“Perhaps I might if you explain it properly? Is it some strange manner in which you honor your late father perhaps? Or some way of—”
“Enough!” the duke growled. “I do not wish to talk of my father. All you need know is it is the family business, one that my uncle and I take great care of in order to ensure the needs of our family are met.”
Emmaline dropped her gaze. “Forgive me,Your Grace, I have spoken out of turn.”
“I suspect,Your Grace, that is something you do rather regularly,” the duke said, his tone filled with warning, though when he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, she could have sworn she saw a spark of amusement.
Emmaline cleared her throat and dipped her head. “It is something I will try to work on.”
“Don't,” the duke responded, causing Emmaline to look up. “It is… refreshing.”
Emmaline blushed, smiling uncontrollably.
“I suspect that as The Devil Lord, you are not used to people speaking up for themselves,” Emmaline said. His gaze was warm upon her as he nodded.
“You suspect correctly. It is rare that I am able to be myself around anybody,” the duke explained, and Emmaline felt a pang of pity for him as he added, “Even rarer still that anyone might be themselves around me.”
Emmaline gulped. Had she been herself around him? Perhaps she was a little more guarded than usual, but yes, she supposed she had been.
“That does not appear to make you happy, Alex,” Emmaline said, her heart hammering. Perhaps she was speaking out of turn again. Though he had encouraged her to, it still felt quite dangerous. “Why do you continue this charade if it makes you so unhappy?”
“Playing the devil is lucrative in ways you could never understand,” the duke explained shaking his head. He lowered his gaze then, his expression becoming thoughtful. He rubbed his chin in quiet contemplation. “Unless…”
“Unless?”
He looked at her then and Emmaline's chest tightened. She suspected that whatever came out of his mouth next, she wasn't going to like.
“Unless, perhaps, you might see fit, as my wife, to sit beside me on my throne?” the duke said, his eyes sparking excitedly with the idea.
Emmaline’s response came in a sudden, instinctual burst as she blurted, “Absolutely not!”
The duke's distaste at her response was evident. She was about to point out to him that it was he who had encouraged her to speak her mind when he suddenly, he broke away from her and headed for the pull cord beside the fireplace.
Emmaline gulped hard. His change in demeanor was nerve-wrecking. It took all she had in her to remain with her head held high, hands clasped before her.
A few moments after he had pulled the cord, the butler appeared in record-breaking time.
“Your Grace,” the gray-haired man said, dipping his head as he entered. “How may I be of service?”
“Please have my carriage prepared. Her Grace and I have somewhere to be.”
The butler dipped his head once more and was gone again from the room.
As if he sensed her questioning gaze, the duke turned and explained, “It is time we visit your family and share our news. I have hopes of also sharing the terms of our arrangement with your father should he be well enough.”
Emmaline's entire body trembled then. It was one thing to tell people of an arrangement before it occurred and quite another to face those people afterwards.
Besides, she hadn't heard anything from any of her family since she had left them the day before. What if something had happened to her dear papa?
Chapter 11
The Moreaus acted as one might expect when a duke came to visit. They practically fell over backwards to make him welcome and comfortable. And though Alex insisted he could walk up the stairs, the lady of the house was adamant that her husband would come down to join them in the drawing room. And so, he and Emmaline sat side by side, in cold silence, as they waited.
When the earl and his wife arrived, Alex struggled to keep his shock to himself. When the man's daughter had told him he was deathly ill, he had believed it mainly a ploy to buy more time. But seeing the man now, it was quite obvious she had not been exaggerating at all.
“Your Grace,” the earl said, bowing low as he entered.
Alex and Emmaline stood to greet the man with respect in his own home. Alex, ever the gentleman he had always prided himself upon being, hurried forth to help the countess assist her husband into a seat.
