Evan gave a quiet laugh. “Oh, the scandal is evident enough. I simply find it amusing that you are so keen to take on what could be a rather unpleasant existence.” He let his words linger, a goading edge in his tone.
Emma’s jaw tightened, and she fixed him with a cool gaze. “Perhaps I deserve it.”
Something flickered in her expression—something beyond her calculated response. His amusement faded slightly, a thread of curiosity pulling at him. Then it came to him. Ophelia. She said she’d spoken to her. Whatever Ophelia had said to her clearly had changed something within her. She felt guilty, that was it. He knew this was a perfect opportunity to further vex her, but he saw that she was already fairly distraught. Indeed, the last two weeks had to have been difficult for her. Thus, he decided to let things go. He was not a cruel man and she’d been rather brave to come here, he had to admit. There was no reason to be ungracious.
“Very well,” he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss her doubts. “You are committed to a marriage of convenience, and I am more than willing to oblige. But you should understand, Lady Emma, that I will not tolerate interference in my life. Whatever sense of righteousness may have led you here, I suggest you put it to rest.”
Her posture stiffened, but she inclined her head. “And you needn’t worry about interference on my part. I’ve no interest in your affairs, personal or otherwise.”
A brittle silence descended again, as each absorbed the strangeness of their accord. For Evan, the entire situation had an air of absurdity. He had been well aware that his quest to marry her might have been futile. She had a brother to protect her, and brothers-in-law who were Dukes in their own right. He still intended to try, if for no other reason than it would have made sense.
In his mind, he’d imagined telling thetonthat they’d once had a dalliance long ago and that Emma had loved him ever since. That her reason for interrupting the wedding had been due to her love for him – and that he had realized he loved her too.
It would have been a love story for the ages that thetonwould have lapped up like eager kittens led to a bowl of milk. But he’d been aware it might be a difficult task.
Now, here she was, staring across the table in full agreement.
“Good,” he said at last, breaking the silence. “Then we’ve come to an accord.”
She rose to her feet, her eyes remaining fixed on him, and something in their expression caused him to pause. She seemed almost… haunted. But she shook it off as quickly as it had appeared, her face settling back into that maddening mask of dignity.
“One last thing, Your Grace,” she said, her voice crisp, devoid of warmth. “Let it be understood: I have no intention of becoming some accessory to your social diversions. I expect respect, if nothing more.”
Evan raised a brow, his lips curving into a faint smirk. “Respect? My dear Lady Emma, I suspect you’ll find respect a complicated request in a marriage without emotion. But if it means that much to you, I can assure you that I will keep my affairs discreet.”
The color rose in her cheeks, her eyes narrowing slightly. But she gave a curt nod. “Then we have nothing further to discuss.”
He rose as well, and they stood there for a moment in a strange stalemate, neither willing to back down. There was a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes as she held his gaze, and for a fleeting moment, Evan felt an odd pull, a spark of curiosity about this woman who’d barged into his life so unexpectedly.
“Well, Lady Emma,” he said, extending a hand. “I suppose I ought to congratulate you on securing the future you so desire.”
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his, her fingers as cold and unyielding as her gaze. “Save your congratulations,” she replied tersely. “This isn’t what either of us wanted.”
He held her hand a second longer than necessary, a strange pang of regret stirring somewhere deep within him—a feeling he quickly dismissed as foolishness. As far as he was concerned, she was here only because she had no other choice, and he had no reason to think of her beyond that.
“Then I won’t waste my words,” he replied coolly, releasing her hand. “You’ll be my duchess, in name if nothing else.”
She pulled her hand back, the rigidity returning to her frame, and took a step back. “Precisely, Your Grace. Nothing more.”
“I will have my solicitor contact your brother in the morning to make arrangements. I take it we shall start reading the banns this Sunday with a view to wed in 3 weeks?”
“Indeed,” she agreed.
Without another word, she turned and left the room, her figure fading down the corridor. Evan watched her retreat, feeling an inexplicable weight settle in his chest as he did so. He shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Outside, she heard her speak to her brother and then the two walked across the hall, their footsteps in sync. Evan stepped to the window as the two made their way to the carriage. LordHowe turned once, looking back and tipping his head but Lady Emma did not. She marched to the carriage, was handed in, and disappeared and a moment later, so did her brother.
So this was to be his future. A cold, loveless arrangement, bound by nothing but their mutual disdain. He hadn’t been looking for affection, certainly not from her, but even he had to admit that this was the last kind of match he’d expected. His gaze drifted to the window, where Emma’s carriage was now pulling away, leaving him alone in the vast, quiet halls of Haddington Manor.
Evan returned to his chair, an unfamiliar tension in his shoulders as he sat back down. He poured himself a glass of brandy and took a slow sip, the warm liquid doing little to dispel the strange ache of emptiness creeping into his chest.
CHAPTER 14
Emma
The carriage rocked gently over the rutted road as Emma gazed out the window, her mind whirling as they traveled back to the family estate. She hardly noticed Alexander’s presence beside her until he cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had blanketed their journey.
“Emma,” he began, his tone gentle yet firm, “are you quite certain this is what you want?”
