Joseph had been standing with his back to the door, but he turned immediately upon hearing her enter. Catriona’s breathcaught in her throat. How was it that he’d become more handsome than the last time she’d seen him?
“Good evening, Your Grace,” she managed to greet, curtsying slightly. When she straightened, she saw displeasure written across his face.
“I insist that you stop calling me that,” he said.
“Oh, forgive me.” She caught herself before she touched her face, a nervous habit she’d never been able to break. “It just seemed… appropriate.”
“Between two people who are going to be husband and wife?”
“Two people who have agreed to a marriage of convenience,” she amended.
Joseph stared at her for a long moment, and Catriona braced herself for his disagreement, but he only shook his head slightly. “Still, it feels wrong to hear you call me that.”
Why?
She wanted to ask him badly enough that the word nearly left her lips. She caught herself just in time. “I shall ring for tea,” she told him then gave the maid in the corner a quick look. The maid immediately moved towards the bellpull. “In the meantime, you can tell me why you have visited.”
Joseph inclined his head to the side. “And do you intend for us to have this conversation while you stand so far from me?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Catriona tried her best not to show it. Why was he saying such things and why on God’s green earth couldn’t she keep herself together?
A little stilted, Catriona made her way forward and stiffly sat on the couch. He sat across from her, crossing one leg over the other without taking his eyes off her for a second. She couldn’t meet his gaze full on, so she picked at invisible lint on her dress, waiting for him to break the silence.
“You did not respond to my letter yesterday,” he said at last.
Her eyes flew to him. “Surely that is not the reason you’re here?”
“I thought it prudent to get to the bottom of your reasoning for ignoring me.”
But why?
This time, the question screamed in her head. It took extra effort to keep it tucked away.
“I was not ignoring you,” she protested slowly. “As a matter of fact, I was in the middle of writing a letter thanking you for your kind gesture before you came.”
“So you did visit the modiste then?” He raised a brow. “I had expected you to hold on to that stubborn streak of yours and deny my kindness once more. I’m happy to know that even you are not immune to such luxuries.”
“Even me?” she echoed. “And what do you mean by that, exactly?”
“I meant no offense.” He held up both hands in surrender, but Catriona ignored it.
“I have not determined if I should be offended or not,” she countered. “I hope you don’t think that I have fallen victim to being charmed by your obvious wealth, Joseph.”
He blinked, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a shadow of a smile. “Charmed? No. But you have softened towards me, certainly.”
“I fail to see why it matters if I do. I’ve already agreed to this marriage, and I have no intention of absconding from my decision.”
“Even so. I think it would be beneficial if we were to be friendly with each other at the very least. That dress was a show of my effort. The account at the modiste even more so.”
“Truly? Because something told me that you only offered to have me go to the modiste simply because you did not want your ego burned by my rejection.”
“That may have been a part of it, admittedly,” he said, which surprised her, “but your response intrigued me. And I had half expected you to decline my second gesture.”
“I nearly did.”
“What changed your mind?”
The fact that I thought you might have been teasing me. The fact that I think I may truly be warming to you.
