Page 21 of The Duke’s Matchmaker

She was torn. She did want the private conversation—she wanted to know what his problem was. But at the same time, the idea of ignoring him and not giving him what he so clearly wanted was delicious. She would have very much liked to remain in her seat and let him grow more frustrated.

The part of her that wanted answers won out. She got to her feet and hurried after him out into the hall, hoping that nobody was looking her way.

He was waiting for her just outside the door. “The garden,” he said, his voice tight.

“What?”

“We should take this out into the garden. We don’t want to be overheard.”

Dorothy shook her head, folding her arms. “Keep your voice down if you’re concerned about being overheard,” she said firmly. “We can pass it off as incidental if we’re discovered in a public hallway together, but if we’re found out in the garden, it will cause a scandal. I’m trying to help you marry, but there are limits to how much I will do. Especially when you seem utterly unwilling to make any attempt to further your own goals.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” He frowned at her.

“Are you jesting? I signaled you that Lady Isabelle was the right person for you to pursue. Did you fail to notice my signal?”

“I saw it,” he said.

“And yet you did nothing!”

He ground his teeth, his jaw clenching. “I don’t know who you think you are to speak to me in such a manner.”

“Nathaniel, why did you summon me out here?” she demanded. “I did everything you’ve asked of me. I helped you find the perfect lady. Do you have some problem with Lady Isabelle? Is she not up to your standards for some reason?”

“That isn’t it,” he said.

“Then what is it? I don’t know why you’ve dragged me out here. You seem as though you want to give me a scolding, but I can’t fathom why. I have done everything you could have expected of me.”

He sighed. “You never told me what to do once you had chosen a wife for me,” he said. “Am I just supposed to know?”

The question mystified her, so strongly that her anger dissipated. “What do you mean?” she asked. “I never told you what to do? You ought to speak to her. Let her know of your interest. Attempt to charm her.”

“So I should just…tell her that I’m interested in courtship with her?” Nathaniel asked. “I should ask her if she’s willing to consider being a mother to Colin?”

“No, of course not,” Dorothy replied, startled. “You wouldn’t want to drop it on her out of nowhere like that. You have to try to get to know her first, which you weren’t doing at all during that dinner. You barely spoke to her.”

Nathaniel threw up his hands. “Because I don’t know what to say!”

“Well, do I have to do everything for you?” she demanded. “Isn’t it enough that I’m choosing ladies for you without my having to put the words in your mouth? Surely you’re capable of managing some of this process by yourself.”

He turned his back on her.

Dorothy felt a rush of remorse. Had she been too hard on him?

No. He deserved that. He was the one who couldn’t manage anything on his own. He deserved to have it pointed out to him that he was being inordinately helpless.

He turned back around, and there was pain etched on his face. “I’ve never done this before,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I’ve never even wanted to do this before. I never learned how to do it because I never had any interest in it. And now…well, now I need to convince a lady to marry me, and I have no idea how to go about it. I don’t even know how to speak to a lady.”

“Yes you do,” she pointed out. “You’re speaking to me right now.”

He shook his head. “You know that’s different. You aren’t going to marry me. I speak to you the same way I would to any friend of mine.”

“Which is what you should do with Lady Isabelle!” Dorothy said.

He scowled at her. “Now I know you’re sabotaging me.”

“You can’t really think that. What on Earth would I stand to gain by sabotaging you in this?” she demanded. “It does me no good.”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Perhaps you think it’s funny to see me struggle.”