Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Matthew, the Duke of Hillsburgh, was hiding. Of course, if anyone had asked if he were hiding, he would have denied it. He would have claimed he was merely allowing his guests time to acquaint themselves with his mother, who loved company so dearly.

If he were to marry Lady Tabitha, a chit nearly twenty years younger than him, it would surely be worthwhile to allow his future bride and mother some time to become better acquainted. If Matthew were being honest with himself, which he was not inclined to do at the moment, he would admit that he was hiding.

"Matthew." His mother's stern voice came from the doorway, and he raised his head. "I am going to greet our guests."

Why are you seated at your desk, acting as if you do not know they are in our parlour at this very moment? That question remained unspoken in the air, but Matthew nonetheless heard the sentiment of it.

"I will be down shortly," he said. "I am merely finishing this correspondence. Regrettably, the matter is quite urgent."

He gestured towards the letter on his desk. In truth, he was not answering any correspondence. Instead, he was looking over some letters that he had received from Jonathan Howell, a former Bow Street runner and an especially talented purveyor of information who had been willing to travel abroad for a rather sizable sum. At present, he was in France.

"Surely, it can wait until our guests have left," his mother said, frowning.

"I wish, but I do fear time is truly of the essence."

She did not look as though she believed him, and Matthew supposed that he could not be vexed by her doubts. Although he had agreed to entertain the idea of this arrangement, he had also not given the impression that he was especially excited about the prospect of marrying another woman.

"I shall entertain our guests until you are available, then."

"I shall be down shortly."

"Indeed," his mother replied. "If you are not, I may have to give them a tour of your lovely townhouse. I am told that Lady Tabitha is a great admirer of books, and I am certain she would enjoy seeing the volumes in your study."

Matthew arched an eyebrow, his eyes sweeping towards the volumes. "Most of them are Greek and Latin. I doubt Lady Tabitha would be able to read them."

"Who could say? I am told that she has the mind of a scholar. Lord and Lady Mayhew evidently spared no expense in procuring Lady Tabitha all the most learned tutors they could find."

Matthew hummed. Tutors? He would have expected Lady Tabitha to have a governess and nothing more than that.

"But even if she cannot, you must have something of interest in this room," the Dowager Duchess said, the threat evident in her voice.

If Matthew did not join his guests promptly enough, she would bring them to him. Still, he refused to be cowed by his mother, especially after he had already generously agreed to entertain her idea of an engagement. No one could fault him for being a little vexing, given the circumstances.

"I do have a fascinating set of legal texts," he drawled.

"I shall see you shortly," his mother said.

She turned on her heel and left. For a long moment, Matthew watched the door. Only when he was certain that she had truly left and had not paused just out of sight, trying to conspire some other means by which she might persuade him to greet their guests in a timelier manner, did he let some of the tension leave his tired muscles.

He had hoped this letter would have the answers he needed and the justification to end this engagement with Lady Tabitha. Howell was frustratingly vague, but to be fair, it was hard to be detailed when there were no facts to find. Matthew clenched his jaw and scowled at the missive as if he could make the words produce more desirable information with the force of his glare. Predictably, he could not.

He cast the letter aside, his mood as dark as a storm cloud. It would be unwise to answer Howell when he was in such a foul mood, especially given that the man was surely doing his best. Matthew reluctantly rose, feeling his impending engagement like a physical weight placed on his shoulders. Doubtlessly, Lady Tabitha would be some overly eager, lovely creature who only wished to wed him because of his title and wealth. What a prize that was!

Matthew left his study. The parlour was only a few rooms away, and as he approached, he heard his mother's soft voice recounting all the details of ball preparations. It was ridiculous, all of it. He was marrying Lady Tabitha, hoping that she would produce an heir and for no other reason. His mother wished to host a ball to celebrate buying a broodmare. How charming.

As he approached the parlour, he caught the gaze of the young lady seated on the settee between a regal-looking lord and lady. She had to be Lady Tabitha. Matthew had expected a beauty, but somehow—

Somehow, he still found himself caught unaware by how lovely she was. Her face was soft and pale, coloured only with the most delicate flush of pink over her cheeks. Soft, blonde curls framed her face. Lady Tabitha's eyes were so pale grey that they looked silver when they caught the light. Matthew sensed that he was not looking at a mortal woman, but some delicate and elfish lady come from Fairyland. His breath nearly shuddered.

"There you are, Your Grace," his mother said, rising to her feet. "Let me make introductions."

They were made, and when Lady Tabitha stepped forward, she trod on the hem of her gown. Although the lady recovered quickly, he still noted how she stumbled, her body jolting forward just a little. "Your Grace," she said.

