‘What will you get out of this marriage?’
That was a good question. He sipped his coffee and gave it some consideration.
‘Exactly,’ she said, before he could formulate an answer. ‘Nothing.’
That was probably what he would say as well, but he doubted it was what she wanted to hear, so he continued drinking his coffee.
‘And you don’t want to get married, do you? You are being forced into an arrangement you do not want.’
Again, that required no answer as she was simply stating a fact.
‘Well, I won’t do it. I will not marry a man who does not want to marry me.’
‘I’m afraid, like many other debutantes, that is exactly what you are going to have to do.’
‘No, I am not,’ she said, standing up, her expression defiant, her hands planted on her hips. ‘I can see you are going to be of no help whatsoever, so I’m going to have to put an end to this nonsense all by myself.’
With that she turned and stomped out of the room.
He raised his coffee cup to her retreating back and wished her good luck, but suspected the next time he saw Miss Whitmore it would be as she walked up the aisle towards the wedding altar.
The man was absolutely hopeless. Margaret would have slammed the front door behind her if the butler had not been standing politely at the open door, waiting for her to leave. As she stormed past him, she could only wonder how many other young women he had held the door open for in the same manner. Women who were departing in the early hours after having spent the night in the Duke’s bed.
Her fury increasing, she climbed back into the waiting hansom cab and gave the driver another Mayfair address. She still hadn’t visited her friend Alice to discuss the fake engagement. Now she would visit her and discuss how to get out of this unwanted marriage.
Alice had recently arrived in town, accompanied by her husband, the Earl of Thornwood, so she could visit the publisher of her children’s books. She was a sensible woman and Margaret was sure that between the two of them they would come up with a solution to this dilemma.
She knocked on the townhouse door and the footman ushered her into the drawing room. Alice soon appeared and, like the Duke, was dressed in her robe, her long brown hair falling around her shoulders.
‘Maggie, dear, what is it? What’s wrong?’ she asked, rushing towards her friend, her arms outstretched.
‘I’m to marry.’
Alice stopped in her tracks, her expression making it obvious that she did not yet realise what a disaster this was.
‘But your letter said it was not a real engagement, merely a convenience to get out of attending another Season. Am I to assume from your expression that this has changed?’
‘You assume correctly.’
Her friend called for a maid, then took her hands and led her to the settee. ‘Tell me all about it over a nice cup of tea.’
So Margaret did. She told Alice everything, from their first meeting at the Earl of Northwood’s weekend party to arriving at his house this morning to confront him. Although she did not mention that the Duke was still in his robe and she had momentarily allowed herself to be diverted by speculation as to whether or not he was naked underneath that thin garment. And had even, for one humiliating moment, wondered what the caressing silk fabric felt like against his skin.
‘So you kissed him?’ Alice asked, as if that was the most important part of her story.
‘Yes, and my, have I come to regret that one impulsive action.’
But was that entirely true? She definitely regretted the consequences of her actions, but she could never really regret that kiss. It had been heavenly. No, that was not correct. It had been devilishly wonderful. The Duke had caused her body to feel things she had not thought possible, and if her parents hadn’t interrupted, she no doubt would have urged him to continue giving her such wicked pleasure.
She looked at Alice, expecting her wise counsel, but she was staring at her in a peculiar manner.
‘Maggie, I think I know you well enough to be certain you would not kiss a man lightly.’
‘No, it wasn’t lightly,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Well, it was to start with, when I first kissed him. Then it became much more…’ She saw Alice’s bemused expression. ‘Oh, you mean it’s an action I would nottakelightly. Well, perhaps…maybe… I don’t know.’
Alice waited for her to explain and she knew they would not get around to formulating an escape plan from this marriage until she got the matter of the kiss out of the way.
‘All right, yes, I wanted to kiss the Duke. And yes, I find him extremely attractive, but I’m hardly the first woman to be bedazzled by him. The man is so damn handsome it should be illegal. He’s a menace to all women.’
