Chapter 9
“Sophia, a word, please.” Sophia’s father called to her as she walked past the drawing room.
She had been making her way outside, needing time spent alone and in the sunlight to properly clear her head and come to terms with everything that was happening in her life.
Since the Duke appeared on her doorstep three days ago, she’d hardly had a minute to herself and was in desperate need of such a thing.
Her father’s call had her stopping in her tracks. There was a hard edge to his voice that sent a shiver up her spine, because she recognized it well enough: something was wrong. Worse, it was her fault.
Nonetheless, she planted a smile on her face and drifted into the drawing room where both her mother and father were waiting for her. They stood side-by-side, presenting a united front that suggested this was going to be an interrogation.
Have they not hounded me enough already? Treating this all as my fault, when they both know that even if I did not wish for it, there is nothing I can do.
That was the thing wrong with that thought, however… Sophia did wish it. Very much, in fact.
“A letter has arrived just now.” Her father held up the letter in his hand; opened and thoroughly read. “From your betrothed.”
“Oh?” Sophia blinked innocently, no idea what the letter might say.
How could she? Despite she and the Duke being engaged, they had not spoken directly since he first asked her to marry him.
It did not feel personal, as she knew he was busy arranging the wedding, but she might have liked it if he asked after her at least once.
Just enough so that she would know that this wasn’t the biggest mistake of her life.
No… this is good. This is right. The Duke promised me freedom, not love and romance, so why would I expect anything from him but the bare minimum?
“It is an invitation,” her father continued with a stiff upper lip. “To the Mayfield Ball tonight. He wishes for you to accompany him so that he might announce your engagement officially to the ton.”
“He does?”
“Did you know of this?” her father pressed.
“No, Father,” she said politely. “I had no idea.”
He narrowed his eyes on her. “You would not lie to me, would you?”
“I would never dream of it.”
Her father shared a look with her mother, and she knew the moment she saw their exchanged glances that they did not believe her.
This was common now, their questioning everything that she did.
Having been blindsided by the Duke’s request, they assumed that she had gone behind their back purposefully, and that she was making fools of them.
It amused Sophia more than it should have. They did not like His Grace one little bit, and they hated that they could do nothing to stop this marriage.
Sophia felt a thrill at finding herself on the other side of her parents’ rancor, while knowing that they could not punish her any which way they liked. It was the exact type of freedom that the Duke had promised, and this was only the beginning.
“Very well,” her father said, still stiff and wary. “He will collect you this evening, and I suspect you to be on your best behavior. While we do not like the idea of you being alone with him, as you are engaged, it is proper and expected.”
“But we will be paying attention,” her mother was sure to add. “Just because we are not there does not mean we are not watching, Sophia.” They both looked at her warningly.
Sophia smiled in a way that she hoped struck of innocence. “Of course, I would never do anything to embarrass you. You have my word.”
It was not until she turned and left the room that Sophia allowed a wicked grin to take her face. A ball without her parents. A night without being under their constant supervision. The thought excited her, and she could not wait for the evening to begin.
Some of that excitement might have been attributed to the Duke himself, but Sophia tried not to focus on this, because this marriage was not about him. It was a marriage of convenience... her own convenience, as she liked to see it. Really, it had nothing to do with the Duke at all.
It is not as if the Duke cares that way for me at all, anyhow. He has his reasons for doing this, I have my own, and that is why this will work. It’s why it has to work.
Sophia presented herself at the top of the grand staircase at precisely the time that the Duke walked through the front door. She had been waiting around the corner for him, wanting him to be standing and waiting for her when she appeared.
Dressed in a silver gown that glittered like diamonds in the sun, her curled hair worn up with a crystal tiara, long white gloves that went to her elbows, and sapphire jewels in her ears and across her neck, she looked beautiful. What was more, she wanted it known that she did.
The Duke was with her parents when she appeared. He saw her, a coy smile touched his lips, his head titled slightly as he took her in, and Sophia was certain that he was nothing but impressed.
Not that I care what he thinks… but that does not mean it isn’t nice to be appreciated.
“Miss Sophia,” he crooned as she started down the staircase. “Don’t you look ravishing.”
“As do you, Your Grace.”
He was dressed in a dark suit offset by a deep-red waistcoat.
It was a little garish and uncommon, made to stand out, but that was the Duke’s way.
His black hair was unruly, he had stubble smattered across his chin, and even from a distance she could smell his musk.
It made her knees tremble just a little bit.
“Please be home at a reasonable hour,” her father commanded.
