Chapter 4
Silence followed.
Lewis, the Duke of Wheelton, waited and waited.
His eyes swept over the room’s other occupants: the beautiful and ruined Lady Bridget, whose face was flushed with either anger or embarrassment—he could not tell which; her sister Dorothy, the elegant Duchess of Greenway; and her brother Elias, the Duke of Reeds, standing tensely and gazing at Lewis with an anxious expression.
Their reactions ranged from outraged to startled. Lewis had anticipated at least a little gratitude, but he found none.
Well, then.
He cleared his throat. “I had rather hoped that I would come here, make my proposal, and go about my day. Given that I have received no answer from you, Reeds, I shall assume that your silence is a confirmation.”
“It is not,” Elias said, sounding thoughtful.
Really?
Lewis forced his face to remain neutral, so as to conceal the frustration rising within him. There was no reason for Elias to refuse a very generous offer, but it seemed as though he was irrationally insistent upon it.
In Lewis’s mind, it was simple. He was offering to marry the twice-disgraced Leedway sister, so the ton would cease their gossip about the incident at the lake.
In marrying Bridget, Lewis would not only restore his reputation but also have a duchess.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Anyone could see that.
“I see,” Lewis said dryly. “I should think that is the obvious solution to resolving the dilemma. I doubt that you will receive any better offer.”
“Perhaps not,” Elias said. “But my sister’s marriage is not something that I take lightly. We need time to consider your offer.”
Lewis forced down the rising tide of frustration. Elias’s request was irritating, but reasonable. “Very well.”
Lady Bridget glared at Lewis, all fire and defiance.
When Lady Bridget agreed to marry him—as she inevitably would—Lewis would have to address that.
The young lady had already proven that she was no stranger to scandals, and he saw in that expression a certain fierceness that would need to be managed.
Fire was unpredictable, and the lady would need some order and discipline to make her a worthy duchess. He could provide both.
“I would rather that you show an ounce of grace,” Lady Bridget said heatedly.
“Offering my hand in marriage is sufficient grace for you,” he replied. “I could simply abandon you.”
Lady Bridget curled her hands into fists, even as the Duchess of Greenway placed a gentle, comforting hand on her shoulder.
It would not be the first time, after all. We all know what Lord Fourton did.
“Enough!” Elias said. “There is no need to speak to my sister in such a manner.”
Lewis raised an eyebrow, silently weighing the other man’s will against his own.
He did not know Elias especially well, and from what he had learned in the past few minutes, the Duke of Reeds would do well to pay more mind to his sister’s behavior.
Two scandals in two Seasons? An utter failure on his part as well as the young lady’s.
He knew that nothing untoward had happened between himself and Lady Bridget, even if the ton perceived that there had been, but based on her behavior, Lewis strongly suspected that Lady Bridget was at least partially responsible for what had happened at the lake.
It was easy to imagine a young lady like her provoking Lady Susan and causing the other woman to lash out.
“It is the truth,” Lewis said. “I need a duchess anyway, so I might as well match with your sister. Because of her incident at the lake, our names are already attached to one another.”
“They would not have been if you had not jumped in the lake after me!” Lady Bridget argued. “This matter was as much your own fault as it was mine.”
While her words were certain, Lady Bridget’s eyes reflected uncertainty. Lewis doubted that she truly believed they were both equally at fault.
“Do you have a point, my lady?” Lewis asked. “Regardless of how the incident happened, it has. It is too late to change it or how the ton reacted to it.”
Lady Bridget’s jaw tightened. Her eyes snapped to her brother. “This is the worst proposal in the history of the world, and I deserve better.”
“Bridget,” Elias said in a warning tone.
Oh, it seemed as though he was finally going to chastise his sister for behaving in such an inappropriately brazen manner! Better late than never.
“Lady Bridget is a very romantic young lady,” the Duchess said gently. “It is understandable that she would be disappointed.”
“But we are grateful for the proposal, nonetheless,” Elias said, giving his sister a quick glance.
“As I have said, I cannot offer you an answer now. This is a very serious matter, as I am certain you understand, and I think that we ought to discuss it tomorrow after we have all had some time to consider the idea.”
“Perhaps over dinner?” the Duchess of Greenway added. “We do enjoy entertaining company.”
Lewis resisted the impulse to roll his eyes at the lovestruck note in the young lady’s voice. The gossip said that Gerard, the notorious rake, had transformed into a devoted husband after his marriage with Elias’s eldest sister, but Lewis did not believe it.
Love was the stuff of fairy tales and silly novels for ladies.
It did not really exist, and even if it did, Lewis would not want it.
He liked who he was, and he had no desire to change his entire being to accommodate the attentions of some woman, much less one whom he had known for only a handful of months, as was true of Gerard and his bride.
But the Duchess of Greenway was, at least, a mature and nurturing woman. Of all the family members, she appeared to be the one with the most sense who was at least eager to discuss the situation and come to a resolution. She would have made him a perfectly suitable bride, unlike Lady Bridget.
“Yes,” Gerard said, at last joining the conversation. “Would you be willing to join us for dinner, Wheelton? We can discuss the matter more thoroughly then, and Lady Bridget will have more time to consider your very thoughtful offer.”
Lady Bridget opened her mouth, doubtlessly preparing to protest, but her brother, as well as Gerard, silenced her with a look. Even though she complied, that spark of defiance still burned strongly in her eyes.
“I do not like being asked to wait,” Lewis said in a clipped tone. “Besides, I do not believe that the lady’s opinion will be improved at all. She does not seem to appreciate is the precariousness of her position.”
“After she has given it some thought, she might,” Elias said.
“I would rather die than marry you,” Lady Bridget said.
