Chapter Twelve
After leaving Eden’sbedchamber, Connor strode out of his house by the kitchen door in order to avoid encountering anyone and having to answer questions. He was hot under the collar, and it had nothing to do with the heat of the day. The air was still warm, but a light breeze off the water offered modest relief. It rustled through the silvery leaves as he walked along the woodland path between Lynton Grange and Chestnut Hill. But he was headed in no particular direction, just needed to shake off his frustration.
“She’ll give me her answerafterour first kiss?” he muttered while striding along and feeling completely disgruntled.
Who said that to a duke? Why would she not leap at the chance to be his wife, kiss or no kiss? After all, he was the prize everyone wanted.
Come to think of it, she had not said she loved him… Well, not in so many words. But heknewshe loved him.
He had seen it in her eyes. And in her smile. Not to mention the way her exquisite body had molded to his as though they had been cast from the same lot and designed to be a pair.
The afternoon shadows were lengthening to mark the few hours of daylight left. He was not far from the infamous goose pond and could hear their honks and light splashes as they fluttered their wings in the water.
Why had he waited so long to reveal his feelings to Eden?
And now, she was making him suffer while awaiting her answer. Not on purpose, because Eden did not have a wicked or vindictive bone in her body. No, she was making him wait because she wanted her moment of magic first.
A Silver Duke’s moonlight kiss.
Was there a doubt she would accept him afterward?
First of all, he was a wealthy duke. That alone was all any other young woman needed to know to be swayed. His name was irrelevant. His looks, also irrelevant. But not for Eden. She had no need to marry someone merely because they were a bulging coin purse.
Eden needed to marry for love.
In truth, he knew she was in love with him. But she was insisting on that kiss to be certain he loved her. Knowing Eden as well as he did, she was going to reject his proposal if she thoughthedid not truly loveher.
Well, if the problem arose, he would just have to convince her that he did care. Weren’t there many facets to a good marriage? Friendship, for certain.
This led him to the second reason why she should marry him. They were good friends. The best of friends. Was this not the solid foundation for any successful marriage? Trust and friendship. He had learned the importance of both the hard way when realizing Mary had no desire to share anything of his heart or ever allow him to share any of hers. Their marriage, while producing his beloved children, had not been built on any foundation at all.
Quite the opposite would be true with Eden. She had shared so much of her heart with him over the years, and in his own way, he had done the same with her. How often had he confided about his children and his worries that he was failing them as a father? Their conversations at times were quite intimate,exposing his deepest concerns and trusting her not to violate his confidences. He did the same for her.
The only unanswered question between him and Eden concerned the bedchamber, and this was one area in which he had no doubt at all. Eden obviously had passion and would respond to his touch.
Nor was there any doubt about his ability to have her respond, or about the fact that she liked his touch. He would always get the truth with Eden, and the way she had held on to him while crying her heart out revealed all.
Despite her reluctance to accept his offer of marriage before that first kiss, her body had already accepted him.
“Lynton!”
Connor recognized who was calling out to him and turned to await the man as he caught up. “Aubrey,” he responded with cold reserve.
“What did Eden tell you? Why was she so upset?”
“Because of you, you bloody arse.” Well, perhaps he was not quite as cool as he intended to be. He curled his hands into fists, struggling to keep his temper in check, because he meant to give Eden her first kiss and did not wish it to be done while nursing stitches to his lip after he and Aubrey bloodied each other in a brawl.
“For the life of me, Lynton, I don’t know what I did to anger her.” Aubrey raked a hand through his hair, apparently frustrated and doing a good job of pretending to be distraught. “Did she give you a reason?”
Connor nodded. “She knows your courtship was a ruse, so do not bother to pretend you care for her, because she knows the truth and will never believe you no matter how many times you deny it.”
“A ruse? Iwilldeny it!” Then he groaned. “Did my foolish sister say something to her?”
“Eden overheard her talking to your mother. The two of them were standing by the glassblower’s tent and did not realize Eden was there.”
Aubrey groaned again. “I knew something was not right when she returned to us with that glass swan. And Eden believed what my peahen of a sister said?”
“Why wouldn’t she? Do not bother to deny you pursued Eden just to give your sister a chance with me. It was a wasted effort, I can assure you. Spoiled, manipulative debutantes are not, and have never been, my cup of tea.”
