“With him, you can never be too sure. But let us speak normally just in case.” She hesitated, not knowing where to begin. Should she get to the point and end this here or be courteous first? She settled on the latter. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“That would be nice.”
Catriona made her way over to the bellpull and rang for a maid. They sat in awkward silence as she waited, but the maid arrived in just a moment, the request for the tea was made, and the maid left. After that, the Duke got straight to the point.
“These are yours.” He didn’t hand her the flowers but simply laid them on the table nearby.
“That is very sweet of you, Your Grace.”
“Please, call me Joseph.”
She slowly shook her head. “I think it would be best if we maintained formal titles between us, due to what I am about to say.”
The Duke lifted both brows expectantly. “Surely you do not intend to reject me?”
“I understand that it may not be what you wish to hear, but I simply cannot accept your proposal, Your Grace.” She glanced at her uncle, but his attention was still on his book.
“Why?”
“Why?” she echoed, frowning. “Does it matter?”
“Of course, it does,” was all he said, as if that should have been obvious.
Catriona tried to maintain her calmness. “Well, for one, I am concerned about my sisters. I wish for them to have a fulfilling Season, to both secure a match if possible, so I do not have time to think about my own future.”
“And that is precisely why I thought you would be a good fit.”
The maid entered with the tea at that moment, stopping Catriona from asking what he could possibly mean by that. Catriona intended to wait until the maid had left, and she’d poured them both a cup to ask, but he continued before she got the chance.
“I see the way you are with your sisters, Catriona,” he went on. The casual use of her name stole her breath, emptying her mind for a second. She willed herself to focus. “And it is clear that you dote on them. Your motherly nature shines through your eyes every time you look at them. That is the kind of person I want as my wife and a stepmother to my daughter.”
“But at the end of the day, I am only an eldest sister. I know nothing about being a mother.”
“I’m sure you will learn. It comes naturally to a lady such as you.”
Catriona inclined her head to the side, studying the Duke for a moment. Goodness, it was truly hard to focus when he looked at her so directly like that. “You speak as if you’ve known me for a long time, Your Grace, but we only met yesterday. We are strangers to each other. Don’t you think it rather presumptuous of you to assume such things of my character?”
He merely shrugged. “I am a good judge of such things.”
“Even if you believe that to be the case, it doesn’t change my answer. I have my sisters to tend to.”
He drained his cup, set it down, and then relaxed against his seat, looking like a king about to address his subjects. “You said that was one reason. What is the other?”
“I…” She hesitated. How could she get her next words out without sounding utterly pathetic? “I am not meant to be a duchess.”
He blinked, saying nothing for a moment. And then, to her surprise, he chuckled. “And what is that supposed to mean? How does one know if they are meant to hold a title?”
Heat washed her. Catriona wanted to believe it was indignation and that it had nothing to do with how devastating his smile was. “I simply know my place, and I know I will make a terrible duchess.”
“You underestimate yourself. But even so, that is easy enough to remedy. I can teach you.”
“There is no need because I won’t marry you.”
“You haven’t even heard my solution to your first reason, regarding your sisters.”
“There is no solution,” she stated matter-of-factly, using the tone she often used on her sisters to ensure that they didn’t argue with her.
But of course, the Duke seemed to be immune. “Your sisters will benefit from our marriage as well. I will enhance both their dowries, and their connection to me as the Duke of Irvin will increase their chances on the marriage mart.”
