
She didn't know what had come over her, didn't understand the sudden rush of emotions that had threatened to overwhelm her as she danced in Hugh's arms. All she knew was that she needed to get away, needed to clear her head and try to make sense of the tangled web of feelings that seemed to grow more complicated with every passing moment.
As she wandered through the garden, the scent of roses and honeysuckle heavy in the air, Harriet tried to calm the racing of her heart, tried to push away the image of Hugh's face that seemed to be burned into her mind's eye. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them, that the careful distance she had tried to maintain had somehow been breached in that one, perfect moment on the dance floor.
Lost in her thoughts, Harriet didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching until a familiar voice called out her name, startling her from her reverie.
