Chapter 6

Reasons For Marriage

“Ishall take my leave, but I will contact you soon to make arrangements for the wedding,” the Duke said.

Beatrice was still dumbfounded by what had happened. She looked at her mother and father and found some solace there. Not fifteen minutes ago, her father had been staring at her across the table, and her mother had looked more disappointed than she had ever seen her.

Now, her mother and father looked happy—surprised but happy. Beatrice would go through with the marriage, so they would continue to be happy.

“Your Grace, might I have some of your time?” Beatrice asked. “We all know what led to your proposal, and I would like to spend some time with you before you leave. I don’t think that is too much to ask.”

“His Grace is very welcome to join us for breakfast,” Letitia said, growing more excited by the minute.

“I would like to spend some time alone with His Grace,” Beatrice stressed. “I don’t think that is too much to ask after the morning we’ve had.”

She glanced at her father, who looked ready to say something. But then he held his tongue and deferred to the Duke.

“I have a little time,” the Duke relented.

Everyone moved quickly after that. Phineas returned to the breakfast room and ordered some of the food and tea to be taken to the conservatory. Letitia and Hannah joined him moments later and resumed their breakfast.

Beatrice found herself in the conservatory with the Duke, still confused about the chain of events. Food had been brought out, but she no longer had an appetite.

“Well?” the Duke prompted when they were alone.

“Well, what?” Beatrice asked.

“What do you wish to talk to me about?”

“You are insufferable already,” Beatrice huffed. “You come in here and force me into marriage, and I thought it might be worthwhile to get to know each other a little before we spend the rest of our lives together.”

“I already know all about you,” the Duke replied. “Last night told me everything. I don’t think you wanted to speak to me because of that. You wish to know why I let them publish the scandal about us, don’t you?”

“Perhaps. I am also interested in how you broke off your engagement to Miss Jennings. I spoke to her last night, and she was under the impression that you love her. Has so much changed in such a short time?”

“Not so much,” the Duke replied, pacing around the room. “I do not love her, and I don’t believe she loves me.”

He had chosen not to sit since they entered the conservatory, and his pacing made her nervous.

“Miss Jennings does not know yet, but she will soon. I shall have to break it to her gently so she doesn’t become too upset. Breaking the engagement will give the matrons something to talk about, but going ahead with my engagement to Miss Jennings after our scandal will only cause more gossip. I would rather save some reputation by marrying you. So, your ploy worked, after all. You went to Robert’s room to seduce him and put him in a compromising position, so he would have to marry you and you could avoid a life with Lord Mutton, but you got me instead. You should be proud of yourself.”

Beatrice folded her arms across her chest. She was not proud of herself, and she hoped the Duke would see just how irritated she was. “How long will it be until you cast me aside like Miss Jennings?”

“That depends on you. From what I know of your situation, you won’t dare do anything to jeopardize this, so it depends on how intolerable you are. But I enjoyed your cunning, so you already have my attention. When we were caught together, the next steps became simple enough. I do not take this decision lightly. This is best for both of us.”

“So, you wish to save your reputation?” Beatrice asked.

“Oh, come, my wife-to-be. We both know my reputation is far better than yours at the moment. You have heard your nickname, haven’t you?”

Beatrice looked down at her feet. “Yes,” she murmured.

“The Runaway Bride,” the Duke said, as if she needed to be reminded. “You should be thanking me profusely for saving your reputation, Lady Beatrice. I could have persuaded them to print a different story, where I would come out clean and you would look worse, but I decided not to. Your reputation would have been tarnished even more, and your family would have suffered. Say the word, and I can change everything back to how it could have been. Is that what you wish for?”

Beatrice was more annoyed than she had been when she had leaped on him in the bedroom last night.

“No, I don’t wish for that,” she muttered.

“Good, because neither do I,” the Duke stated. “So, will you thank me for being so gracious and saving you, or are we done here?”

