Page 8 of A Duke to Save Her


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“You could marry me,” he let out, grinning at her.

Eloise laughed. The thought was absurd. She rose to her feet and shook her head.

“You’ve been very kind. But I must go back inside,” she stated, blushing, but he rose to his feet and stepped in front of her, still smiling at her as he held out his hand.

“I mean it, marry me.” Eloise stared at him in disbelief.

CHAPTER4

It seemed an utter absurdity. Eloise could hardly believe what he was saying, despite the sincerity of the way he said it. She had known him for a few brief moments, and now he was suggesting marriage.

“Your Grace, I…” she began, but he interrupted her.

“Think about it. I don’t mean marriage in the conventional sense. I mean a marriage of convenience. Convenient for us both. You won’t have to marry Lord Crawford. It’ll appease your father. And I’ll receive my inheritance from my uncle. It’s perfect. We can get married and live separate lives. You can continue your search for your sister. You’ve said yourself you don’t want to marry properly until she’s found. Well, on that happy day, we’ll… seek an annulment,” he finished.

Eloise thought about this for a moment. It was a remarkable idea, one which certainly had its merits. Jackson was right. A marriage of convenience would be an ideal solution to both of their problems. Eloise’s father had not made Lord Crawford the sole object of his intentions. If Eloise was to announce she was marrying another man, he would surely be equally happy. She sat back down on the bench and pondered the matter for a moment.

But would it besmirch Alice’s memory?She tried to imagine what her sister would say if she were there at that moment.

But so long had passed since Eloise had enjoyed her sister’s counsel that she did not know what Alice would say under such circumstances. Marrying Jackson would allow her to continue the search, and that was Eloise’s one desire – to find her sister and bring her home.

“It would need to look convincing,” she cautioned, and Jackson nodded.

“It could be so. Why not dance with me now? Your father would see, and you could tell him we met here in the garden. It’s the truth, isn’t it? We can dance in front of the whole ton. They’ll all see us, and it’ll stop Lord Crawford’s lascivious attentions, too,” Jackson said, offering Eloise his arm.

She smiled at him and nodded, her spirits lifted by the possibility of the ploy they could enact together. It was so remarkable as to be almost possible, even as she imagined a hundred things that could go wrong. Together, they made their way across the garden and up the steps onto the terrace. Several of the other guests were taking the air, and they looked in surprise at Eloise and Jackson, walking arm in arm back into the assembly rooms.

“There’s Lord Crawford,” Eloise whispered, nodding towards the refreshment table, where the unpleasant aristocrat was deep in conversation with his sisters.

“Then let’s join the throng and allow them to notice us,” Jackson declared.

A waltz had just struck up, and Jackson stepped back and offered Eloise his hand. She smiled at him, grateful for his kindness. The ballroom was now lit by candles – hundreds of them in sconces around the walls – and Eloise and Jackson whirled and twirled together across the floor, caught up in the throng of dancers, who noticed the new couple joining them.

“You dance very well,” Eloise said, and Jackson laughed.

“As do you. A true pleasure.” He beamed.

They passed Eloise’s father, who was deep in conversation with an elderly gentleman Eloise did not recognize. But as they passed, the Viscount looked up in surprise, catching Eloise’s eye as she and Jackson danced past. He spluttered and rose to his feet.

“Eloise? What’re you doing?” he exclaimed.

“It’s quite all right, My Lord. I’m taking good care of her,” Jackson called out, and Eloise laughed at the sight of her father’s face turning red with anger.

Lord Crawford, too, looked on in outrage. He was clearly used to getting his way, and Eloise’s rejection caused him to shake his fist, as his two sisters whispered vehemently behind their fans and cast dagger-like glances towards the couple. But Eloise did not mind. For once, she was enjoying herself, as unexpected as that was. She had come to the ball that evening with the express intention of being miserable, but meeting Jackson had lightened her mood considerably and presented her with an intriguing solution to her problems. She had not yet decided for certain if she was to marry him, but the offer was enough to make her troubles feel lighter, and she was only so glad to be in his company.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Eloise said, as they stepped breathlessly out of the throng.

“Isn’t it marvelous? It’s the perfect ruse. But we’ve got to make it look right. We need to be convincing,” Jackson whispered, as several of the other guests looked at them in surprise.

“But how?” Eloise asked, noticing her father now striding towards them.

“Like this.” Without warning, Jackson pulled Eloise into his embrace and kissed her.

It was not the mere peck on the cheek or the touching of lips. He kissed her with all the passion of a man who is truly in love. Eloise did not resist, as surprised as she was by his action, and responded in kind. There was nothing unpleasant in his touch. His strong arms enveloped her, his lips were sweet and soft, and his kiss aroused in her such overwhelming feelings.

“Like that…” she gasped, as their lips parted, and he smiled at her.

“What’s the meaning of this, Eloise?” her father demanded, catching her by the arm and pulling her around to face him.

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