“You have nothing to fear in that regard,” the Duke chuckled. “Despite my reputation, I never was one for these balls. As dreary as death by my estimation.” He laughed further. “I suspect we’ll be home early.”
Neither her father nor mother seemed to find this amusing.
When Sophia reached the Duke, he offered his arm, and she accepted it.
He winked at her, and she held her smile, still doing her best to look proper.
The Duke was a scoundrel, he was perverse and childlike, and while Sophia was looking forward to turning a new leaf in her own life, she doubted she would ever find his behavior charming.
It is more that it allows me to be myself… whatever myself might be. I still do not know exactly how I want to behave, if this is all a falsehood and I am out of my depth. But I am excited to find out.
“Come,” the Duke said once they were linked. “The evening awaits.”
He led her outside to where a carriage awaited them. There, he was a gentleman as he had the door to the carriage opened and then helped her inside. Her parents watched the whole way, and Sophia suspected he was putting on a show for them.
Once the carriage doors were closed, he fell into the seat across from her and exhaled with relief.
“I don’t know how you put up with it.”
“With what?” she asked.
“Your parents.” He shuddered. “If looks could kill.”
“Oh.” She looked out the window, just in time to see her parents vanish in the night. “They are… they mean well.”
“They think they do,” he snorted. “Remember, Miss Sophia, once we are wed, you won’t have to worry about appearances or doing as you are expected. Free to do as you please because I surely won’t tell you any different.”
“As I please…” She repeated the phrase as if she didn’t understand the words.
“It excites you, doesn’t it?”
“I am curious,” she corrected. “You seem to think that the moment I am able, I will turn into…” She laughed. “I do not even know. In truth, I doubt much will change with me, save for feeling more relaxed at times.”
“Oh, I think we both know that isn’t true,” he said and flashed his eyes knowingly. “There is more to you than I think even you realize, and I am excited to see it for myself.”
Sophia studied him across the carriage. She knew why he wished to marry, of course, but she didn’t know why he wanted to marry her. Vague comments about seeing another side to her, freeing her from her parents’ thrall, but that explanation did not tell the whole story.
“Speaking of which…” The Duke exhaled as he sat up. “Regarding tonight and what is expected of us – yes, sadly, the facade of propriety must remain for a little while longer. Until we wed and the scandal of our marriage simmers, that is.”
“Scandal?” Her heart leapt. “What… what scandal?”
“That a wallflower like yourself would marry me, of course,” he said with humor. “A pairing as we are is like the sun marrying the moon, and people want to know the true reason. As is the way with this blasted town, their first thought is that something happened that forced us to marry in haste.”
Sophia’s face paled. “But that’s not true!”
“I know it.”
“Then what can we do?” Old habits died hard, and Sophia did not like the idea of finding herself on the wrong end of a scandal. Yes, she was a changed woman… but she wasn’t that changed.
“That is what tonight is for,” the Duke explained calmly. “We are to present a united front and demonstrate beyond question our love for one another.” He winked at her.
“Our… our love?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“We need to prove this is a love match,” he continued. “That is the only way that the story will be bought. We are marrying because our hearts yearn for one another such that God himself could not keep us apart.”
Her heart was racing now. Sophia never was very good at lying, and a lie like this was beyond her limited resources. How could she possibly show something like that – she did not even know what love was. What was she expected to do? Was this all part of the Duke’s plan to embarrass her?
“No need to panic,” he eased her. “Surely, you can at least pretend for an evening or two that you don’t despise me.”
“I don’t despise you,” she said truthfully.
“Good.” He nodded once. “Stick with that. And if all else fails, perhaps another stolen kiss will help sell – I am joking,” he hurried when he saw her face drop. “Just a joke.”
Sophia’s cheeks flushed bright pink, and she had to look away. That kiss felt like a lifetime ago, and there was a part of her that had foolishly hoped the Duke might forget. Even if she had not herself…
“Leave it to me,” he said, the humor gone from his voice. “Stay close. Act as you have been brought up. And if all goes well, once I return you home later this evening, there won’t be a soul in England who does not believe you and I are star crossed lovers destined to be together.”
Her heart was still racing as she tried to picture what the Duke was going to do to prove this lie. She thought to warn him off doing anything obscene. She knew she should have set ground rules, because he was likely going to take things too far. And yet…
Was it so wrong that she was excited to see what the Duke had in store? She was, after all, a changed woman. Or she was trying to be. So, why not start right now, and to hell with the consequences.
If the Duke did feel the need to steal a kiss from her… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad either. Just that thought… again, she felt it pierce her heart like a white-hot blade. And dammit if she didn’t relish the fact.