“As you wish,” Margaret said, studying her sister. “I know who you will sit beside at the wedding breakfast now.”
Bridget rolled her eyes.
Still, her excitement rose again. She would very much like to sit with the Duke at the wedding breakfast, and she had every intention of finding him later that afternoon for a walk.
It felt like she was playing with fire, but that fire also elicited a warm sensation deep within.
CHAPTER20
Finding Comfort
Bridget had not had a chance to find the Duke and take a walk with him—she had spent most of the day with her sister, and the Duke had spent most of the day with his brother. Margaret had slipped the Duke into the conversation multiple times during the day, and Bridget had deflected each time.
He had been all she had been able to think about, and as she snuck out for the second night in a row, she wondered what sort of person she truly was. There was no future to be had with the Duke—neither of them wanted to marry—but she wanted to kiss him. If she found him out walking in the darkness, and he tried to kiss her this time, she knew she would not be able to resist.
Bridget was extra quiet this time, not wanting her mother to be woken again, and decided to investigate.
She made it outside and headed down toward the wall where she had sat with the Duke the last time. The night was clear, and the moon provided enough illumination that she could extinguish the oil lamp. The sound of the lapping waves made her stomach flutter.
When she reached the wall, she was disappointed that she had not found the Duke. She smiled to herself. It was likely for the best that she did not tempt fate and put herself in that position again.
“Were you looking for me?” the Duke asked from behind.
Bridget spun around to find him standing before her. Her lips curled into a smile, and the butterflies flapped furiously in her stomach. She had wondered if coming out was a bad idea, but as soon as she saw the Duke beneath the moonlight, she knew it was the right decision. He made her feel something she had not felt before.
“I only wanted some air,” Bridget lied. “I did not expect to find you out here. Do you always take a nightly walk at this time?”
“Only when I have the chance to meet a beautiful woman.”
“And did you meet her?” Bridget asked, her heart beating furiously in her chest.
“I believe I just did.”
Bridget smiled more, unable to contain her glee. All she could think about now was how the Duke’s lips would taste. She had made up her mind that she could not return home until they had kissed.
“My brother dragged me into town today to buy a locket for Lady Margaret. He intends to seal a lock of his hair into it as a gift and informed me it was your idea,” the Duke told her.
“It was all his idea. I only agreed that it was a good one. He came to me for help on the day you organized my ride, and thankfully, his problem was an easy one to solve.”
“A locket for Lady Margaret and her cat returned. Perhaps I can help you with any other problems, and you will have none left on your plate.”
“I am not sure you can,” Bridget countered. “I don’t know if I will be able to solve this last one.”
“You must share your problem,” the Duke urged. “Come, we can sit and look out at the water again.”
Once more, the Duke led her to the small wall and placed his jacket down for her to sit on. Bridget appreciated the repeated gesture, and she sat and gazed out toward the black horizon. When she listened to the water and looked into the darkness, she could fool herself into thinking there were no problems in the world.
She felt it was a mistake to talk to the Duke about her father previously, but she wanted to talk to him about the man this time.
“It is my father again,” she began. “We can’t stop him from coming to the wedding, but Mother believes there is a chance he will make a fool of himself if he turns up drunk. It could ruin Margaret’s entire day.”
“And you have to convince him not to come?” the Duke asked.
“I wish I could, but I don’t know if that is possible. We can’t deny him being there, and Margaret will want him there. Between Mother and I, we can manage him—No, I must convince him that he cannot walk Margaret down the aisle. I hate to admit it, but my father is a pompous and self-centered man. He makes everything about himself, and Margaret must not suffer. She will be frustrated by him not walking her down the aisle, but there will be less hurt. That is the problem I am faced with.”
The Duke sighed and stared out at the sea. Bridget did not need to fill the silence. She knew he was considering the problem.
“If anyone can convince him to do the right thing, it is you, Lady Bridget. Still, it is a delicate problem that could escalate if not handled correctly. I firmly think you can handle it, but if not, I will gladly step in.”
