I liked interacting with him better this way. I could say exactly what I wanted, without that annoying level of pretense, and he could throw it right back at me. Though, perhaps, being a duke, he never felt the need for pretense. Why shouldhe need to change his face, his voice, his tone to suit another person?
I know you hate the public eye, his mother had said. I wondered why.
“She is sweet,” I mused, if only to break the silence.
“My mother?” He blinked at me, monotone and unfeeling. He was still reeling from the news, swiping at his neck, a million thoughts racing behind his eyes. I wondered of what, and from when, and why. What had that girl done to him? “She is sweet only because she feels sorry for me. My mother could kill you with a glance, make no mistake.”
Without his usual terse, god-above-men haughtiness, I almost felt sorry for him too.
Almost.
“You did not say you were looking for a wife.” Not in so many words.
He sighed, irritated. “My endeavors are none of your business, Miss Wood.”
Harsh words, but without his usual bite. A despondent duke.Only a manafter all.
Laughter carried in from the distance. And we were missing it. Missing the party. Which meantIwas missing my opportunity! This man needed to come back to his senses. He needed to pull himself together.
If not, I would have to do it for him.
First, I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with.
I hedged, “On the contrary, I believe we ought to know at least some of each other’s business. For instance, what exactly happened between you and Miss Newbury? As your dear friend, how much should I hate her?”
He frowned. “A full wine glass down her front ought to do.”
Ah. Quite a lot, then. He must have loved her very much. A problem, indeed.
He shook his head. He looked utterly miserable. More so than usual. “Of all the parties in all of London ...”
Heaven’s sake, seeing her could not be as dramatic as all this. Not for a man, aduke, like him! “Can’t you simply pretend she isn’t here? Avoid her?”
He gave me a sharp look. “Contrary to theton’s belief, we did not part amicably. No, it will not be pleasant to see her. The woman makes me feel so ... so—”
“Ridiculous?” I offered, hurrying him along. “Because that is how you are behaving at present.”
Again, with the look. “Then I suppose we are quite the pair because you look like a blossoming apple tree with all that mess in your hair.”
Maybe it was the way he said it—with absolutely no conviction—or perhaps the way his eyes flicked to my hair and then softened with regret, but I laughed, surprised. “And now you’re just being cruel.”
Again, his lips twitched ever so slightly. The Duke of Marlow had a bad temper and a terrible way with words, but somewhere, deep down in his depths, he also had a heart.
What heneededwas a stiff drink and a pinch under his arm to get moving. I looked around. I could not leave him here in this state, but if I could get him to the ballroom—
He huffed out a breath of resolve, arms tight at his sides. “No. This night cannot be borne. I shall call the carriage at once.”
My desperate heart rose into my throat.
ChapterNine
Marlow
“What? No!” Miss Wood cried. “You heard your mother. You cannot leave.” Her little elbow dug into my side, nudging me toward the hall. Luckily, she was barely half my size. “You must go out there and face her like a man. Like aduke.”
A duke? No, a duke would have gotten his way. Adukewould have forced his intended into marriage for better or worse and would be halfway to an heir by now. I had failed on that account, and Miss Newbury’s presence was too sharp a reminder. I could not play nice with her in front of all these people. “Not like this. I am not ... feeling myself.”
“Then let us resolve your feelings at once, for you promised me an outing, and this istheouting I have been dreaming of.” Her eyes were round and serious. I could read the desperation all over her face.
