Dahlia was caught off guard by this sudden tenderness. Could he be sympathizing with her? The Duke of Ice? The one man she had seen icily cut down any female who crossed his path?Just another one of your manipulations. She slapped his hand away and wiped her own tears.
Unexpectedly, Peter chuckled. He walked towards the window. When finally, he turned around to face her, his face was a mask of ice. When he spoke, his voice was cold.
“It appears that neither of us wants this, but as there is no better way to move forward, let us do so in a civil manner. Being married, after all, does have mutual benefits.”
“What mutual benefits can there be? You will be as free to come and go as you choose, and I, well, I will still be under the thumb of a man.”
The smirk that curved across his lips made her want to throw something at him. He moved closer to her again.
“Had you marriedthe one, you would still be under the thumb of a man.” He smirked again, moving closer still. His head bent down close to hers, and he murmured, “What mutual benefits, she asks.”
He was being intentionally condescending; Dahlia felt her blood boil. Boldly, she lifted her face even closer.
“If Your Grace is referring to the marriage bed, then I regret to crush your illusions because there is nothing mutual about that!”
“And you know this how?”
Faltering, she moved back a little.
“I-I have married friends.”
“And you talk about this?”
Dahlia backed away again; she was out of her element now. While Celine had hinted at what happened in the marriage bed, she had stopped at any description. Her only advice was totrust your husband. So even there, the husband must still be followed! What was mutual about that? When she kept silent, Peter’s hand again went to touch the side of her face. Gently, he traced her cheek with his finger. Dahlia closed her eyes. The feelings he invoked were too much, too contradictory. Once again, she slapped his hand away.
“You are a spirited one, are you not?” A glimmer of an emotion passed in his eyes but was gone before Dahlia could even name what it was. “We shall marry, Dahlia.”
“I know, I?—”
He put a finger gently against her lip, silencing her.
“But only on paper. I have no intentions for this marriage to be anything other than what it really is—a convenient way out of a problem.”
This declaration she did not entirely comprehend or expect in the least.
“I give you leave to come and go as you please, My Lady. I only have one condition.”
Dahlia held her breath.
“That you put your pen down. Penelope Lovelace, or any other name, will be gone for good.”
Chapter Four
“Dahlia, for heaven’s sake, is there any truth in what the Duke said?” Celine demanded as she and Helena rushed into the Hill sitting room before Mr. Tipping could even announce them. Dahlia, who had been in the act of pouring tea, nearly dropped the pot in her surprise.
“Celine! Helena!”
“Her Grace, the Duchess of Wylds, and Lady Helena Ayles.” Mr. Tipping announced belatedly.
“Thank you, Mr. Tipping.”
The butler bowed and closed the door behind him. Not knowing what to do, Dahlia put the pot down and motioned to the settee opposite her seat.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Dahlia!” Celine’s lips were set in a straight line.
“Now, now, Celine. We agreed we would let Dahlia speak first.” Helena looked at Dahlia with patient eyes. “Could the Duke of Ice be telling the truth?”
Dahlia thought that she had prepared for this confrontation. She had even practiced possible answers in her mind.
