Aurelia wrenched her arm free. Now that she had been dismissed, what did a little incivility hurt?
“Do not touch me,” she snapped, loudly enough for a passing footman to raise his head. If Lord Redwood were to force her, the footman would do nothing, but the servants would talk. Servants always did. “If you do, I’ll scratch your eyes, you see if I don’t.”
“Now then, Miss—”
Without waiting for him to say another word, she strode through a servants’ door and down through the servants’ quarters. To her relief, he didn’t follow, and she was left to gather what little remained of her dignity, along with the rest of her possessions, and leave.
A carpet bag under one arm, Aurelia made her way out of the servants’ door in the side of the house. The first thing she ought to do, with what little she had, was to place an advertisement in the paper. For a lady’s companion, perhaps. Or a governess. Perhaps there might already be a placement she could apply to—so long as the duchess didn’t poison the well against her.
That theory seemed hopeless.
As she made it to the main street, where the façade of the grand house stared down at her, a carriage came to a halt beside thefront door. She spared it half a glance, noting the well-sprung, plain black carriage, bare of any coat of arms.
She would have paid as little attention to the older gentleman stepping out, too, had he not seen her and done a double take.
“Excuse me,” he called after her, glancing from her face to the grand house. “Are you by any chanceMiss Dufort?”
Pausing, Aurelia took in his appearance. He was perhaps in his fifties, gray playing through his hair and a pair of spectacles perched firmly on his nose. Although he dressed well, it was obvious he was not of nobility.
She could not relax. What would any man want to do with her?
She hugged her carpet bag to her chest. “Who inquires?”
Immediately, he snapped to attention. He inclined his head, giving her a kindly, fatherly smile. “My name is Mr. Arnold, the solicitor to the Duke of Ravenhall. I came here to bid Her Grace to give me an interview with you, but I see I am fortunate enough to find you independently.”
“I no longer live in Her Grace’s household.”As of an hour ago, if that. Still, it was her reality. “Why do you care to speak with me? I have never met the Duke of Ravenhall.”
“No, indeed.Ah—” Mr. Arnold leaned into the carriage and retrieved a letter sealed with red wax and the unmistakable Ravenhall crest. “Would you be so polite as to accompany me?”
One glance at the seal dispelled any lingering suspicion. Although Aurelia had spent little time in fashionable London, through her time in the Duchess of Fenwick’s household, she had come to be aware of many members of the nobility.
TheDuke of Ravenhall, she had never met personally, but shehadseen correspondence bearing his seal. As a member of one of the oldest and most influential families of theton, Aurelia knew the duchess had been trying to ingratiate herself with him some more.
“I assure you I mean you no harm,” Mr. Arnold coaxed when she still hesitated, staring at the letter as though it would bite her. “In fact, my proposition would change your fortune exceedingly.”
She raised her gaze to his face. “And what is your proposition?”
He smiled reassuringly at her, as though his smile alone could banish any fears she might have. And perhaps they might have done—the duke had chosen his solicitor well. The man was charming in a very understated, non-threatening way, and he exuded a sense of calm control. In a world where everything felt increasingly out of her control, Aurelia found herselfwantingto believe he could fix all her problems with a magical wave of his wand.
Then he said the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her entire life.
“The duke proposes that you accept his hand in marriage and become his wife.”
CHAPTER TWO
Aurelia gawked at Mr. Arnold in confusion and no little alarm.
Marry the Duke of Ravenhall?
She could almost have believed in an offer of being his mistress; after all, Lord Redwood had done his best to put his hands on her, and if news of that had gotten around, perhaps other lords might have thought her worthy of their grand attentions.
Butmarriage?
“Er—I see you are shocked,” Mr. Arnold said gently, his offered hand faltering only just a little. “Come with me, and I will take you to my office where we can discuss the matter in greater detail. I also have correspondence from the duke confirming his wishes.”
“Hewishesto marry me?” Her voice ended in a squeak.
“He does.”
