I almost laughed but refused to give him the satisfaction. “If you can thaw it out first.”
He hesitated, then seemed to try his hand anyway. “The ring was my late grandmother’s.”
Ah. Dare I believe him? “You should not have told me that. A duchess’s ring? Now I know it is worth a fortune.”
He scrunched his nose and frowned, muttering a curse under his breath. “A hit, ma’am.”
I’d missed this—verbal sparring, stretching my mind, connecting with another person. I missed Society. I missed having an intelligent conversation with someone other than Peter or Amelia or the vicar. It had beensolong. I had taken for granted the endless nights of before, where every day had purpose, and I wanted that life back. I wished I could step back in time, undo what I had done wrong, but I could not. I did not have the power to rebrand myself within the circles of Society, nor to alter the opinions of theton.
I looked to the duke. Buthedid.
My calloused, frozen heart stuttered awake.He did. “Iknow what I want,” I breathed. The Season was just beginning. Indeed, everyone would already be gathered in London.
The duke looked up, brows furrowed. “Speak.”
“You mean to return to London for the Season?” I asked, hesitant. Would he agree?
“I do.”
“I want the advantage of your companionship amongst theton.”
He drew back, confused, watching what I hoped was more confidence and less desperation on my face. And then his eyes grew wise with understanding.
“You want me to sponsor you? Absolutely not. We are strangers. I would rather give you the money outright.”
His words were bruising, as blistering as the icy cold in his eyes. “I want nothing more from you than to be seen with you,” I said. Perhaps it was not a fair trade, for it wasn’t quite that simple. I’d need him to pretend to be my friend, at the very least a happy acquaintance. And I knew exactly who I wanted to be seen by. A few names came to mind. Lady Diana. Lady Jersey. ... Mrs. Johns? Would the duke agree? I had a feeling he was just as desperate as I. His attention toward me would be enough to incite interest. His approval would give me back my life.
I added, “I want Society’s good opinion again.”
At this, he chuckled mirthlessly. It was enough to make me want to throttle him. “You think they will truly welcome you?”
I thought about it in silence for a moment. Could I go back to before? As though nothing had happened?
No.
But could I make them overlook that one mistake? “Ithink they will be intrigued enough to make my presence tolerable.”
He seemed annoyed. “And then, what? Shall I keep you until a suitable husband comes to call?”
I scowled at him. “Heavens, no. I do not want a husband.”
“Then, what, pray tell, is the point?” His lips were twitching upward. “You realize what you have in your possession is a rare and valuable jewel worth a magnificent sum, and instead of money or substance you ask forapproval. Are you quite serious?”
He could not understand. A man such as he would be constantly surrounded by people, friends, family, even servants who worshipped him. Peter had always been my dearest friend, but now he had Amelia. I’d never had a bosom friend, certainly no one close enough to care after I’d fallen in the eyes of the whole. I could not live out my days like this. I could not wait for Society to forget. I only needed a few friends to keep me company. A friend to write to, who would actually write me back. Enough acceptance to be invited in.
“Will you agree, or not?”
He actually considered for a moment. “I have business of my own in London.”
I waited, chin raised. He meant to intimidate me into offering another option, or worse, forfeiting the fight. But I would not relent.
“My time is extremely valuable,” he said through his teeth. “I am wasting it now, and I have no interest in wasting it further.”
“I am aware,” I said. “Which is why I do not ask for muchof it. An equal sum of your time to what this ring might otherwise cost you to buy back.”
The duke’s jaw tensed. His knee started to bounce as he drew in a deep, heavy breath, then huffed it out with evident annoyance. Through the silence, I waited, until at last, he said, “Three outings. No more than a month. You will find your own accommodations, and I want that ring in my possession from this moment on.”
His eyes stared daggers into mine, and I realized I’d been holding my breath. My lungs, pained from it, finally inhaled, and I nodded my understanding.
