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“Father,” Hermione turned back to him, preparing to argue, “I do not think–”
“What you think is irrelevant,” he said, his voice hissing with anger as he stepped toward her. “Need I remind you that in a matter of days your secret could reach this town? What then? The Duke will hardly marry you when he hears how your last betrothed abandoned you. Then Phoebe will be condemned to a life of spinsterhood too.”
She hung her head, looking away from her father.
“Go to him,” he ordered.
Hermione looked up just enough to see Phoebe on the verge of tears, really quite frightened by the argument, and Cordelia was clasping a hand to her mouth, somewhat upset too.
“I’ll go,” she said, desperate to ease some of the pain in her family’s faces.
“Good,” the Earl took her arm and began to steer her toward the house with Cordelia following closely behind them. As Hermione reached the door, she glanced back to her sister, seeing Phoebe trying to stop tears before they could fall, then someone else appeared in the garden.
Officer Stenham was walking through the garden when he spotted Phoebe. Rather pleasingly, he walked straight toward her and seemed to offer to join her in her game. The smile that spread across Phoebe’s face made Hermione sigh with envy. At least one of them had a reason to smile.
Hermione was towed through the back corridors of the house, up to the entrance hall near the front where her father pointed through the window at what was happening outside. The carriage was already in place and the Duke was standing beside it, talking to the butler as he prepared to get inside.
“Go,” her father urged her. “And do not mess this up.” She cursed inwardly at his words before stepping out through the door. On the front step, she glanced back to the window, fearful that her father would watch her, peering through the glass. She had committed now, regardless. She had to do this, she reminded herself. For Phoebe’s sake.
She hurried toward the carriage, seeing the Duke look at her just as the butler bid him goodbye and walked past her into the house.
“I thought you were playing a game with your sister?” he asked.
“You noticed?” She felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She was startled; for the last three days they had barely seen each other at all. His words now suggested he had been taking note of just where she was.
“I did,” he said, turning to the carriage door as though the conversation were over. “If you would excuse me, Lady Hermione, I am off out today.”
“May I join you?” She tried to hide the trembling of her hands behind her back as she asked him. He paused with one foot up on the step of the carriage before turning back to look at her.
“I do not think that is for the best,” he said quietly, glancing up to the footman and coach driver at the front of the carriage. Whilst he was distracted, she glanced back to the window of the house. She could just see the top of her father’s head before he bent back down again, below the window frame.
“Why not?” She pretended innocence, taking a step toward the Duke.
“Well,” he whispered to her, turning away from the coach driver and footman, “you do not bring out my best behavior as you have seen with your own eyes.” The flirtation made her blush. She could feel the heat reddening her cheeks. “And do not blush so, or you’ll make me want to change my answer.”
“I can hardly help it,” she pointed out, looking up at him and catching his gaze.
“Hmm, debatable,” he said with a smirk, making her own smile drop. “Return to your game, Lady Hermione. I must be off.”
Dismayed he was about to leave, and that she had failed in her task, she found desperation tinging her voice. “Please?” she said the one word only. He froze once more on the step before turning back to look at her.
“Why?” he asked, taking his foot off the step and turning to her with folded arms.
“I’m sorry?” She was startled by his question.
“Why do you wish to come with me?” he said, whispering to her as he glanced once more to the staff at the front of the carriage.
“Good company,” she said with a teasing smile, watching as a laugh fell from him.
“Now, I know you are lying,” he said, pointing at her. “You were certainly most put out by my company before.”
“That is not true,” she argued.
“All right, not put out. You may have found me a little…” he paused, trailing off, tempting Hermione to offer her own words.
“Forward? Arrogant? A little rude?” she asked.
“Is there a compliment in there somewhere?” he chuckled.
