Her eyes widened in surprise. ‘No, never.’
‘You run his house and his life. Percy’s as well when you are in London. And neither of them gives you enough credit for it.’
‘Helping Percy is no burden,’ she protested. ‘But when I am here? It is difficult for me to keep things exactly as Grandfather wants them.’ She stared down at her hands again. ‘He is very particular.’
‘It is not your fault if he is miserable. He is impossible to please. He was too particular to settle for me as your bridegroom,’ Thomas said, trying to joke her out of her funk. ‘And I am a… Well, I am not a duke, at the moment. But Tom Smith has excellent references.’
‘That you forged,’ she pointed out. Then, the corners of her mouth twitched upward and he felt a rush of relief.
‘There was no logical reason for him to refuse me, you know,’ he said thoughtfully.
‘But he did,’ she reminded him with a sigh. ‘There is very little we can do about it, now.’
She was ready to give up. It was no surprise. That was what she’d been trained to do. ‘On the contrary,’ he said, smiling. ‘We must persevere.’
‘Must we?’ she said.
‘Of course. You want your money, don’t you?’
She bit her lip and said, ‘I do not know. If there was some other way…’
‘You surely want your freedom?’ he coaxed. ‘There is a world outside of this house and away from the man who has been hectoring you for years. It is yours for the taking if you want it.’
The look she gave him was full of many emotions he’d never seen her express. There was longing, hope, fear and a long-hidden light that made him want to take her hands and pull her from the house immediately. This failed game wasn’t necessary. All he needed to do was be himself. He could change her world in an instant if he wished to.
Her mouth opened, ready to speak. Then, she closed it and shook her head. The spark he’d just seen in her eyes became a dying ember. ‘Not everyone is given the world for the taking,Your Grace. Some of us, especially the women, must get along as best we can with what is left over.’
It was a day of firsts. He had been denied something he wanted. Now he’d found a woman who scorned his title and mocked his attempt to help her. His temper flared but he tamped it down again. She got enough abuse from her grandfather. She did not need more from him.
‘Do not give up hope so quickly, Louisa. Your grandfather just needs a bit of time to get used to the idea that you are getting married. And to get to know me—I mean, Smith.’
‘I am not giving up,’ she said, a little of the fire returning. ‘He will hate Tom Smith just as much tomorrow as he does today. But he wants to keep the money. That much is clear. It doesn’t really matter to him what happens to me,’ she said. ‘I can go with a husband, or without, but I will never see a penny of what was promised to me.’
‘The money is yours. He has no right to it. A will is a legal document and meant to be obeyed. One does not have to be aduke to know that. There is no justice in the world if people break the rules of the land and face no consequences.’
The smile she gave him now was weary. ‘I am aware of that fact. I have lived with it much longer than you have. While I am very grateful for what you have done, I have caused you enough trouble and do not wish to bother you further with this. Go back to London with my thanks. I will try to find a way out by myself.’
It was another first. He was not used to being patronised or dismissed, especially after a single mistake. He scowled and said, ‘I am sorry. I do not agree.’
‘That is not up to you,’ she sputtered as her expression shifted from calm resignation to a deliciously unguarded irritation. ‘This ismylife we are talking about.Myfuture.’
It was time to cast off the courteous Mr Smith to be himself again. ‘I am well aware of that. But I am honour-bound to continue.’
‘What does honour have to do with any of this?’ she asked impatiently.
‘I am a duke, am I not?’
‘That fact is not in question,’ she said dryly.
‘I am sure there is some expectation attached to the title about protecting innocents and helping young ladies in need.’
‘I have never heard of one,’ she said, still looking cross.
‘It is unwritten,’ he replied.
She was definitely angry, now. It was a pleasant change from cowed and miserable. ‘You think some imaginary rule entitles you to help me against my wishes?’
‘I do not think you truly wish to stay here,’ he said. ‘I think that, faced with your grandfather’s displeasure, you are accustomed to surrendering, that’s all. So you give up at the first obstacle.’
