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“Now, we come to the particulars.”
“Ah, business-minded as well as athletic,” Elliot observed as he walked around her. “I can arrange everything with my solicitor tomorrow. If you give me your solicitor’s details, then they can talk directly about the dowry.”
“That would work.” With her agreement, they exchanged names and addresses of solicitors. “Can you get a special licence quickly?”
Elliot paused, thinking of the ways for them to marry. Without her guardian’s approval, it made things a little more difficult. They could go to Gretna Green, but such things took time. A special licence would work better and, as a duke, he had the connections needed to make one happen.
“I can. It will take me a few days.”
“That works for me. Let it be in under a week, though.” She lost her smile as she looked at him. “I fear how soon my stepmother will make me wed her nephew.” She shuddered, though she tried to cover it up by running her hands over her own arms.
“You fear him,” Elliot whispered, walking around her.
“What makes you say that?”
“That was not a shudder from the cold, Miss Townsend.” He urged her to raise the bow, not wanting her to dwell on this fear. “Take your shot. Just imagine it is the man you dislike so much.”
She smiled a little and took the shot. It was a perfect bullseye.
“You’ll have to give me some tips sometime.”
“I look forward to it.”
When she smiled, Elliot had an urge to lift his hand and brush a lock of hair back from her cheek, pushing it behind her ear, but he held himself back. This woman had power over him when they barely knew each other at all.
We are not even wed yet, and I wish to touch her as if we knew each other intimately indeed.
“You are standing rather close, Your Grace. We will draw whispers,” she said with a mischievous smile. “Though I can guess as to what is on your mind.” She brushed her fingers to her lips, reminding him of that kiss.
“I couldn’t deny it,” he confessed and lifted his bow and arrow, taking his final shot. This time, as he fired, he felt her hand come up to his arm, urging him not to pull to the left as he fired. Her touch worked, and he hit a bullseye.
“You’re getting better,” she approved, but Elliot didn’t answer her. He was too busy thinking of that touch.
Chapter 9
“I need witnesses,” Ophelia muttered as she walked toward the door of the house, reaching for her bonnet and her pelisse on the coat stand. She was in such a rush to get them on that she didn’t notice she was being watched, not until someone spoke from nearby, making her jump.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Ah! Gertrude.” Ophelia laid a hand to her chest, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat as she looked at her stepmother. Gertrude was standing in a doorway nearby, peering around the door in a blatant act of watching Ophelia. Her hands were tense as they gripped the door and her eyes were quite frantic, flicking back and forth.
“You seem to keep going out these days,” Gertrude said with tension as she walked into the hall.
“I am enjoying London life.” Ophelia hoped the lie sounded true as she hastened to tie her bonnet. As expected, her visit to the archery event the day before had not gone unnoticed. Gertrude had drawn attention to it more than once, but fortunately, Ophelia had managed to stop her stepmother from going too or sending a servant to accompany her.
If someone else had come, they would no doubt tell Gertrude of my meeting with the duke!
At the thought of the Duke of Northmore, she looked to the door. She was awaiting news from him today. He was visiting with his solicitor to start the preparations for their wedding and the transfer of the dowry.
It was not the first time Ophelia had vacillated in her decision, but she felt that hesitation now rising again. She had been so certain that this marriage would be a way to escape her stepmother and Lord Chester, but she kept reminding herself that she didn’t know the Duke of Northmore very well.
There may have been attraction between them, excitement, and a certain amount of jesting and teasing that made conversation really quite easy, but she knew nothing of his past. She knew nothing of who he really was in his heart.
I pray this is a good decision.
“Where are you going then?” Gertrude asked, following as Ophelia stepped toward the door.
“To see Margery,” Ophelia explained in a rush. “She and I are to take a walk this morning.”
