And for the first time since she had arrived at Heathmare, she felt as if she and the Duke were truly on the same side.
CHAPTER 4
“Lord Crownway, I wonder if you and your daughters would join myself and my aunt and cousin for a picnic this afternoon?” Norman asked at once when he and Lady Susan re-entered the house following their walk.
He had made up his mind, on the way back to the house, that he would give as much effort as possible to their little ruse. It was important that everything happen without a hitch so that he would be able to walk away having claimed all the benefits of marriage he’d hoped to get. What was more, if something went wrong, Lady Marina wouldn’t be able to marry, and he already felt a sense of responsibility for that situation. He had come up with his offer to Lady Susan on the grounds that it would help her to get her sister married. If it didn’t do that, she would have given up everything she had hoped to gain for his sake and received nothing at all in return, and Norman didn’t know if he could live with that outcome. He had too much pride.
“I’d like to go,” Lady Marina piped up. She had been exploring books in the library and had chosen a pair to carry around withher. There was a bookmark in one of them—she had already begun reading. The sight of it made Norman feel ashamed of the remark he had made in the garden about ladies not reading. It had been a thoughtless thing to say to someone he didn’t know well. Lots of ladies read books.
But she’s been thoughtless too,he reminded himself.She’s the one who came in here making all kinds of remarks and comments, barely treating me with any respect at all. She’s the one who decided she wanted to marry a duke without showing any regard for the title.
He pushed those thoughts away. The two of them simply didn’t get along, and they didn’t need to get along. They weren’t going to be married, so what difference did that make?
He smiled at Lady Marina. “That’s wonderful,” he said. “Lord Crownway?”
“Yes, I suppose we should all go,” Lord Crownway agreed. “After all, the reason for our being here is so that we can get to know one another a bit better.”
“That’s just how I see it,” Norman agreed. He managed a warm smile and bestowed it upon Lady Susan.
She raised her eyebrows, obviously taken aback.
He didn’t budge. She was going to have to play along with this if it was going to work.
And she did. After a beat that seemed to last just a little too long, Lady Susan smiled at him. “I think a picnic sounds marvelous,” she said. “You’ve really taken the time out of what I know is a very busy life to get to know me and my family better this week, Your Grace, and that lets me know what a wonderful marriage this is going to be.”
He wondered whether she might not be overselling it a bit, but her father seemed to take it in stride. “Why don’t we all go and prepare?” he suggested. “We can meet down here in an hour and depart then—is that enough time for everyone?”
“That sounds perfect to me,” Norman said, knowing in his heart that his preparations were going to have very little to do with putting on the right clothes for the occasion. He was going to have to make himself ready for an afternoon of performing if he was to convince Lord Crownway that he truly intended to marry Lady Susan.
“I just want you to know, Lady Susan, that I am deeply regretful about the way I behaved when you first arrived yesterday,” Norman said. “I know I was cold with you, and I think you must have felt unwelcome.”
Her eyes widened briefly, but of course, she knew this was all an act. “I’m the one who should apologize, Your Grace,” she demurred, settling onto the picnic blanket. “You invited me into your home. I ought to have responded with gratitude instead of being sharp with you, even though I was reacting to the way youwere speaking to me. I would be very happy if we could start over with one another.”
Her father was looking from one of them to the other, beaming with pride, as if he had orchestrated this whole thing himself. “It’s so good to see the two of you getting along so well,” he said happily. “I just know that this marriage is going to be a good one.”
Aunt Tabitha seemed slightly less certain about what was happening, perhaps because she knew Norman better and understood that this was a change in his character. She must realize that something unusual was going on here, even if she didn’t know what it was.
But he couldn’t pull back now, even though his aunt and cousin were watching him closely, even though he could tell they had noticed something was afoot. “This lake is one of the most beautiful places on our property,” he told Lady Susan. “I looked forward to bringing you here.”
Michael’s eyebrows lifted so high that Norman was afraid he was going to do himself an injury, but he didn’t so much as glance in the direction of his cousin.
To her credit, Lady Susan was ready. “I’m so grateful to you for bringing me out here to a place that’s special to you, Your Grace,” she said. “I’ve felt so welcomed from the moment I arrived. It’s easy to see feeling at home here, once we’re married and I’ve settled into my role as duchess.”
“Yes, I think you’ll enjoy living here,” he said. “Goodness knows I have, though it wasn’t expected. I never dreamed I would become Duke of Heathmare, and one of the nicest things about it all has been the joy of living in this beautiful manor. I hope you enjoy this place just as much as I have.
“I’m sure I will,” she said, beaming radiantly at him.
He almost would have believed her if he hadn’t known that it was all a ruse. He almost would have thought she meant it. She was a wonderful performer, smiling with her eyes as well as her lips, turning her whole body in his direction as they talked to one another. It was no surprise that her father was falling for their little show. As for his family… well, it was all right if they didn’t really buy this little show. His goals didn’t depend on his aunt and cousin thinking this was real.
He went on. “I’m thinking of extending the gardens southward, a little closer to the lake, so that people walking along the path will be able to enjoy this view,” he said. “What do you think of that idea?”
“You want to know what I think?” she repeated.
“Of course,” he prompted. “Since it’s going to be your home too, I’m very interested in your opinions on the renovations. I haven’t done much with the house yet. It’s by and large in the same condition it was in when I moved in—perfectly fine, but I have yet to make it my own. And if you’re to be the lady of the house, we ought to make ityourown too, don’t you think?”
“He’s right, Sue,” Lady Marina spoke up. “What you think is important!”
So Lady Marina believed their ploy as well. That was good. Norman nodded encouragingly to Lady Susan.