Beatrice stood up and faced the Duke. Was it a better option to wed him instead of Lord Mutton? Yes, in many ways, it was. When she thought about it, she could not think of any way it would not be better.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Beatrice said softly. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

The Duke shook his head. “You are infuriating, but in a very different way to Miss Jennings. Yet, you are curiously exciting, too, Lady Beatrice. I don’t know what our future holds, but I know it will be a lot of fun.”

“Will it?” Beatrice challenged. “I have heard stories about you.”

The Duke raised an eyebrow before stepping closer. “Have you? And what have you heard?”

“Many things,” Beatrice replied nervously. “There is talk about how you treat people.”

“Hmm,” the Duke replied, moving closer still. “And do you believe everything you hear?” he whispered.

“I-I—Of course not. But not everything that is said is a lie.”

“Very true,” the Duke conceded. He leaned in so that his mouth was close to her ear. “You wonder if I am as cruel and ruthless as people say. I might make a terrifying husband, mightn’t I?”

His warm breath fanned her ear. A tingling sensation ran through her body and erupted in her stomach. Her body tensed and then loosened. A welcome shiver ran up her spine.

“Still, I believe you might enjoy a little of that,” he continued. “Just the right amount to drag you from the boredom of your life. One thing I can guarantee is that I shall be nothing like Lord Mutton. I will be much more than you can handle, but you will soon learn. We do not love each other, do we? Still, we will make love. You are a beautiful woman, Lady Beatrice. Far more beautiful than Miss Jennings. I had a brief chance to have my hands on your sumptuous body, and I can’t wait to do so properly. Your cheeks are red, and your breathing is labored. Are you feeling well?”

Beatrice felt more than well. The Duke knew exactly what he was doing to her, and she couldn’t believe how easily he had riled her up. Yes, if she got to share a bed with him at times, that would make her marriage far superior to a marriage with Lord Mutton, no matter how he treated her outside of the bedchamber.

The Duke took her chin just as he had last night and tilted her face up. Their lips were an inch apart, and Beatrice’s eyes flicked to his thin pink lips. Her heart beat uncontrollably, and she lost track of time and place.

She needed him to kiss her. She needed him to do a lot more than that, but she would settle for a kiss for now.

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” the Duke said softly before letting her chin go. “And you won’t have to wait very long for what you truly desire. We will be married soon, and you will have my touch. Until then, I will take my leave.”

Beatrice could not respond. She tried to control her breathing and pounding heart. She watched the Duke leave and did not know if the rumors were true, but she did not care if they were. She could deal with any amount of suffering if he made her feel that way again.

He had done nothing except touch her face and whisper in her ear—it was the most excitement she’d experienced with a man.

She did not look forward to the marriage, but she did look forward to the wedding night. She could not imagine how it would feel when he touched her properly.

* * *

“How are you not furious?” Robert asked.

“What does it matter to me? I need to marry someone, so it might as well be her.”

“And she was in my room to try and seduce me?” Robert asked.

“She was. She did not specifically want you—sorry to hurt your ego. She wanted any other man. No, not any other. She would have wanted an eligible bachelor, and I suppose she would have chosen an attractive one, so there is that. You are eligible and handsome, old chap.”

“Very kind of you to say so,” Robert drawled, taking his own chin in his hand. He moved his head from side to side as if looking in a mirror. Once he was done admiring his own handsomeness, he gestured for the waitress to bring more drinks. “I do know Lord Mutton, and she has dodged a horrible marriage, for sure. He has never married for a reason, and I believe that might have been his only chance. If he were a more motivated man, he might take it badly and seek revenge, but he will continue with his life as if nothing has happened.”

“It’s a good way to be. Perhaps,” Edwin replied.

The waitress came over with two glasses of cognac and cleared the empty ones. White’s was not very busy that evening, but there were a few of the regular patrons. It gave Edwin and Robert the space to talk about the unusual sequence of events, and Robert enjoyed hearing about it.

