“I imagine that must be a lot of people, in Lord Bolton’s view.” She laughed.
It was a pretty sound and caught Adrian off guard, making his half smile into a full one almost before he realised. “Exactly. Remember, little Sparrow, we are rarely as alone as we think.”
“I do wish you would stop calling me that.” Lady Natalie’s mouth drew into a thin line.
“And what would you wish me to call you?” Adrian leaned forward. “Natalie?”
Spots of colour appeared on her cheeks, but she did not turn from him. “And I suppose you expect me to call you Adrian?”
“If you would like.”
“I would like to know why you want to marry me.” She leaned away from him, and some of the heaviness that had filled the air faded.
“Two reasons. The first is honour. I could not break apart your wedding and then leave you to the mercy of the ton.” Adrian gave her a meaningful look.
“Well, you were the one who chose to indulge in such theatrics.” Lady Natalie pointed out.
“Do not tell me you did not enjoy the show.” Adrian teased. “I saw the way your eyes followed my every move.”
“Do not flatter yourself over much, I just wanted to be sure to see if someone hit your pretty face.” She smiled sweetly at him.
He chuckled softly. “You think I have a pretty face?”
“Most men would prefer to be called handsome. They would think pretty a rather feminine description.” Lady Natalie raised an eyebrow at him.
“I am not most men.” Adrian made an expansive gesture. “And a compliment from you is a most precious gift. If only for its rarity.”
Lady Natalie opened her mouth as if to say something, closed it, shook her head and said, “What was the second reason?”
Adrian swallowed and glanced out of the window. “My daughter.”
Chapter Five
“You have a daughter?” Natalie gaped at the man in front of her.
Of the answers she had been expecting, that had not been one of them. She frowned at him, trying to see if there was some sense of shame about him, but there was nothing. She thought she saw some soft emotion cross his face, but it was gone too fast to understand.
“Yes.” He said simply.
“How?” she asked.
He gave her a sidelong look, his eyes glinting. “How does one usually have a child?”
She flushed.How does he manage to do that?“I did not. I meant…”
The Duke sighed. “My late wife. She died when Melody was still very young.”
There was something in the way the Duke said died, an odd tightness to his voice that stirred something in the corners of Natalie’s mind. It was not quite pain, that would be understandable, it was something more akin to judgement.But that makes no sense.
She shook herself and returned to the present moment, mulling over the Duke’s words. Anger flowed through her as she realised what a marriage to a man to help his daughter could mean.
She got to her feet, fists clenched and shaking. “I am not interested in marrying you so you might pop out a legitimate playmate for your daughter!”
“Sit down.” The Duke’s eyes flashed with a hard emotion, but a moment later his easy smile appeared back on his face. “I know I am an attractive specimen, tittle thief, but how many times must I tell you that I have no interest in you?”
Natalie scoffed, still moving towards the door. “You are the one who proposed to me and if you think I shall agree now, then you are sorely mistaken.”
The Duke was on his feet as well, and grabbed her hand. “Just let me explain before you do something you will live to regret.”
