Page 20 of Raising the Duke’s Unexpected Twins

And then thoughts of dear Helen came to her mind. It made her lip quiver and her chest ache.

What would you have me do, Helen? Can I really marry him?

But of course, silly! He is much better than you think and much better than he wishes for anyone to believe. He will surprise you.

It was something she’d heard from Helen a number of times, that Nicholas was far better than she thought, though Cordelia had never been able to believe it. Opening her eyes, she noticed the oak tree at the far end of the garden, beyond which she and the duke had committed their dark deed.

“But I think I will surprise you at every turn.”

The duke’s words right before he kissed her still rung in her mind. He did surprise her but in many ways, he was exactly the same as she thought.

A perfect arse.

Later, at breakfast, everyone was quiet. Everyone except Danae.

“You were far too quiet yesterday at dinner, Cord. You must tell us about your conversation with the duke in the garden. Oh, I so want to have a conversation with a duke in a garden.”

Cordelia snorted with laughter, surprising herself out of her gloomy mood.

“It was nothing special, I can assure you.”

Her mother took a sip of tea and said, “He has a way about him, I’ll give him that. But I suppose that is the way of rakes.”

“Yes, it is. And everyone falls at his feet and becomes victim of his blue eyes and mouth and…” she trailed off.

“Mouth?” Danae asked, bright-eyed with interest.

“I only mean that, well, he talks quite a lot and as if he believes everyone to be interested in what he has to say,” Cordelia began to ramble, infuriated that a long night’s sleep had done little to put him from her mind.

“Ah, I see,” Fiona replied, with a secret smile on her lips.

Cordelia looked down at her breakfast plate. She did not wish to know what her mother’s secret smile was about.

“Well? Are you going to tell us about your discussion?” Danae asked before biting into a piece of toast.

“No, I shall not. For it was nothing of consequence. He seems to take great pleasure in vexing me, and so it was simply another opportunity for him to do that.”

“I could imagine him to be quite vexing,” Emma agreed, and Cordelia could have kissed her.

“But perhaps we could hear from you, Mama, what he said to you in the study?” Cordelia asked hopefully. “That is likely far more interesting.”

Before she answered, her mother took a long sip from her tea. “I’m sure he must have told you, but he was kind enough to come and ask me for your hand.”

“Kind enough,” Cordelia scoffed, buttering a slice of toast. “He has not a kind bone in his body.”

“He is marrying you for the sake of the children and giving them a comfortable home!” Danae cried.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, I have made my attempts to thank him for that, in a way, but he refuses to be seen as honorable. You see? He is a reprobate through and through. And his business! Disgraceful. Owner of a gambling den?” She shook her head and bit into the toast hard. “But he will not give it up.” She chewed away in frustration. “I don’t know what will come of the children with his influence.” When no one responded, and after she finished her tea, she sighed and got to her feet. “Forgive me. I am in no mood for company. I should take myself away.”

Before anyone could protest, she left and hurried away to her father’s study. Closing the door, she leaned back against it and let a slew of memories assail her at the familiar smell. Her father had allowed them into his study when he was alive, welcoming them in to join him as he worked. She smiled faintly at the memory and jumped when there was a knock at the door.

Opening it, she found Danae on the other side. “Cord? I want to speak to you.”

“Very well.” Cordelia opened the door and allowed her younger sister in.

“Isn’t this room marvelous?” Danae asked, looking around her and taking a deep breath just as Cordelia had done. “Father was one in a million.”

“So he was.” Cordelia went to sit in the chair by the empty hearth. “So you can see why I bristle so much at thoughts of marriage to such a man as the duke. Father was the farthest thing from a rake or a man who would manipulate another to gain his own advantage.”