She nodded. “Your Grace, you must not feel that you have to marry me,” she said softly. “I know – I know that there is nothing between us, not really. It was all a sham, and we just allowed ourselves to get carried away.”
Nothing between them? Luke flinched as she said the words. Did she feel nothing for him, then? Perhaps her heart was still too sore after her entanglement with that wretched fool, Lord Harry. That worthless excuse for a man who did not come close to deserving her.
It would be too much for her now, he realized, if he revealed his true feelings. And he did not want to be jabbering away like an emotional fool. No, he simply had to make it clear to her what must be done. There was nothing else to discuss.
“But Charlotte, we must marry. There is no alternative. Think of the scandal otherwise.”
“But there is a scandal already!” she protested. “It seems to me that my reputation is ruined forever, no matter what I do!”
Luke’s heart twisted as he saw the pain on her face. He found that he did not know what to say. He did not want to force her to marry him, but surely she could see that it was the only option.
“The scandal will blow over once we are married, and you are the Duchess of Seton.” He paused. “Do you not think that you will enjoy being a duchess?”
She looked away. “I am not fit to be a duchess; you know that as well as I do.”
“No, that is not true!” It was Luke’s turn to protest now. He would not let her go on believing such things about herself. “You may not be interested in the fripperies and the parties, and goodness knows, I am glad of that. But you can do good in an elevated position.” He stood up and crossed the room towards her, kneeling on the floor in front of her and taking her hand. “Charlotte, we can do good together. Please, tell me that the thought of this marriage does not entirely horrify you?”
He stared at her face, waiting for a reply. He had not done such a good job of hiding his feelings, after all, he thought wryly to himself.
She smiled, and a sense of relief surged through his heart.
“I am not horrified by it, no, Your Grace. I would never be so ungrateful to say that. But I do not want to force you to marry without love. Had you wanted that, you could have chosen a much more suitable young lady than me, who could have added to your fortune into the bargain.”
But it is you that I want,his heart shouted out. He forced himself to hold back, though, and stood up, then stepped back, putting a little distance between them. It was safer that way. “This marriage must take place, Charlotte, and it must take place soon. You know that as well as I do.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“I have applied for the license already, so the ceremony should be able to take place within the next few days. I will discuss the details with your father if I have your consent to proceed?” He hated the formality of his tone, but he did not trust himself to speak in any other way. He was acting as a duke now, rather than as a man. His feelings were not important, only the facts.
“You have my consent,” she said.
He wished that she seemed happier about it, but at least she had agreed. Happiness could come later, he thought to himself, feeling his lips twitch into a smile. He was sure he could make her happy once she was his wife.
“Now,” he continued. “Your father has invited me to dine with you. Would you like me to stay, or would you prefer me to decline?”
She rewarded his perceptive behavior with another smile. “It is not that I do not wish for the pleasure of your company, Your Grace,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye at last. “But I do not wish to expose either of us to my stepmother. Perhaps it would be better if you declined the invitation?”
He nodded. “I understand perfectly. I shall dine at my club and call on you again tomorrow, if I may? I hope by then to know more about our wedding plans.”
“Your Grace, it would please me very much to see you again tomorrow.”
He could not help but hold her gaze for a moment before preparing to depart. He wondered if she, too, was holding back. He looked forward most ardently to the day when they could be honest with one another and share the secrets of their hearts freely.
* * *
Luke walked through the main street of the town towards his club. It was early evening now; he had walked the long way from Haddington Hall through the woods near the estate. He had found himself, rather unexpectedly, in that same clearing where he had first met Charlotte. He had sat down on the log where he had been resting when the dog approached him and had allowed himself some time to think over everything that had happened in the past few weeks.
He wanted to marry her for herself. He was sure of that now. But he did not want to overwhelm her with the strength of his feelings. It was better, for now, just to let her believe that he was marrying her out of decency, rather than any passionate attachment. Then things could grow naturally between them once they were married.
As he walked through the town, he could not help but notice that there were many pairs of eyes on him as Charlotte had said she had experienced earlier in the day. The people of the ton were finishing their day’s errands and returning home, and the streets were fairly busy. As a duke, and particularly as one who had recently returned home after being mostly away for many years, he was accustomed to attracting attention. But today, the stares were even more pronounced than usual.
He knew that he should not be surprised, but he found himself feeling irritated as he passed a group of ladies emerging from a hat shop and heard them all gasp as they saw him, then began to whisper behind their hands. A rapid courtship, followed by a sudden engagement and a hasty wedding. Of course, people were going to gossip. But why couldn’t they all mind their own business? The people of the ton were far too interested in the affairs of others, and he found it most tiresome. It was one of the reasons why he had stayed away so long. In the hubbub of London, there was gossip too, of course, but nothing compared to the stifling atmosphere of a small town such as this, where everyone knew one another’s business and made it their sole aim to share it with others.
Luke entered his club and took the stairs two at a time. By the time he reached the dining room, he realized that he actually was very hungry. But as soon as he entered the room, he regretted the decision to come here. A solitary dinner at home, lonely as that may be, would have been better than one spent in a room where everyone was looking at him. He allowed himself for a brief moment to imagine a future of family dinners at home, with his wife by his side. Perhaps some children in the near future, coming down from the nursery, bonny and freshly scrubbed, to see their parents before being put to bed by a friendly and caring nurse. He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. It was too dangerous to allow himself to indulge in such fantasies. They seemed, still, to be just beyond his reach.
He sighed as he sat down at a table in the corner. He ordered some wine and was immensely relieved to see his good friend Lord Miller crossing the room towards him.
“Mark, good heavens, I am glad to see you,” he breathed. “Will you join me for supper?”
