“And what about the past few weeks?” he asked her silkily. “Did that mean nothing to you at all?”
She backed away from him, her eyes becoming wary. “I appreciated your wit and company, Lord Draydon. However, that is not all there is to love. You cannot simplytalkme into loving you.”
“And here I was thinking that was how the dance of love in the marriage mart went,” he sniffed. “I was mistaken.”
“You are a catch, Lord Draydon, and I have no doubt you will find another young lady who can return your affections,” Claire told him quietly. “But I am not that young lady. Goodbye, Lord Draydon. I pray that you will find the one who is truly meant for you.”
As she walked away, leaving him standing there under the foliage, with that strange, stony look in his eyes, she heard him say quietly, “Oh, but I wanted no one else butyou. No one else will do for me.”
For some strange reason, that struck an icy fear in Claire’s heart, which only served to quicken her steps. When she finally made it to the confines of the carriage, she sank into the plush velvet seats as if all strength had left her body.
“Are you all right, dear heart? It seems like your very soul has left your body,” Lady Suzanna inquired with a worried look.
Claire shook her head. “It is nothing. I just…”
She looked out to where the Marquess had been but he and his phaeton were already gone.
“Let us just go back home. I’m afraid that this entire debacle has left me feeling very tired.”
Lady Suzanna just nodded and sat back, allowing her to delve into her thoughts in peace.
Claire only prayed that the Marquess truly was not as dangerous as Oliver thought he was because from the look in his eyes earlier, it was clear that he was not resigned to merely letting her go.
Chapter 23
Aheavy silence descended over both ladies after Claire boarded the carriage. In her heart of hearts, she ardently wished that Lord Draydon would not be so angry at being let down.
She had not meant to lead him on—she honestly thought that His Grace did not care for her romantically—and thus she allowed the Marquess to draw closer.
I never expected His Grace would have tender affections for me beyond those of a brotherly sort,she pondered.
She looked up and met the worried gaze of Lady Suzanna, the question clear in her eyes. She would never pry. Instead, she offered her friend a small smile.
“It went as well as one could hope,” Claire said softly. “I suppose these things were never meant to be easily accomplished.”
“You did the best you could with what you knew,” Lady Suzanna smiled gently at her. “If my brother was not so much an idiot, we would not have to dance and lead each other around.”
Claire smiled a little. “I was not exactly forthcoming with my feelings, either.”
Her friend only rolled her eyes and laughed. “As well you should, dear heart! Ladies were never meant to chase after men. Desperation is not exactly in fashion, you know.”
The two ladies shared a look and burst into giggles. Indeed, they were acquainted with several young ladies who boldly cast their nets on the gentlemen they fancied and for most of them, it never ended well.
Men liked to believe they were the ones leading the chase and not the other way around. For a female to be so bold was scandalous and a gentleman who prized his reputation would not be so appreciative of such intentions.
“Well, that certainly made me quite anxious for a while,” Lady Suzanna breathed. “You would not mind if we took a detour to Regent Street? I feel I could use a distraction of some sort to calm my nervous heart.”
“A distraction in the form of a new bonnet or two?” Claire asked her with a twinkle in her eyes.
Her friend winked at her. “Dear Claire, you know me too well.”
Both ladies laughed and Lady Suzanna gave the coachman an order to turn the carriage to Regent Street before they headed home.
Claire felt she should also pick up a few of her favorite pencils. She had been writing in her journal so much over the past few days, without devoting much time to her design, venting out the frustrations of her heart by writing “letters” to her late father.
She smiled to herself as she thought of her design. It was coming together and it would be finished soon. She had been so fueled with a burst of inspiration after she and the Duke confessed their feelings to each other that she had spent an hour bent over it by the light of the candle.
He makes we want to create more,she thought, her cheeks heating up.He inspires me so much. Oh, what a silly girl I must seem to him, but it is the truth…
