“We have agreed to those, then.”
“You may insist that we cancel them, and I will abide by your wishes,” he said. “However, I think that it might be beneficial for you to learn about your groom before the wedding.”
“I see.”
Did her brother perceive nothing wrong with how the Duke referred to those meetings? Asteachingand aslessons, as though she was a small child in need of correction, rather than a woman who was nearly of age.
“I am doing my best,” Elias said. “And I know that you are also trying to do your best with this situation. I noticed that you were surprisingly pleasant over dinner, and I thought that was rather…well, it was gracious of you. It was strange, but I appreciated the effort.”
Elias believed that she had been trying to do better, that she had accepted her fate and was trying to be a pleasant future wife. Bridget might have cried if the situation was not so utterly bizarre.
“I did not do it for you,” Bridget said, sighing. “I am still convinced that His Grace will realize this is a bad idea. You believe that those two weeks will provide me with an opportunity to learn more about the Duke, and you are right. But he will also learn more about me, which might not be for the best.”
Elias was quiet for a long moment as the coach jolted into motion, its wheels clacking along the London streets. “No,” he said at last. “Anyone would love you. He just needs time to realize your worth.”
Her brother’s voice was soft and warm, so full of affection that Bridget found herself thinking about and regretting every poor choice she had ever made.
“I am sorry that I have been so difficult,” she said. “Really.”
“You have not been difficult. You are young,” Elias said, clasping her hands in his. “At some point, everyone has been young.”
“Not you.”
Even in the darkness, she sensed his frown. “Even me,” he said. “I would say that I am still desperately clinging to my youth, even as my sisters become older and wiser around me.”
“But you had to take on the responsibility of being Duke so young,” Bridget said. “I—I have only just realized…”
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.
Across from her, Elias remained quiet and patient, waiting for her to speak her mind.
“I have only just realized that my problems must seem so small to you,” she said, “after everything that you have endured.”
“Nonsense,” Elias said. “Your problems are no smaller or larger than mine. Just different.”
Somehow, Elias’s easy answer made her feel all the worse.
CHAPTER 10
Bridget had been awake since dawn. She lay sprawled across the bed like some forlorn heroine, waiting for her dashing hero to return. Bridget’s lips tingled with the memory of her shared kiss with the Duke, and her face warmed. She had kissed—well, she had kissed a man on the cheek before. Bridget had always been rather proud of that; in her mind, that kiss on the cheek, shared in a dark library, had been a brave and scandalous act.
Now, having shared a kiss with His Grace, her small experience felt as insignificant as a flea. Heat spread through her body, its intensity growing with every heartbeat spent lingering on the kiss.
Fabric rustled. She recognized the sound of her lady’s maid moving about, preparing Bridget’s gown for the morning. With a sigh, Bridget sat upright. Her heart raced, thoughts of His Grace swirling about her head. “Good morning!” she called.
Amelia appeared at the foot of Bridget’s bed. “Good morning, my lady,” she said. “It is a rather exciting day.”
Amelia was so cheerful, even in the early morning. Bridget forced a smile. It was unkind of her to think, but she found it just a little vexing that Amelia was so joyful shortly after waking.
“Is it?” Bridget asked.
“Indeed,” Amelia said. “Or have you forgotten that your enchanting husband-to-be is to spend the day with you?”
Well, Bridget supposed that the Duke of Wheelton’s visit would make the dayexciting. She sighed and fell back against her pillow, grimacing. It was not as if the man had come to court her, after all. He wanted toassessher, to determine if she was worthy.
“I had forgotten,” Bridget admitted.
Perhaps that was not entirely true. She had rather hoped that the man might have changed his mind.
