Chapter 20

Marie bit on her lip as the carriage pulled up in front of the Wiltshire Manor which could have been described as a castle. The building was at least three floors high with more windows than she could possibly count. The stonework, along with the elegant moldings and finishing touches, spoke of fine masonry.

The door to the carriage opened, and the same young footman who had been squiring her home every evening stood to the side. "Good evening, Lady Marie Webster and Lady Elaine Webster."

"Did he just address us as ladies?" Elaine whispered to her granddaughter out of the corner of her mouth.

Marie rolled her eyes and sighed so hard that she almost lost her breath. "Just go along with it; it's something that the Duke and his grandmother have insisted upon, I'm afraid."

"Oh, very well then, I was beginning to think that the young man had gotten into the cellars. It isn't often that either of us gets mistaken for a lady. I was feeling quite flattered at first." Marie's grandmother straightened her silver shawl that matched her elegant evening dress of silk.

Elaine had insisted upon taking out their finest dresses and making a few adjustments for them both. Marie had to admit to herself that she did feel like a lady in the beautiful sapphire dress that had belonged to her mother. The bust hugged her chest in all the right places and the large hoop skirt made her feel as if she could waltz.

Janey had helped her pin her hair back into a somewhat neat bun with a few loose strands before rushing away to find more business.

"Ladies, welcome to our home; we are delighted to receive you this evening." Dominic came forward and bowed deeply with one arm over his chest.

"I see the footman isn't the only one who has gotten into the cellar," Elaine whispered out of the corner of her mouth once again.

Marie was about to hush her grandmother when her gaze fell on the Duke, making her breath catch in her throat.

Dominic had chosen a navy dinner jacket with silver studs and dark breeches. His attire almost matched hers down to the fabric. If she hadn't known better, she would have said that their grandmothers had conspired together. Yet he cut such a handsome figure that she felt her pulse racing.

He doesn't want children.

She reminded herself of their little spat the previous day before accepting his arm and allowing him to squire them both up the grand steps.

"My grandmother apologizes for not coming out to meet you in person. She has something of a weak knee, and the steps have proven to be quite challenging of late.

"A weak knee, you say? I'm sure there is something we can do about that." Elaine lifted her head proudly as they reached the front doors.

Holding back slightly, Marie whispered to her grandmother. "Grandmamma, you are not to offer any medical advice unless asked. I do not want the dowager duchess to think we are too forward."

"Why not? You may not be forward, but I am." Elaine smirked at her.

"Welcome, dearest ladies to our humble home." Elizabeth stood at the foot of the grand staircase with both hands poised on her cane. Her pure white dress stood out nicely against the grey marble of the entrance hall.

"Humble? Marie, you didn't tell me that the Harding family was a tad dizzy in the attic." Elaine managed one final whisper before the group reached the foot of the stairs.

Dominic let go of her arm and introduced the group. "Grandmamma, may I present Lady Webster and her grandmother." He smiled proudly and met Marie's gaze before turning back to his grandmother.

"Let me get a look at you; oh yes, you are quite beautiful. I have heard the chatter of your beauty that equals your skill in finding suitable matches, but I am ashamed to say that none of the chatter has done you justice, my dear." Elizabeth Harding looked her over with an approving nod.

Marie suddenly felt shy beneath the scrutiny of the older woman. The dowager duchess seemed like quite the intimidating figure with wisps of greyish-black strands amidst her white hair.

"You may call me Elaine, Your Grace, I will have none of this lady business when I am not. You may call Marie, ‘Lady'. God knows she looks like one, but I am just plain Elaine Webster." Elaine narrowed her eyes and squared off against Dominic's grandmother.

Her heart beat faster as Marie watched the two glaring at one another.

It was Elizabeth who spoke first. "I see. I hear you are something of a healer or profess to be in any case." She flexed her fingers over the tip of her cane.

"I am not something of a healer, I am a healer. I will have you know that I can fix that gimpy knee of yours with just a bit of salve and do a better job of it than any of those stuck-up doctors that have probably already cut you open." Elaine tilted her head back with pride.

Oh Lord, this isn't good. She will throw us out.

Elizabeth took a deep breath that caused her shoulders to rise and fall as she narrowed her eyes at Elaine. The tension in the room was so palpable that Marie found herself sidling up to Dominic.

"A salve you say…" The corner of the Dowager's mouth curled into a smile that lit up her eyes.

"Of course, I can tell just by the way you're standing that you eat far too much rich food. A change in diet along with a good nightly salve rubbing will do wonders for your pain." Elaine's face softened as her lips hooked into a mischievous smile.

"Come, the dinner will be getting cold if we stand here and jabber on any longer. Elaine, you should walk with me so that we may talk." Elizabeth rapped the tip of her cane against the floor before walking off with Elaine at her side.

Dominic and Marie watched the women leave, one considerably taller and leaner than the other who walked with a cane.

"What just happened here?" Dominic was first to break the silence as he watched them enter the dining hall while chattering.

"I'm honestly not sure; I feel as if something in the world has shifted, but I'm not sure whether or not that something is good or bad," Marie answered with an equally confused frown.

Shaking his head, Dominic turned to her with a warm smile. "Never mind them; they are old enough to sort out their own quarrels. I was hoping to have a moment alone with you; there are a few things that I think we need to discuss."

Marie felt her heart filling with a mix of confused emotions. She needed to tell him that she couldn't accept his proposal. She knew now for certain that she wanted children. "Dominic, I…"

"There you are; I'm terribly sorry that I'm late. There was a meeting in parliament, one of those awfully boring ones where all the old codgers sit around and debate who is better at smoking cigars and talking nonsense."