He had often spoken about marriage but had never been determined to wed. Edwin knew he would eventually, but it would be on his own terms. It was somewhat of a blessing that Edwin had gone to that room instead of Robert.

“Speaking of people who might have a right to be annoyed by the whole thing, have you spoken to Miss Jennings about it yet?” Robert asked.

“I have.” Edwin sighed. “She arrived at my home shortly after I returned from Lord Ramsbury’s place. She was not pleased and became completely furious when I informed her of my intention to break off our engagement.”

Robert took a sip of his drink, completely engaged in the hijinks. “I can’t imagine. She must have put up a fight.”

“Oh, she did, and then the insults came. If it were a different situation, I would have put her in her place, but she deserved to blow off some steam after what I did to her. She was intent on changing who I was, and her conversations are boring and facetious. I could go on about her flaws, but we might not have time. When I informed her of how they would talk about her if we were to wed after my being caught with an almost naked woman, she decided it was perhaps best if we called off the entire thing. She cares about her reputation more than anything else, and the worst thing that can happen to her is to have the tongossiping behind her back. This way, she comes out of it looking respectable for not marrying me.”

“It never fails to amaze me how you can talk your way out of most things,” Robert scoffed.

“I can, but I usually talk myself into things, and that is where I get into trouble.”

“To getting into trouble,” Robert said, raising his glass in a toast.

“To getting into trouble,” Edwin echoed. He clinked his glass against Robert’s, and they both drank.

“And to saving me from a forced marriage,” Robert added.

“To saving my friend,” Edwin cheered.

“I still can’t believe you are getting married,” Robert commented. “When you told me about Miss Jennings, I was surprised. You have always been well respected in the ton, but most women are wary of you. Completely unfounded, of course.”

“I am the Cruel Duke, but I have dangerously dashing looks that draw the ladies in. One look, and they can’t resist, no matter my reputation.”

Edwin thought back to that morning when he had almost kissed Beatrice. She had looked at him with more lust than he had seen in a woman before, and he relished it.

“Ah, to have your looks,” Robert sighed wistfully. “What do your family make of it all? They have always wanted you to wed, but perhaps not like this.”

“Mother believes Lady Beatrice must be the most wonderful woman in London to have stolen me from Miss Jennings. She was fond of Miss Jennings, but that might be because they had not spent much time together. Still, to have been caught in a scandal and to choose the scandalous woman—well, Mother believes I have found true love.”

“Ah, true love,” Robert said, batting his eyelashes.

Edwin smiled. “Elizabeth never liked Miss Jennings, so she is overjoyed that I broke off the engagement—though she hides her glee well. She is suspicious of Lady Beatrice, and for good reason. Elizabeth is far too polite to question me about it more, but she knows something is not quite right. I only met Lady Beatrice last night, so I can’t have fallen for her so quickly. Still, she is happy I will still wed, and she will not have Miss Jennings as a sister-in-law.”

Robert smiled and shook his head. “You never cease to astound me. All of this happened, and you take it in your stride. You are really not annoyed by how this has played out.”

Edwin thought about it for a second. “No, not one bit. It is as if fate stepped in, and everyone is better off. Miss Jennings might not believe it in her current state, but she will find someone else. It is funny how life works out sometimes.”

“Yes, very funny,” Robert drawled. “Well, if you are to be married soon, you must make the most of your freedom. I believe another round of drinks is in order.”

He didn’t wait for a response and gestured for more cognac to be brought.

Edwin was happy to drink the night away with his friends as he came to terms with his new situation. He didn’t know much about Beatrice, so he had no idea what sort of wife she would be, but she already had Agnes beat in one critical area.

He had been looking forward to his wedding night for obvious reasons, but not specifically because of Agnes. Since he had seen Beatrice in her shift, it had been all he could think about. He could have easily delayed the wedding by another month or two, but the feeling in his loins would not let him.

He had a need deep within him to ravish Beatrice, and from the way she had looked at him during their brief interaction, she would enjoy it just as much as he would.