Lewis smiled thinly. He had never met such an overly dramatic woman in his life! “That is unfortunate, for I am certain you will realize that you have no other choice than to marry me.”
“Tomorrow,” Elias insisted. It was impossible to say if his weary expression was directed toward Lady Bridget or Lewis himself. “We will reconvene, then. Please. It has been a trying day for everyone, and I think we all wish it to end.”
Lewis could not argue with that point, for it had been an exhausting day.
He had wanted it to end the moment he entered his townhouse, but as he had removed his sodden clothes, it had occurred to him that his reputation might be besmirched if he did not promptly attempt to set things right with Lady Bridget and her family.
He resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair, still wet and dripping little droplets of water down the back of his neck.
“As you wish,” Lewis said. “I will return tomorrow for dinner, and we may discuss the finer points of my proposal and the lady’s dowry.”
Elias smiled, his face softening with relief. “Thank you.”
Lewis strongly suspected that the man had no intention of trying to explain to Lady Bridget the reality of her situation.
In all likelihood, Elias was playing for time, so he could find some other solution.
Lewis was quite certain there was none, though.
Whether he wanted to or not, Elias would realize all was lost, and his sister would be forced to accept her fate as the new Duchess of Wheelton.
Without warning, Lady Bridget curled her hands into the fine material of her skirts and stormed toward the open doorway.
“Bridget!” the Duchess exclaimed.
The young woman whirled around, her face flushed with color and her eyes as bright as firelight. “Leave me be!”
Lewis glanced at Elias to see if he would, at least, be the strong patriarch that he ought to be, but his face showed only softness. There was no sign of the firm hand that he ought to have. He seemed content to let the young miss act as empress of the household.
They listened to the retreating sound of Lady Bridget’s footsteps until they were gone entirely. Elias sighed softly. “I apologize that you had to witness my sister fleeing so suddenly,” he said. “I hope you do not take offense.”
How could he not?
Lewis smiled thinly. “I will admit that my future bride fleeing from me does not bode well for our future happiness.”
“She is not your bride yet,” Elias said.
“I have no doubt she will be.”
“You must understand,” Elias said, “my sister has always wanted a love-match. As Dorothy said, she is a very romantic girl. This day would be trying to any young lady, but it is especially so for someone like Bridget.”
Romantic seemed like the kindest way of saying overly sensitive. Once Lady Bridget married him, Lewis would have to ensure that she learned her place quickly. Such unpredictability would be highly disturbing to his household.
“We will review the matter further tomorrow,” Lewis said. “As you suggested. Since the young lady does not want to discuss it further, I believe it is time for me to take my leave.”
“As you wish,” Elias said.
Dorothy gestured for the waiting butler. “Halls will see you out. Thank you for your visit and your gracious offer.”
Lewis said nothing. He turned on his heel and followed the butler.
Unlike Lady Bridget, he strode calmly from the room.
He hoped that Reeds noticed and that it made the man realize just what a disgraceful display his sister had been.
Honestly, it was difficult to believe that the young miss was nineteen when she behaved like that!
Lewis reached the foyer, and the butler bowed deeply. “Your Grace—”
“Your Grace!” A distinctively feminine voice cut off whatever the butler had been going to say.
Lewis glanced back to the stairs and found the speaker quite quickly. Lady Bridget stood there, her fingers curled against the banister. She was admittedly quite lovely, standing tall and straight like she was. Her white gown fell smoothly down her slender body, sweeping over her subtle curves.
A wide pink ribbon cinched the gown just beneath her bosom, flaunting her generous breasts and tiny waist. Lady Bridget’s hair was still a little wet, too. Golden strands curled loosely about her temples and fell into her fierce green eyes.
He had noticed her beauty when he pulled her from the lake, of course, but the foyer was swept in the colors of sunset, which cast all her features into a striking contrast. His loins stirred. Lewis so seldom indulged himself, but this woman was the very embodiment of desire.
“Lady Bridget,” he said. “Are you lost?”
Lewis’s voice did not waver for even an instant. Lady Bridget would not charm him, as she had so many others.
“Lost?” she asked. “In the home of my own sister?”
Lady Bridget stepped from the stairs, her eyes darting to the butler. Lewis followed her gaze and waited, wanting to see what the twice-ruined girl would do.
“That will be all, Halls,” she said.
A proper butler might have protested or politely reminded the young lady that she ought not be alone with men, but it seemed that Halls was not a proper man, for he only bowed in compliance. “Yes, my lady.”
He departed swiftly, leaving Lewis alone with Lady Bridget. What a masterful, little thing she was!
“I am not lost,” Lady Bridget said, tipping her chin up. “I wished to speak to you before you left.”
“And so, you are. Have you come to apologize for storming from the room like a child?”
Lady Bridget clenched her teeth together and smiled tightly. She shook her head, as if not trusting her own voice.
“Then, I am uninterested in anything you might have to say,” Lewis said. “Unless it is your acquiescence to my proposal. I might think kindlier about you if you can muster an ounce of enthusiasm when you tell me.”
“No,” Lady Bridget said. “On the contrary, I am here to ask you to retract your proposal.”
“And why would I do that?”
Lady Bridget left the banister and stepped boldly toward him. Lewis could not help but notice how nicely she smelled, of English lavender and rose oil. Not overwhelming or too subtle, just perfect.
“Because you do not truly wish to marry me,” Lady Bridget said. “But I know my brother. He might act as though he is reluctant, and I suspect that he is. However, he is also a sensible man. He will agree, so if we are to avoid this marriage, you must withdraw your proposal.”
Lewis shook his head. “My lady, I have no desire to withdraw my proposal, and I doubt your words will persuade me otherwise.”
“We shall see.”