Page 4 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

He frowned at the reaction.

“Not that one,” Thornston said beside him and Robert turned toward him.

“What do you mean?”

“She is obviously an innocent looking for a quick match, and since you are not… well.”

“Yes, I am certainly not an innocent,” Robert deadpanned as he leaned closer. Thornston grinned, and Robert could not help but smile himself.

“You’re telling me you are looking for a wife?”

Robert was not. He had thought Lucretia would marry him when she was out of mourning over her husband. He had waited for years, hoping from a distance – and then she had chosen someone else. A Prussian prince for Pete’s sake. Robert had thought that as a duke he would never have to worry that she would find someone with a higher title; he had been wrong.

“I have never felt for any man the way I feel for him,” Lucretia had exclaimed.

Robert had left the room before he told her that he had never felt for any woman the way he felt for her.

But that was six months ago, and he could not deny that he had started to think he might be ready to look for a wife. Perhaps next season. He did want a large brood of children and when it could not be with Lucretia, then… well… he would look at the selection next season with fresh eyes and court whoever caught his interest. Although just the thought of courtship drained him of energy.

“I am telling you to mind your own business. Should you not be looking for a sad matchmaking mama to warm your bed?”

Thornston’s grin was widening as Robert spoke.

“Oh, but I have already made progress on several fronts in that regard.” He grinned and Robert could not help but smile. Thornston was incurable when it came to his pursuit of women, but also highly entertaining company. And loyal to a fault.

“Excuse me, Your Grace,” someone said in front of them and both men turned.

Robert was surprised to find the woman he had spotted on the other side of the room standing right in front of him.

“I know this is highly irregular since we have not been introduced before, so I will start by introducing myself. My name is Josephine Hawkins. The daughter of Mr. Humphrey Hawkins from Hampshire.” The woman took a pause to breathe.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Hawkins,” Robert said, hoping to sound pleasant enough but also to let her know that this was extremely unusual behavior.

Beside him Robert could feel Thornston smirking and from the corner of his eye he could see Miss Hawkins’ companion wringing her hands.

“Yes, well, I am pleased to make yours too, Lord Riddlesmarsh,” Miss Hawkins said. Her shoulders stiffened slightly as she spoke, the first true sign that she was nervous. “I thought we might both benefit from an… an alliance. I know you need an heir and I… I need a husband. Otherwise, my cousin will take my money, and he will sell my cottage by the sea, and I cannot let him do that.”

The last part came out in a burst that let him know how deep her predicament was.

Thornston was coughing loudly to hide the fact that he was trying not to grin openly into the poor woman’s face.

Robert kept his face blank. Even if the situation was atrocious, being proposed to outright in the middle of a ballroom, at least this woman did not deserve that he laughed at her. He racked his brain for a proper response.

Someone cackled loudly and drew his attention away from the situation before him. A group of men, slightly younger than himself, were standing to the side. At a distance where he was not certain whether they were able to hear or not. All of them were turned in their direction though and it was evident that they were laughing at Miss Hawkins. Robert felt his protective instincts rise as he looked at them. Miss Hawkins might have been unconventionally outspoken, but she did not deserve such outright mockery.

The woman in question had glanced at them as well before meeting Robert’s eyes with flaming red cheeks. Her jaw was clenched and her right hand was clutching her reticule so tightly that he thought she might swing it at them.

“My cousin,” she said below her breath.

Robert scowled at the group who had the decency to cease laughing and turn away from them.

“Why don’t you tell me of your predicament, Miss Hawkins? We could go for a walk in the garden; the weather is lovely.”

He could tell her no in the garden, rather than the ballroom, and help her save face in front of her cousin. And then he would follow Thornston’s example of finding a woman to spend the night with. It was time he buried his feelings for Lucretia once and for all – and someone else might help him do just that.

“This is my friend, Mrs. Beatrice Oakley,” Miss Hawkins gestured to the curvy woman with dark brown hair who had been wringing her hands earlier.

Robert appreciated that she let him know that she would be properly chaperoned. He introduced Thornston who opted to stay behind, then offered Miss Hawkins his arm. She took it tentatively and walked with him to the garden, right past the group of young men.