Turning to the door, Marie looked up to see a tall blonde man with hazel eyes striding toward them. His face was kind with a sharp jaw and muscular body that only fell short beside Dominic.

"Christopher, I forgot you were coming," Dominic growled in annoyance.

"I see your grandmother isn't waiting to rap me over the head with her cane, but where are my manners? Who is this lovely lady whom I have never had the pleasure of meeting?" Christopher turned his attention to Marie and bowed with a charming smile, winking at her as he came up.

Marie noticed the way that Dominic bristled and tensed at her side.

Is he jealous?

"Christopher, may I present to you Lady Marie Webster. She and her grandmother will be joining us for dinner this evening. Marie, this is one of my oldest friends, Mr. Christopher Wyre. He's a member of parliament." Dominic gently touched her elbow as he spoke.

His brows dipped into a frown as Christopher looked at Marie with renewed interest. "I don't think I recall the name Webster among the peerage."

"That is because I am not a lady. His Grace insists upon referring to me with a title to which I hold no claim. I am simply Marie Webster." It was Marie's turn to stand her ground as she curtsied to Christopher.

"Aren't you the matchmaker?" Realization seemed to dawn on the man's face as he looked at Dominic with a bright smile. "Things are starting to make a lot more sense now."

Marie turned her gaze to Dominic who seemed annoyed at his friend.

"She is the matchmaker, and she is also my future wife." His words sent a strange tingling sensation down her spine as his grip tightened on her elbow.

I have to tell him tonight.

Her throat suddenly felt dry at the prospect of the conversation that lay ahead. She still couldn't understand why he was adamant about marrying her when he didn't want to sire an heir. Her mind drifted to all the matches she had made in the past—at least three of the men had insisted that they would never sire an heir. All three were now happily married with children. The spark of hope caused her chest to ache as she looked at him.

Am I looking for reasons to marry him now?

"That is quite an interesting development." Christopher seemed more pleased than a child at Christmas.

"His Grace likes to say that I will be his wife, but I have not yet given an answer to his many fervent proposals." Marie decided to lighten the mood with a joke that she hoped would lead to a more serious discussion in private later on.

Christopher glanced at his friend and chuckled deeply, seemingly enjoying the information.

Dominic took a step forward and placed her arm in his. "The details do not matter at present; she will become my wife one way or another."

The pit of her stomach fluttered as he pulled her to his side.

"Shall we go in? I suspect your grandmother is waiting for us, and I must say that I can't wait to see what this evening holds." Christopher clasped his hands in front of him and rubbed them together before winking at her once again.

She began to wonder if he was purposefully trying to tease his friend when Dominic stiffened again. He acted like a jealous fiancé more than anything else.

"After you." Dominic bowed and gestured for Christopher to go on ahead.

The mischievous smile on his lips only broadened when he locked eyes with Dominic. "Very well, I can tell when I am not wanted, but mind you, I won't be too far ahead. It wouldn't be proper to leave the two of you alone." He chuckled again before striding off toward the dining hall where the chatter from the grandmothers could be heard.

Clearing his throat, Dominic gently guided her in the same direction. "You mustn't mind Christopher too much; he likes to flirt. He is harmless, but he never can resist a challenge when he's presented with one."

"But I am not a challenge," she answered quickly, feeling a little out of place at his side when she knew that she wasn't going to accept his proposal.

His demeanor suddenly changed when Dominic pulled her behind a giant potted fern in an alcove just before the dining hall. His body covered hers like a shield as he placed one hand beside her head on the wall and used the other to cup her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

The wild look of passion in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat as she felt herself melting into his gaze.

"I wish you would stop fighting me. Still, if I have to show you how serious I am, I will be more than willing to repeat my actions from the carriage." His voice was low and dangerous as his gaze fell to her lips before sweeping over her chest.

Heat flooded her body as she shifted and unintentionally pressed her thighs into his muscular legs.

The growl of pleasure that escaped his throat as he leaned closer made her lips part with a shaky breath.

"Do you know what you do to me?" he whispered against her lips and placed his other hand beside her head to form a cage.

Marie felt trapped; trapped in the allure of his gaze and the heat of his kisses that had burned her flesh in the past. So much of him beckoned her in, from his handsome features to the smell of his woody cologne. Her breasts pressed into his chest, making her want to forget everything that kept them apart. Her eyes fluttered shut as she angled her head to the side, lifting her head as her lips drew closer to his.

His hand dropped from the wall as he lowered it to her face, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers before moving on to her throat. "Have I told you how beautiful you look this evening?"

"No…" She felt her words faltering as the intoxication of his presence set in, clouding her mind along with her judgment.

"You look absolutely ravishing; I have never seen a woman look so inviting in a simple gown. Though I think it would look much better on my floor." He brought his lips closer to her ear and brushed the edge with a gentle kiss.

Marie gasped in surprise as she placed her hand against his chest, fighting the urge to run her fingers through his hair. Her chest rose and fell with every sharp breath as he kissed her with a touch that was lighter than a feather.

"Dominic, where are you? Stop pestering that gorgeous young lady and get in here before our dinner gets cold!" Elizabeth Harding's voice carried from the dining room and echoed in the entrance hall.

Her eyes flew open as Marie suddenly remembered that they weren't alone. They were just a few steps away from being caught in a very compromising position. "We had better go now," her voice was soft and breathy as she looked into his eyes.

Dominic came up straight, pushing himself off the wall. "Will you walk with me in the gardens after dinner? There are some things that I need to tell you." His voice was gruff and thick with passion as if he'd just woken up.

All she could do was nod as she lifted a hand to her throat and swallowed. Nothing about the situation was easy. She wanted him far more than she even cared to admit to herself.