Page 7 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
Iris hesitated, not certain what answer she should give. Worried now that anything said would only anger him further.
In truth, she knew little of the duke outside of his roguish brother. There was a rumor about another brother of his, younger, one born out of wedlock. But she didn’t know the circumstances exactly, or if they were even true. As ashamed as she was to admit it, she knew nothing about His Grace, and indeed everything she said was based on little more than opinion found in the moment.
But that was not the point! This was not about the duke, but the fact that she was being forced into a situation to which she had no control. And worse than that, not a soul seemed to care.
“Not… not as much as I might,” she said quietly.
He scoffed. “You seem to think that this marriage is something I want. Worse, that it affects me little and that you are the only one made to suffer.” His lips curled with derision. “It might surprise you to hear that like you, I had no desire to marry. None.” Behind his dark eyes she saw a flash of rage that he seemed to be struggling to keep control of.
“I… I did not… I wasn’t thinking?—”
“No, you were not,” he snarled. “I did not marry you for me. I did not marry you because I want to punish you or I enjoy lauding myself over you. I did it because I had to. Duty is what forced my hand, and for that there is nothing I will not do.”
“Duty?” she asked carefully.
“My brother has shamed me,” he said darkly. “Not the first time, likely not the last. So please, before you insist on feeling sorry for yourself and acting as if you are the only one inconvenienced here, you might do well to remember that I did this as much for me as I did for you. A little gratitude might be nice.”
Iris suddenly found herself on the back foot, wary of the duke’s outburst and the danger inherent in being found in front of it. Not to mention the guilt which swarmed her because she had not stopped to consider the truth of what he said just now. As with her, the duke was only doing what he must, not what he wanted. This wasn’t personal…
And yet, despite her now understanding this, her anger still got the better of her. Such was the way this day seemed destined to play out.
“Grateful?” she scoffed. “You cannot be serious.”
“I could not be more serious.”
She shook her head with derision. “If it is thanks that you want, you will not get it.”
“I do not expect you to thank me,” he said coldly. “But I would appreciate it if you took the time to understandwhythis has happened. Maybe then, if you are not nearly as stubborn as I think you are, you might be able to avoid future follies.”
“So, it is my fault!”
“Just as it takes two to marry, it takes two to produce a scandal.”
Her eyes widened. “How dare you! Your brother… he was the one… I did nothing!”
“And yet as is so often the case, others are left to pay for it. Now, if you do not mind, we have a long journey ahead of us and it has been a long day.” He turned to look out the window.
“No,” she said. “I am not… I will not be made to feel guilty.”
He turned back and cocked an eyebrow. “Is that what you think I am doing?”
“You are blaming me.”
“I wondered why my brother ran,” he said as he looked at her, a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips. “I am beginning to see the reason. No doubt he wanted to avoid conversations like this one.”
“How dare?—”
“Enough!” he growled, the effect cutting through her words like a knife through butter. The duke sat up in his seat, the inside of the carriage suddenly seemed smaller than it had, and Iris looked away as her heart began to race. “It has been a long day and—look at me when I speak to you.”
She did no such thing, purposefully turned away. Although it was more out of making a point than anything. She had no power here, that was made perfectly clear, and she was desperate to claw back some semblance of control.
“Just as I don’t enjoy being spoken down to…” Out the corner of her eye, Iris saw movement, the duke’s hulking frame leaning forward. She gasped and then her breath left her as she felt his hand take her chin and force her to look him in the eyes. “I don’t enjoy being ignored. Not by my wife.”
That word…wife. It sent a ripple of nervous energy through Iris’ body. It made her pulse quicken and her throat run dry. Or perhaps that was from the way the duke was touching her? How close he was sitting. How his eyes locked onto her own and forced her to stare into them.
A silence passed between them. Eyes held. Faces inches away. It burned where he touched her, the warmth spreading down her neck and to her chest. She could hardly breathe, and where she wanted to look away from him, she found herself unable, once again held by the pull of his dark eyes andpower.
“As I was saying.” He dropped his voice to a whisper; she could feel his breath trace across her lips. “It has been a long day, and it promises to be a longer one if we keep bickering like this. So, if you do not mind, I would appreciate silence. Can you do that for me, wife?”