She looked young and fragile, and seeing her nearly fall against him awakened feelings deep inside. His trousers seemed suddenly too tight, and he felt his pulse quicken. Lady Tabitha had the sort of face that suggested vulnerability and fragility, a damsel who needed a chivalric man to protect her, yet there was something sharp and discerning in her gaze, something as bright as steel that said this woman could take care of herself if the need ever arose.

He did not heed the temptation to let his eyes linger anywhere save her face, giving only a cursory glance to her white gown and the delicately shaped body hidden beneath it. She was like a statue of Aphrodite with slender and softly sloping curves.

"Lady Tabitha," he said.

It was unsettling how beautiful she was, and his reaction to her was—

Unwelcome. Unfathomable.

He dropped her hand and stepped back as soon as he could without appearing impolite.

"Now that we are all present, shall we discuss the terms of the engagement?" Matthew's mother asked.

"That is why they are here," Matthew said.

Lady Tabitha winced, and Matthew suspected the words had emerged more sharply than he intended. He did not startle her, though. Perhaps, if he made a poor enough impression, Lady Tabitha would abandon the idea of an engagement. Just because Matthew had agreed to indulge his mother's suggestion at marriage did not mean that Lady Tabitha would comply. Perhaps he could warn her off before this whole mess became the knowledge of the ton.

And if not, at least he would not have to endure the guilt of having convinced Lady Tabitha that he was charming. She would know that he was cold, harsh, and disinterested from the start. They would have an honest marriage if nothing else.

"Right," his mother said, rallying quickly. "It is such an exciting occasion! Why wait to discuss it?"

Matthew sat beside his mother, forcing away a grimace. His mother had a true talent for turning even the most impolite gesture into something polite and gracious. If the subject had not been his own marriage, Matthew would have likely been impressed with how well she had escaped the potentially uncomfortable situation.

"Yes," Lord Mayhew said, "particularly given the … unique situation we find ourselves in."

Unique situation? Matthew raised an eyebrow.

No one had told him about any unique situation. He glanced at Lady Tabitha, but she seemed to consciously avoid his gaze.

"Indeed," Matthew's mother said. "I am sorry about that, of course, but it does seem as though it presents us with a suitably advantageous arrangement."

Matthew turned towards his mother, but she showed no inclination to clarify anything for him. Perhaps this was his own folly. He had remained uninterested while his mother arranged all this, and if he had been even slightly involved, he likely would not have found himself seated in this room, entirely at a loss.

"This is true," Lord Mayhew said. "Do you find the dowry acceptable?"

The Dowager Duchess smiled. "What did you think, Your Grace?"

Matthew nodded. "It is adequate."

He did not know the dowry, but he was sure his mother would not have agreed to this unless the sum were substantial. She was a shrewd and powerful negotiator, and had she been born a man, Matthew strongly suspected that his mother would have created the largest business empire in the world.

"Good," Lord Mayhew said, sounding uncertain by Matthew's lukewarm acceptance of the dowry. "And once the engagement is announced, I am assuming that two weeks' time for the wedding would be acceptable?"

At this, Lady Tabitha seemed to tense a little. She had not said a word since their greeting. Matthew wondered if her silence reflected a lack of interest in marrying him. Perhaps she was unwilling to wed and agreed only to please her mother and father. Or because of that unique situation. Matthew frowned. What could that be? The situation could surely not be so terrible; he could not imagine his mother agreeing to this marriage if it were.

"What do you think?" his mother asked. "You would be wed by mid-May. That is a marvellous time to be married. Is it not?"

Matthew's heart sank. He felt as if they were all holding their breaths and waiting for an answer, and worse, he could not even fault them for that. While this was an arduous arrangement to him, one which he would rather not be involved in, Lord and Lady Mayhew were about to wed their only child to him. This meant everything to them.

He wanted to refuse, but he knew that his mother would be displeased. Matthew had also given her his word that he would seriously consider this match, and he would not be able to live with his own conscience if he did not earnestly try to make this arrangement work.

"Yes," Matthew replied. "It sounds agreeable."

If only Howell had found something! Then, Matthew would have been able to end this all in an instant.

"Good," Lord Mayhew said, sounding relieved. "We are very glad to hear that you find our beloved Tabby Cat an acceptable match. It brings great comfort to us knowing that she has such a good man as a husband."

A good man, by which Lord Mayhew meant, a wealthy husband.

"I will take excellent care of your daughter," Matthew said. "I am certain that she will make a splendid duchess."

Splendid was, of course, the kind way of saying she will give me the heir I need.

It was not a love match, but it was advantageous. Perhaps that was the best possible outcome for the situation.