Lawd, she wanted to ruffle more of his feathers. She wanted to obliterate his patience. “I don’t rightly care about my destination,” she goaded, “but you shall have to carry me off the ship yourself if you mean to return to London.”
“If that is what it takes—”
“Tut, tut,” an amused voice interrupted. “It’s too beautiful a day to bicker and quarrel over trifles, old chap.”
Harriet’s gaze moved beyond Leeds to a big silhouette that appeared behind him. A look of delight plastered on the newcomer’s face.
This must be the Duke of Calstone.
Harriet had never met the man, and had he not appeared today with Leeds, she’d never have known they were acquainted. The duke rarely made appearances at balls and events. Because of this, he had got the reputation of being the most elusive duke in London. Harriet had almost believed the man to be a myth. This sly, foxlike grin certainly did not fit the man of her imagination.
He looked like a ruffian fit for the streets. In fact, in their current state, both men did. And Leeds was already difficult to deal with. With this duke added to the mix—
No matter.
Harriet steeled herself for what was to come.
She would not go down without a fight.
*
Will ground histeeth as he glowered at his friend. The relief he felt upon laying eyes on Harriet was almost crippling, though out of habit, he had schooled his features not to give away any of his inner turmoil. Or more aptly, the wreck that was his heart. He had come through their conversation stammer-free, but beads of sweat rolled down his cheek and his neck felt flushed with heat.
All his life, he had struggled with the burden of his speech. He didn’t want to blunder in front of the woman he was about to marry, nor did he wish to scare her with all the emotion churning inside. He could see clearly where he had gone wrong.He had allowed his handicap—or perhaps even his pride—to hold him back from approaching her so that when the wagers meant that time had run out, he had to trust in the process of arranged marriages rather than that of courtship.
He had been too optimistic.
From the first moment he had met Lady Harriet, he had been drawn to her. She embodied so much more than the labels she was assigned: a bookworm, a wallflower, a “demure chatterbox” as the list in the betting book claimed.
Should he just confess that they had met before today? That she’d forgotten that first encounter in her family’s library?
No.
He couldn’t do that. With her low opinion of him, she might think it a ploy or a diabolical scheme to win her over. He couldn’t take the risk.
One step at a time.
The wagers about her made by fortune-hunters were more pressing than anything else. Once she was safely secured as his marchioness, and the world could no longer harm her, then he could turn all his attention to nurturing her heart and confessing his own. He clung to that single thought like he’d clung to the rope that had hoisted him onto the ship.
However, he never imagined she would jab him with a question about having another love. Did he believe her claim? Not for a damn second. Though her attempt to provoke him had been admirable.
“Are you not going to introduce me to your fiancée?” Calstone attempted to nudge past him but Will blocked him.
“Shouldn’t you be on the deck?” Will retorted.
“What would I be doing there when you are here? With your lack of social skills, I thought you might need help convincing the lady, so of course I followed.”
“Damn it, you—”
Calstone elbowed Will out of the way and bowed. “Lady Harriet, I have heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
She eyed him warily. “I cannot say the same about you, sir.”
Calstone laughed. “I see you have reservations about wedding my dear friend, Leeds. You should tell me all about them.”
“You wish to hearmyimpression?”
“What’s so shocking about that?” Calstone asked with interest.
