Only then did she turn ever so slowly to look up at Tristan. Their eyes met. He lifted his eyebrow. She clenched her jaw and pointedly faced toward the rector.
“Dearly beloved,” the rector began, with obvious enjoyment. “We are gathered here today for one reason, and one alone…”
It’s not quite the reason you think,Tristan thought, and bit back a smile.
CHAPTER 9
This was it, wasn’t it? There was no turning back now.
Oh, Papa had said that Madeline could back out at any time she liked, but the plain fact was that turning tail at the very altar and fleeing for the exit was simply not acceptable at a certain point of the proceedings.
I suppose we reached that point long ago,Madeline thought miserably.
The rector continued his well-rehearsed speech. He clearly enjoyed weddings. And generally, she supposed, weddingswerea very lovely occasion. In most cases, the bride and groom would at least be happy.
She had done her best not to look at Tristan’s face as she progressed up the aisle toward him. He was staring at her; she’d known that.
He is probably comparing me to other, much more beautiful women he knows,Madeline thought bitterly.I could never compete with the women of his acquaintance, I’m sure.
She flinched a little when Tristan leaned toward her, his broad shoulder brushing hers.
“You look very beautiful,” he murmured.
She glanced up at him, brows drawing together.
“Are you making fun of me?”
He blinked momentarily, disconcerted. “What? No, of course not. I am merely giving you a compliment.”
“Well, don’t. There’s no need for compliments. We have abargain, remember? Your charm has no place here.”
“Charm has no place at a wedding, eh?” he muttered, shaking his head. “I’ve never heard that one before.”
The rector gave Tristan a steely, reproachful stare. At least hetriedto. He stared at Tristan for several seconds before losing his nerve, flushing, and glancing back down at his Bible in a flurry of anxiety. He stuttered a little, coughed twice, and resumed his place in the wedding speech.
Madeline felt Tristan’s eyes on her again. She pointedly kept her body turned away from him, her eyes fixed on the rector as if he were the most fascinating man in the world. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that Tristan was turned toward her, his whole attention fixed on her. He wanted her to look at him.
Well, she wasn’t going to look. Tristan, Devil Duke that he may be, would simply have to get used to not always getting what he wanted. She lifted her chin, staring at the rector until his round, sweating face blurred.
“I am not trying to make you uncomfortable,” Tristan said, his voice low and a little soft.Wheedling,almost. No, that wasn’t the right word to use for a man like Tristan.
Madeline shivered.Seductive. That was the tone of his voice.
“I am not uncomfortable,” she hissed back. “Be quiet. We should be listening to the sermon.”
“What, you haven’t heard a wedding sermon before? I can assure you, they’re all very similar. But surely you can spare a smile or two for your husband-to-be? There are a lot of women who would kill to marry me.”
“Perhaps you should have married one of them, then? Although I think the vows are coming soon, I am afraid you are running out of time.”
Madeline was not sure where her sharp retorts were coming from. Generally, in society, her tongue tied itself into knots. She found herself groping for words, struggling to finish a sentence, and generally appearing like a stuttering wreck. There was something about the wretched duke that seemed toloosenher tongue, sparking her irritation and making her bold along with it.
How very strange.
“I must say, not every hind leads me on a chase as infuriating as this,” Tristan murmured, his voice dropping to a deep whisper. It sent a shiver down her spine, no matter how firmly Madeline tried to suppress it. She could see him in her peripheral vision, watching her still. She couldfeelhis eyes on her.
“I wouldn’t know,” Madeline responded calmly, struggling to keep her gaze level. “I don’t hunt.”
She wanted to look at him, and that in itself was worrying news. This man was not her husband, not really. Yes, he might legally hold that title, but what else would there be between them?
