Page 105 of How Not to Marry a Duke

Chapter Twenty

When the clock pinged its fifth chime the following afternoon, a knock sounded on Adeline’s door. She was surprised to find Warwick on her doorstep.

“My godmother paid me a visit,” he said.

Adeline stepped outside and shut the door behind her. Hasmik was in the kitchen, and she didn’t want her to overhear. “My goodness, so soon? Why?”

“She is meddling.”

She bit her bottom lip. “What should we do?”

“Nothing. The countess will not stay long. She has friends and social obligations in London.”

“You think to outlast her? Or that the solution to her visit is that simple?”

“I do. Time is on our side, and both of our family members will have to accept that our courtship is taking longer than most.”

His reasoning made sense. They’d known each other for only two months. It wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Only it felt like much longer. Looking up at Warwick’s tall frame, it felt right, like they were meant to be together as much as the moon and stars. How ridiculous. He’d been honest from the beginning. It was her own desires that had changed. She’d never regretted allowing him to make love to her. For her, it had been much more than simple desire.

Warwick may be far from a rogue or rake seeking to bed as many beautiful women as he could, but he was still a man, and lovemaking may not have been as earth-shattering for him as it had been for her. She’d once overheard Edwin speak with his friends as they’d callously bragged about their sexual conquests. She wondered if it was the same for all men, including Warwick. Even if he didn’t boast of his sexual relationships to others, had he felt the same connection, the same wonderful feeling of oneness she’d felt?

She was inexperienced, but she’d have sworn he cared for her more than a casual encounter. He’d made love to her with infinite tenderness and had ensured she’d received pleasure before his own.

“Are you on your way out?”

“I was headed to the village. A woman has a toothache.”

“That is the reason I’m here. You need to know just in case you run into Lady Heywood in the village.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“What will you do?”

“You needn’t concern yourself. I shall invite her to tea, of course, and convince her that all is well between us.”

…

Adeline was tired after treating the goat herder’s wife for her toothache. She was not a dentist and pulling a tooth was an unpleasant experience. Still, the woman was better off without a painful, rotting tooth.

She walked down the lane and her own cottage came in sight. She picked up her pace and looped the basket of herbs over her other arm. Henry was in his pen, dozing. Remus and Romulus barked, their tails down as she passed their kennel. She frowned at their incessant barking. It was unlike the dogs. They had been back to normal after her care. “What’s wrong, boys?”

She opened the cottage door to find Edwin standing inside the parlor. Dread pooled low in her gut.

He faced her. “Those two beasts have been barking since I stepped onto this property. I have a mind to put both down.”

Her breath stalled in her throat. “By God, what are you doing here?”

He stalked forward, his tall frame towering above her as he gave her a cold smile. “My brotherly duty is to check on my half sibling, even though she lacks manners and hospitality.”

“You’ve never bothered to conduct your brotherly duty in the past.”

“Not true. I’ve attempted to arrange your betrothal.”

Her breath stalled. Her fingers curled into fists. He had nerve to show up unannounced once more and threaten her. “If that is the purpose of your visit, do not waste my time or yours. Your repetitiveness is straining my nerves.”

She attempted to step by him, but he grasped her arm and yanked her toward him. Her shoes skidded on the hardwood floor, and she resisted his hold, but he was strong. He pulled her outside, then slammed the front door. Remus’s and Romulus’s barking intensified. Confined in their kennel, they were unable to protect her.

Edwin’s eyes narrowed with menace. His breathing was hard. “You lied, Adeline. Somehow you have pulled off a fraud.”