Page 68 of Shining Knight
She sighed regretfully. “I am determined to make the best of things.”
“I am pleased to hear it. It is lowering to think that one of your dearest friends might rather have married an older duke for convenience.”
She cast him a look of exasperation. “Do not speak such fustian.”
“Need I remind you, you did run away after I announced our betrothal?”
“That was nothing to do with you specifically, and I did not object when you insisted on accompanying me… or, at least, not much,” she added.
“Still, it was not quite the scene I had imagined when I pledged my troth to my beloved.” He held his hand over his chest dramatically.
She looked heavenward and he could tell she was still unconvinced of his sincerity. “Speaking of scenes…the first act is set to begin.”
“You do not like this play,” he reminded her. “You should be delighted that I am here to distract you.”
“I said it was not my favorite. That does not mean I will not watch it,” she countered.
“I can take a hint,” he said, turning his attention to the stage, but it did not stay there for long. He wanted her attention and she seemed bent on ignoring him. “I wish to do something entertaining tomorrow.”
Her eyes, not her face, moved sideways. “Such as?”
“The Tower? Burlington House?”
“You know how I feel about the Tower,” she murmured.
“But how else would you have been able to see those fantastic creatures?” he argued, though it was really sad to see the beautiful beasts locked up in small cages. “Besides, there are other things at the Tower apart from the menagerie.”
“Very well. We can go to the Tower…. if you promise to stop at Gunter’s on the way home.”
“If you insist.” He smiled inwardly. He would win Eugenia over one day at a time. He would convince her that they were meant to be together. Frankly, he did not know why he had not recognized it before. People were going to continue saying unpleasant things such as Kitty Ravenhill had, because it made little difference. He would do his best to distract and woo her at the same time, while Society watched.
The first act began, and he felt Eugenia begin to squirm. Some of the parallels were uncanny, but no one besides her would have made them.
In the first act, Duke Senior was deposed as the head of the court. Then Orlando and Charles fought and Rosalind fell in love with Orlando. Graham wished he had been the one to fight for her.
Rosalind was shunned and banned from the castle at the same time that Orlando left to hide from his brother.
“No witticisms to offer?” he asked.
“I do believe we exhausted all the good lines before the play began,” she replied.
“Perhaps. What are you thinking of, then?”
“Truthfully? About being ruined and going into hiding—of disguising myself as someone I am not.”
“Ah.” It was more uncanny than he had realized. “Are you considering a disguise, then?”
“I am considering any number of things, but if this is not a disguise, then it is a ruse at the very least.”
Graham turned and eyed her. “Perhaps for you, but not for me.”
“Please stop saying that. I do not want you to find yourself married to me in some great act of heroism and then wake up one day full of regrets.”
Graham was angry. He had to take a deep breath before he could speak without shouting. “You profess to know my own mind better than I?”
She looked at him somewhat warily. Good. “Of course not, but I do believe you deserve every happiness.”
“And you do not think you make me happy?”
She frowned. He could see her mind racing as she chose her words carefully. “There is more to marriage than friendship.”
“Friendship is the most many marriages ever aspire to. We are comfortable together. I think it offers many more advantages than if I were to, say, choose one of the young misses from the Season’s crop and marry her in the next month. Or, if you were to have chosen Farnsworth or even Perth.”
She snorted.
“If you are telling me that I would make you unhappy, then that is another matter altogether.” He learned even closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “But I do not think that is the case. You responded warmly to my kisses.”
He smiled when he saw her cheeks burn crimson and she swallowed hard.
Time for the final blow:“Eugenia, there is much, much more that I will show you when you become my wife.”
