Page 16 of Her Duke to Seduce
Aiden sat backin the carriage and studied his new traveling companion. She had believed him when he had chosen their destination. As if he would actually travel all the way to Wales. That would take weeks from where they were located. As much as he would enjoy spending that time with her, it was not the prudent choice. When he had hired the carriage and driver, he had instructed the man to take them to Scotland. It would allow him some time with her—time to persuade her to return home.
He rather liked her in breeches. The view of her figure was one he could appreciate far too well, and on any other woman, he might even find a way to worship it—with his hands, his lips, and his tongue. He wanted to ravish the delectable beauty across the carriage from him. If she were not a lady and likely an innocentone, he might have taken her earlier suggestion for them to remain at the inn. There, he would have gladly seduced her into compliance. He wanted her almost desperately, but some decorum had to remain between them. Their lack of a chaperone was bad enough. She was already ruined if anyone discovered their time alone together, but he had to manage to keep some distance between them. That meant not seducing her. As much as he wanted nothing more...
Aiden exhaled slowly, forcing his gaze away from Felicity as she adjusted herself on the seat across from him. It was maddening—having her so close yet knowing he could not touch her. Not in the way he wished. She was temptation wrapped in scandal, sitting in a carriage with him, completely unaware of the dangerous game she played simply by existing in his presence.
The sunlight outside cast a warm glow through the carriage window, illuminating the delicate curve of her jaw and the way a single golden curl had escaped from beneath her cap. She looked softer in the sunlight, more vulnerable. It was a deception, of course—one that she had likely mastered over the years. Felicity Hathaway was no meek debutante, no simpering miss waiting for a gentleman’s favor. She was a woman who had taken control of her own destiny, determined to carve her own path, no matter how reckless.
But even she had to realize that her ridiculous compromise was not the solution. Traveling anywhere with him would not aid her in her quest. Eventually, she would have to return to Winston Manor, and her aunt would secure a match for her. All she was doing was delaying the inevitable.
"You are too quiet," she mused, tilting her head in his direction. "I cannot decide if I prefer it."
He smirked. "Would you rather I fill the silence with idle chatter?"
She tapped a finger against her chin, feigning consideration. "I should like to know what it is you are thinking. You have been watching me as though I am some puzzle you cannot solve."
Aiden chuckled lowly. "And what if you are?"
Her lips twitched. "Then I would say you ought to give up the effort. I have been told I am quite impossible."
"Oh, I have no doubt of that," he murmured. "But I do not believe in giving up."
She shifted slightly, crossing her legs at the ankle. "Then I am afraid you shall be sorely disappointed."
Aiden leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Tell me, Felicity—what exactly is it you hope to find in Wales?" Wouldn’t she be surprised to discover they never were traveling toward Wales once they arrived in Scotland.
She blinked at him as if the question had caught her off guard. "Freedom."
"Freedom?" His voice was mild, but he arched a brow. "Do you truly believe you shall find it there?"
She exhaled, her fingers tightening around the folds of her coat. "I do not know. But I know I will not find it at Winston Manor."
Aiden studied her, noting the way she avoided his gaze now. "And why do you believe that?"
She hesitated. "Because no matter what I do, I shall always be someone’s burden. My aunt. My father. Society. A wife must submit, a daughter must obey. I am neither willing to submit nor inclined to obey."
Aiden understood the weight of expectations all too well. It was the burden of those born into privilege, into duty. But he also knew that running from it solved nothing. His own father had demanded he find himself a bride. It was the sole reason he had been at Winston Manor to meet Felicity that first time at the ball.
"You believe marriage to be a prison," he said.
"Is it not?" she challenged, her eyes flashing. "Tell me, my lord, do you believe a woman has any say in her own life once she is wed?"
Aiden held her gaze. "Not if she weds a man who does not allow it."
"And how many men do?" she demanded. Her eyes sparkled with the fury she barely contained. "How many would grant a wife true freedom?"
He said nothing, because he knew the answer would not satisfy her. Many men controlled every aspect of their wives’ lives. He suspected that if she allowed her aunt to choose her husband, Felicity would find the fate she feared. He did not want that for her.
Felicity let out a humorless laugh. "You see? That is why I run. It is not a game to me, Aiden. It is survival."
Her words settled heavily between them, shifting something within him. He had believed she was merely being willful, avoiding marriage out of rebellion rather than necessity. But now, he wondered—had anyone ever truly listened to her? Had anyone considered that she was not simply difficult, but desperate?
Damnation.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. He had no intention of dragging her back to Winston Manor, but he could not, in good conscience, allow her to fling herself into a future she had not fully thought through. And yet, what could he offer her? What was he willing to offer? The question lodged itself in his chest, refusing to let go.
Instead of answering her, instead of telling her that he agreed, he decided to change the topic. They would not come to any decisions that night. He narrowed his gaze on her and said,“Have you ever been to Winston Manor before this most recent visit?”
She stiffened in her seat. “Why do you ask?”
