“He’s certainly spoken to you more than he has me,” Lydia said.
“Then again, you have been as quiet as a bird. There’s no need to be so shy, Lydia. You are going to have to find your voice sooner or later if you wish to find a husband,” Mary suggested, nodding sagely.
“And I thought that men preferred their wives to be quiet and obedient,” Charlotte muttered under her breath.
“Not every man is worthy of being a husband. Alfred has always been interested in my opinion. We have many deep discussions about various subjects.”
“I’m glad at least one man in this family is able to discuss rather than lecture,” Charlotte said, this time a little more loudly.
Mary waved her hand through the air.
“Oh, cousin, I think you are being a little too hard on him. He is not all that bad. He has been a gracious host, and I have never known him to be anything other than courtly.”
“I find him to be strict. He is not called the Iron Duke for nothing,” Charlotte pointed out, acting as though she had just scored a point.
“That is just a nickname. People are prone to exaggeration; besides, someone needs to stick up for tradition,” Mary argued.
“I think it is a princely quality,” Lydia added.
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“I believe he merely seeks to control whatever he can. You have certainly won the favor of the gentler brother.”
“While I will not argue that, I must counter your opinion, Charlotte. I straddle both families now, so I cannot allow these slights to pass unpunished,” Mary warned with a kind smile.
“I do not wish to be uncouth; I am merely sharing my opinion. Something that the Duke would discourage, I am sure,” Charlotte said, unable to help herself. However, as she witnessed the disapproving stares of the others, she wondered if she had pushed too far in that direction.
It was one thing to declare no interest in him but quite another to slander his character. She had to remind herself that saying a kind thing about him would not lead the others to suspect that a kiss had occurred.
“He does maintain a wonderful estate, and he fosters a good relationship with animals. You can tell a lot about the master from an animal’s behavior, just as you can tell much about a parent from the behavior of the child,” she observed.
“If that’s the case, then I am in trouble,” Mary joked, and they all burst out laughing. The tension in the air eased a little asthey continued with their embroidery. Charlotte was even able to make some progress.
“There is a reason why he is the way he is,” Mary said after a time.
“Who?” Charlotte feigned ignorance, even though she knew full well who Mary meant.
“The Duke, of course,” Lydia said before turning her attention to Mary. “Pray tell the reason, cousin, as long as it is not a secret.”
“If it were a secret, I would not have mentioned it. Alfred told me that his parents, especially his father, were extremely strict with His Grace. They raised him to be a duke, after all, giving him a strong sense of duty and obligation. These are the factors that drive him rather than anything else, even niceties. Why, he doesn’t even believe in love!”
Lydia stared at Mary agape, but this did not surprise Charlotte in the least.
“He doesn’t believe in love? How can anyone not believe in love? It is the inspiration behind so many stories, songs, and poems. One only has to look at you and Lord Blackwood to see its presence,” Lydia said.
Mary inclined her head in deference to Lydia’s comments.
“That is very kind of you to say, dear cousin. But yes, it seems His Grace is convinced that love simply does not exist, at least for him. Perhaps it is because of his position that he feels any relationship would be…” she paused as she searched for the right word, “transactional. That is why he asked his mother to find him a dutiful wife.”
“He is looking for a wife?” Charlotte said, her ears pricking up.
“Indeed, and he has very strict criteria, of course, although I am not privy to them. The lady in question is arriving here tomorrow. It will be the first time they shall meet.”
“Perhaps it will be a case of love at first sight, and His Grace’s opinion will change as soon as they meet. She will teach him to believe in love.” Lydia clasped her hands together and swooned.
“Or she will realize how difficult this life will be for her,” Mary muttered.
The idea of his having a wife should not have bothered Charlotte as much as it did.
