Derek stood next to the mantelpiece, his hand braced against it, his face a mask of stone.
Lady Moreland, her nose high in the air, sat on the settee. Lord Moreland paced across the expensive carpet nearly shouting at the duke. “I will not have my daughter treated so cavalierly.”
A muscle ticked in Derek’s jaw. “My lord, if you’ll just be reasonable—”
Lord Monroe pulled on his lapels. “I’ve been reasonable, Claringdon. More than reasonable waiting for you to make my daughter an offer. I demand you make things right.”
“Yes, we were quite convinced an offer was forthcoming,” Lady Moreland said, dabbing at her brow with her handkerchief.
“I’m certain if we all just discuss this rationally…,” Derek continued.
“The time for being rational is over,” Cass’s father nearly shouted.
Cass took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Mother, Father, I know you both think you’re doing the right thing for me, but you’re making a terrible mistake.”
The Monroes turned to stare at their daughter. “That’s enough from you, Cassandra. You haven’t been thinking properly in weeks,” her mother said.
Cass raised her hand in a pleading gesture. “Mother, please. I will not marry the duke.”
Her father clamped his jaw so tightly his jowls shook. “Young lady, you do not know what you’re saying.”
Cass raised her chin. “Yes, I do. I’m telling you that I refuse to marry him.”
“Youwillmarry him and that’s an end to it,” her mother insisted. “Captain Swift plans to marry your cousin when he returns. Do not hold out false hope on that score. Besides, he’s a second son. He’ll never hold a title.”
That last comment caused Derek to raise his brows.
Cass pushed up her chin. “I do not hold out false hope, Mama. Believe me. But that does not mean I should ruin another man’s life by dragging him into a loveless marriage.”
“Who says it’s loveless?” her mother snapped. “You could well learn to have feelings for each other someday.”
Cass smiled and crossed over the thick carpet to lean down and pat her mother’s cheek. “Oh, Mama. I do know you want the best for me. Truly, I do. But the duke is madly in love with Lucy and I cannot blame him.” She turned to her two friends and gave them a warm smile. Lucy smiled back and Derek nodded and shifted on his booted feet, his hands folded behind his back.
“Lucy!” Lady Moreland wailed. “Lucy’s the biggest wallflower in theton.”
Lucy wrinkled her nose and clapped her hand over her mouth. Somehow she didn’t think pointing out to Lady Moreland that Janie was a bigger wallflower than she was a prudent idea at the moment.
Cass’s father slapped his leather gloves against his thigh. He pointed at Cass. “I don’t care who he’s in love with. He’s led you on and if he’s a truegentleman, he’ll do the right thing and marry you, by God.”
None of them missed the emphasis the man placed on the word “gentleman.” He was questioning Derek’s honor. Derek’s fist was tightly clenched.
Lady Moreland shot up from the settee. “Tell me, Claringdon, do you still refuse to marry my daughter?”
Derek nodded. “Inasmuch as she refuses to marry me as well, my lady. Yes.”
Cass nodded. “Mama, if I marry someday, I want it to be to a man who loves me as well as the duke loves Lucy.”
Lady Moreland turned a mottled shade of purple. “Lucy? Lucy Upton will never be a duchess!”
Derek clenched his jaw. “I’ve done my best to be civil, Lady Moreland, but now I must ask that you leave my home. I won’t have you disparage my future wife.”
Lucy gasped softly. Derek stood up for her. No one had ever done that before. Cass tugged on her mother’s hand. “Let’s go, Mama, before you say something you’ll regret.”
Cass’s father pulled on his gloves so hard, Lucy wondered if the leather would shred. He stalked to the door and opened it, turning to wait for his wife to follow.
Lady Moreland turned in a swirl of orange silk, savagely clutching her reticule. She faced Derek and Lucy, who stood together near the fireplace.
“You mark my words, Claringdon,” Lady Moreland seethed. “You may refuse to marry Cassandra but it’ll be a cold day in hell before a duke marries the likes of Lucy Upton. I’ll go to the queen herself and inform her of this travesty. I happen to know that the conditions of your investiture require that the Crown approves of your wife. The queen will never allow it.”
