Chapter 2 #2
The Duke rose from his seat and adjusted the fit of his waistcoat with a nod. “That will suit me just fine. I cannot stand tears and weepy ladies.”
Evangeline’s jaw set, and her gaze hardened the moment that he insulted her sister.
She was more than ready to speak up and defend Serenity.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with being sensitive.
But, as she opened up her mouth to do so, her mother elbowed her firmly in the spine to remind her that a lady was supposed to keep quiet.
The Duke came to stand in front of her, towering over her.
Evangeline was certain that it was meant to be some sort of intimidation tactic, but she would not allow herself to shrink in front of him.
She knew that a woman was supposed to obey her husband, but if they were going to be married, she was going to start things off in a way that she could look back and be proud of.
Shrinking or cowering in front of this man would not have been that.
“I wish to speak with you privately.”
Evangeline visibly balked. “Do you not think that most impertinent?”
One thing that Evangeline knew for certain was that she should not allow herself to be anywhere alone with that man. Whether the rumors about him were true or not, or if it was all nonsense, there was a look in his eyes that she was far too intrigued by to trust herself.
“We are engaged. Is it not my right to speak to my future bride when I please?” The Duke answered evenly, as if it should have been obvious.
“It would be rather inappropriate, Your Grace. Speaking in private without a chaperone…” Father attempted to interject, but the Duke cut his gaze to him sharply, and he silenced himself immediately.
“I do not think that you have the right to deny me anything, considering the fiasco of brides that you are causing me. It would please me greatly to speak with…” He cut his gaze back to her.
“…Evangeline.”
The Duke almost smirked again, and her heart threatened to flutter traitorously in her chest. That sort of reaction ought not to be allowed.
He had no reason to be speaking to her in such a markedly different tone than he was addressing her father—it was a night and day difference, and she did not know how she felt about it.
Oddly powerful… if she was being honest.
“Well, perhaps we can leave you for just a moment,” Father said and turned to face Evangeline. “If that is acceptable to you, of course?”
As if there was truly a choice? The Duke did not leave them any room for arguing.
Serenity was the last one to leave the room, shuffling out slowly after the others with a lingering glance back and over her shoulder to see if Evangeline needed her to stay.
As much as she would like to have the company so that she was not alone with the Duke, she would not allow Serenity to become even more upset than she already was.
Evangeline forced herself to stand upright, her spine straight as she willed herself to look far more confident than she felt.
The moment they were alone, she rounded on the man, still eyeing her like he was not quite sure what to make of her. “So, what now?”
At first, he did not answer. He then walked a half-circle in front of her, which reminded her very much of a predator toying with its prey.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what sort of gentleman selects a wife in this manner?” Evangeline would make herself dizzy if she kept trying to watch him move around her, and chose to keep herself focused on a fixed point above the fireplace.
Even looking directly at him made her feel uneasy, as if there was something unmistakably wicked coiled beneath his proper exterior.
“That is a simple answer,” the Duke started, and finally stopped pacing in front of her. “A man who does not care about getting to know his wife.”
“You certainly know how to make a lady feel special.” She did not know what she expected from him, but that was not at all the answer that she wanted to hear.
“That is rich coming from someone who said that they would rather eat a toad than marry me. How is that working for you now?”
Evangeline bristled. “So, the rumors about you are true, then, Your Grace?”
He took a step closer, to the point where Evangeline felt the need to take a step back and away from him, but there was not enough room for her to avoid the fireplace.
But no matter what, she could not keep her gaze on his.
It was too much. Intimidating in a way that she did not know how to face.
It made her feel terribly self-conscious.
The Duke reached forward, curled a finger under her chin, and lifted her face to make her look at him, capturing her in place.
“I would prefer a wife who would not flinch or cry when she looks at me,” the Duke spoke softly, and she realized that it was a test. He was waiting for her to wrench her face away or to try to pull away from his grip, but she forced herself to stand tall despite the urge she felt to run.
“Then you should perhaps try to act more like a gentleman…” She regretted her words as her voice came out far breathier than she expected.
“You ought to be grateful that anyone would be willing to marry you at all.” He let his gaze rake down over her face, linger on her lips, and then lift back up once more as his head tilted slowly to the side. “No other man would have you with those eyes.”
As if she had not heard that before. Even her own father had said much the same thing over the years as he complained about how difficult it was to find suitors for her. How unsettling gentlemen found her, how strange.
It was not as if she had chosen those eyes. She had been born with them.
“Your Grace…” When she spoke, it was with a rage that she rarely allowed herself to feel. “Go to hell.”
The Duke smirked then, a real one that lingered this time. “Already been there. See you at the altar.”