Page 4 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
“My brother,” he began, his voice thunderous. “It appears that he will not be joining us.” He waited for a comment before continuing. “That is to say that he has fled.”
“Fled?” Iris’ mother squawked. “What does that mean?”
“It means I do not know where he has gone,” the duke answered. As he spoke, the side of his lip twitched. “And if I know my brother as I do, he won’t be found until he wants to be.”
“Christ!” Daniel cursed. “Are you certain? There is no chance that he has simply gotten cold feet?”
“I have no doubt that he has,” the duke answered. “But the result is the same.” Then, he looked past Daniel and found Iris standing in the corner. “Lady Iris, I apologize for my brother and what his actions have caused.”
“Oh…” Iris blinked. When the duke met her eyes she felt herself pulled into his gaze, wrapped by it, the world around them shrinking back so that even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t have been able to look away. “That is… thank you.”
The duke frowned at the comment.
“I mean—not thank you. Just…” She laughed awkwardly, her stomach turning in a strange way the longer he looked at her. “I am sorry to hear that. But also, would it be so wrong if I was grateful for it.”
“Iris!” her mother cried. “She does not mean it, Your Grace.” Her mother widened her eyes at her. “She is simply distraught. Which you surely cannot blame her for.”
“I did not mean it like that,” Iris hurried to explain, tearing her eyes from the duke’s. Still, she felt him staring at her, and still she felt that strange fluttering in her stomach from it. “I just meant… well… it is not as if this marriage was a love match or?—”
“Do not be silly!” her mother snapped. “You know well why this marriage had to happen.”
“She is right,” Daniel spoke up. “Regardless of the circumstances surrounding its instigation, I think we can all agree that it was necessary. And it still is.” He looked from Iris to the duke. “Which means, we must decide what is to be done.”
“Yes, yes,” her mother was saying. “When word of this gets out—Iris should not be the one made to suffer. No offense, Your Grace, but this is your brother’s doing and I would hope that you will agree to soften the blow of rumor this is sure to cause.”
“Perhaps we can come up with an excuse that will suit both parties,” Daniel offered. “An illness, maybe? One where Iris and Lord Robert are both allowed to save face. Your Grace?”
Iris was not looking at the duke when Daniel addressed him, but she could feel him looking at her. And when the silence built around Daniel’s suggestion, he continued to watch her without giving an answer.
The feel of his eyes on her made Iris’ skin prickle. It made her heart flutter. It made her feel scared but also excited in ways she did not understand.
“Your Grace?” Daniel pressed.
“No need for that,” His Grace said. Another long silence and Iris finally forced herself to look at the duke again, holding back her gasp because she met his dark eyes and saw in them anger, resignation, and something else that she could not quite read… “There will be no excuses made.”
Iris’ mother spoke up. “But?—”
“My meaning is,” he cut over her with a snarl. Then, he sighed and shook his head, finally pulling his gaze from Iris. “I shall marry Lady Iris in my brother’s stead.”
Her mother gasped.
Daniel had a coughing fit.
And as for Iris? Her eyes widened. Her heart flipped. Her stomach dropped. And all she could think in that moment was whether this might be a case of jumping out of the saucepan and into the fire.
Chapter Two
“N– no!” Iris found herself saying. Not intentionally, as Iris was not the type to speak out without recourse or cause for argument. That was not how she’d been raised. But in this instance… well, her tongue got the better of her.
“Iris!” her mother gasped.
“No?” the duke said, almost looking surprised by her objection. Not angry at least. But he was sure of himself, so in control and powerful in all that he did, he likely hadn’t considered that she would object.
Iris gave her head a shake, forcing herself not to get trapped by his dark eyes and the pull of them. “Your Grace…” A deep breath and she pushed down her anger and surprise. “I do not mean to be so… ungrateful. But surely, you cannot expect me to marry you. Not now.”
“And why is that?”
“Because…” She had a dozen arguments ready, but none materialized on her tongue. “Because I am not supposed to marry you. Your brother…”
