“Nothing has changed,” he assured her. “If your sister has a suitor now, that just means our plan is working.”
“And it means we’re one step closer to being able to call an end to it all,” she said.
Norman was quiet. Those words hit him harder than he would have thought. In addition to enjoying banter with Lady Susan, today had made him realize how much he liked their subtle communication. The shared moments that no one around them seemed to pick up on. He had begun to think of her almost as a friend, even though he hadn’t known her very long. They had been thrust together in this attempt to hoodwink everyone around them, and it made them uncanny allies.
He would be deeply sorry—deeply sad—to see that come to an end.
What was more, this encounter had made him realize that he was going to miss having Lady Marina around. She was so lively and funny. For a moment, a part of him actually wondered whether it would be so bad to simply marry Lady Susan. He had agreed to it in the first place, after all. She had the title and the breeding to elevate his reputation the way he needed. Andit wasn’t as if she was deeply unpleasant to be around. She just wasn’t interested in being the kind of wife he needed—one who would listen to him, one who would follow his lead. But could he make his peace with that?
No. No, I can’t. Because, among other things, she isn’t interested in being married at all. There’s no kind of wife she’s willing to be. She made that very clear. I don’t know what her reasoning is, and it seems strange to me. But she said it.
Remembering that moment filled him with a strange, hollow sadness. He had found it amusing at the time, but now it felt distressing to realize that, even if he changed his mind and decided he did want to marry her, that wasn’t an option.
It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to. This was an errant thought, nothing more.
Lady Susan put her arm through his and led him toward the door. “All right,” she said under her breath. “Are you ready to put on a show again?”
“I’m ready if you are,” he said, glancing down at her.
She was smiling. Her eyes were sparkling. And he thought,she isn’t just ready. She’s going to enjoy it.
He was going to enjoy it too. That much he was ready to admit to himself. He was having fun doing this with her, and he was glad to be here and indulge in another day of it.
Lady Susan led him through the front door and into her house. Lady Marina had already fetched her father and had clearly told him what the situation was, and now the two of them stood waiting, both looking eager to entertain Norman.
Norman allowed his face to fall into a relaxed grin.
Lady Susan was right. It was time to put on a show.
CHAPTER 9
“So what brings you to London?” Susan asked as they sat down around the lunch table.
Father had, predictably, been thrilled to welcome the Duke to their home and had immediately arranged for a meal to be served. “I’m afraid it isn’t much,” he said apologetically as a stew was brought to the table. “You must visit us again, Your Grace, so that we can show you proper hospitality.”
“Nonsense, this is delightful,” the Duke assured him. “And to answer your question, Lady Susan, I’m here on business. I thought to make a few investments in the interest of improving the livelihood of the tenants of my land.”
“A worthy ambition,” Father said. “But you must be cautious when choosing which investments to make.”
“I quite agree,” the Duke said. “That’s why I hope to go into business with a partner—someone who knows a bit more aboutthe doings of other gentlemen in society than I do. The fact of the matter is that Iamnew to my title, and while I like to believe I’ve risen to the occasion well, some things only come from experience.”
He gave Father a smile that Susan thought seemed fairly natural. She was confident that the Duke meant most of what he was saying. He did want to go into business with someone more experienced than himself. The only thing he was being disingenuous about was his reason—he probably didn’t need advice as much as he was letting on. He needed Father for the same reason he had accepted an engagement in the first place—appearances. People would trust him more if he were working with someone they knew. They saw him as an outsider.
Father didn’t seem to put as much thought into all that as Susan had—he merely straightened up in his seat, clearly flattered by the Duke’s words. “Well, it does make sense for you to turn to experience,” he said. “I have to respect that, Your Grace. Many men in your position would assume they didn’t need any assistance, that they were clever enough to do everything on their own.”
“It’s my belief that anyone can benefit from the assistance of another man, if he has the humility to accept it,” the Duke said. “It says nothing at all about how clever a person is. He ought to learn to understand his own weaknesses and how he can support himself with the strengths of those around him. The fact of the matter is that it will take me years to have the kind of experience in society that other men have already, so the best thing I can do is to benefit from that where I can.” He took a sip of his wine.“Have you thought about my proposal, as we discussed when you were at Heathmare?”
“It has never been far from my mind,” Father assured him. “As you know, a gentleman of my standing can’t simply pour himself into a business enterprise without careful consideration. But yes, at this point I can say that I will be more than happy to explore the idea of going into business with you. After all, you’re going to be married to my daughter, so your successes will also benefit her.”
A shiver ran down Susan’s spine, but she kept her smile firmly in place.
I don’t relish lying to Father—but it’s the lesser of two evils, isn't it? If I dealt with him honestly, I would be forced into a marriage I don’t want, and that would be far worse than telling a fib.
Norman’s smile didn’t falter either. “I hope you know how important it is to me to ensure that Lady Susan has a good and happy life,” he said. “I consider it the sacred duty of a gentleman and a husband.”
“I quite agree,” Father said. “Although it isherduty to bend to your will. Wives who fail to follow their husbands’ lead will never be happy, no matter what he does.”
We aren’t talking about me any longer.That comment had been about Mother, and Susan knew it. Though Father never spoke of her outright and hadn’t since she had left them, on occasion, hemade backhanded comments like that one. Susan knew that if she tried to say anything about it, her father would protest that he hadn’t meant to reference her mother at all, that he had been making a general observation and nothing more. There was no point in arguing, even though it gave her a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
