And then she felt puzzled about what to say next. Perhaps pay him a compliment, too?
No.She felt herself blushing at the thought alone. Though he did not deserve it. It was not lost on her how handsome he looked in his perfectly polished suit. No surprise, he must have access to the best seamstress in town.
Simon inclined his head, as if to assess her. He reached out, his hand brushing against her waist as he guided her to face the guests.
“Are you cold?” Simon asked, his voice quiet enough that only she could hear.
“No,” Rachel said quickly, warmed by the blush on her cheeks.
“You are shivering,” he commented simply.
“No,” she said too quickly.
“And now,” the clergyman interrupted, “by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.”
The words hit her hard. She was no longer Rachel Montrose; she was now the Duchess of Everly.
Simon then turned towards her. Each of his movements seemed perfectly measured, and he reached out to her once again. His hand came to rest lightly on her lower back.
Surely, that felt more intimate than before. Rachel felt her breath hitch again.
And a shiver ran down her body.
Since he had his hand on her back, he noticed the slightest movement. Rachel felt embarrassed at having been caught. But it was inevitable. Try as she might, she could not be completely nonchalant towards him.
Simon met her gaze then, and there was a twinkle in his eyes. As though he was trying to convey to her that he had indeed noticed.
She felt her cheeks burn, but then he stepped back slightly, giving her a chance to compose herself.
But his hand never left the small of her back. In a way, it felt like a possessive gesture, and the thought ofhimfeeling possessive over her made her mind spin. Not all in a bad way, a part of her liked it.
She was quick to push that part away, though. She would not concern herself with thoughts of this nature.
They reached the carriage that was waiting for them.
“Well,” Christopher said in a tone that was clearly meant for her ears alone, “you’ve pulled it off. Quite the little scheme.”
Rachel should not have expected anything better from her father, even on her wedding day. But she resolved not to make a scene in front of her husband now.
Letitia took it as a moment to step in.
“It is still difficult for me to believe, really,” she cut in. “You, of all people, managing to trap a duke into a marriage with you. Truly remarkable. Though I suppose even men of his rank can be fooled.”
Immediately, she felt Simon’s hand on her back tighten in its hold. It was indication enough that he had been listening to the conversation, even though he appeared to be otherwise uninterested.
Her heart began to beat louder in her chest. The last thing she wanted was for her family to embarrass her in front of the duke.
“I would advise,” Simon began, “that you both choose your next words carefully. You may not see any problem in insulting your own blood, but insultingmy wifeis not something I will tolerate.”
His response was not one that she had been expecting. Instead of agreeing with them, he had chosen to take her side? The gesture alone felt entirely unfamiliar, as she was used to everyone doing the opposite.
But more than that, his possession from earlier had returned. With the way that he spoke, it was as though he was staking claims.
“Oh, we did not mean any harm,” Christopher amended his tone immediately. “It was merely a jest.”
There was a world of difference between how her father spoke to her and how he spoke to the duke.
“It was a poor one,” Simon said.
