“I will have your answer, Miss Adeline. I do not have all night to linger over your indecision and lack of concern for your reputation.”
The retort strangled in her throat. He was insufferable, but it seemed the duke truly wanted to marry her. “I am sure, Your Grace, you see how shocking your…your…offer is. You are a duke and I…” She swallowed past the lump that had somehow formed in her throat. What was she? A simple lady with simple pleasures not made for the grandiosity of being a duchess. “I have nothing to offer you, no dowry or suitable connections.”
“Once again you are overlooking the obvious, we must marry.”
Adel winced. She had little option but to say yes to his proposal. “I never imagined I would have a grand love story. But I at least thought there would be some affection between me and my husband. Some common interest…a spark of something deeper than duty and obligation to society’s judgment,” she said softly.
The man before was so aloof, she wondered fleetingly if it had been someone else in the dark. She did not believe he even liked her.
“It is tempting to offer you false flattery to save you from your foolhardy actions, but I despise deceit. I will not promise you tender sentiments. All the love I had to give is buried six feet beneath the earth, in the family vault in the churchyard of our parish church.” His tone was autocratic and unrepentant. “People marry for duty, for material considerations and for offspring. If you are naive enough to want a marriage based on love, please walk away from my offer and face society’s derision and scorn with your Mr. Atwood. I have endured torment and loss, and its bitter taste is one I have no wish to suffer ever again. The false illusion of love I will not offer you.”
The slow thud of her heart was painful. The duke’s words were so cold and emotionless. Adel firmly believed a couple closely aligned must fall deeply into tender romance. Even her father and Lady Margaret appeared besotted at times.
“It must be terribly lonely to have such beliefs.”
“Yet I am quite contented.”
Was he not at all affected by her impulsiveness? Did he not rail that he would no longer wed Evie? “And Lady Evelyn?”
He arched a brow. “I have already surmised Lady Evelyn is the reason you entered my chamber in error.”
Adel could not refute the truth of his words. They were standing distressingly close, yet Adel was unable to withdraw from his false comforting warmth. “Then what do you offer, Your Grace?”
“I offer you your own home and my name, Miss Adeline.”
Yearning struck her in the stomach, thick and undeniable. A family…of her own, and she would be a duchess, more powerful than a countess and be positioned to aid her younger sisters. But surely Wolverton must think her beneath his ilk.
“I offer you power and wealth. I will promise you faithfulness, the protection of my name and title.”
“But not the more tender sentiments.”
“Yes.”
“You would consign us to a cold union .”
“I would save your reputation, give you a life of privilege you can only imagine, and in turn you will provide a comforting presence for my daughters.”
Oh. “And will you allow me to comfort you when needed?” She had no idea where the provocatively bold thought came from, but he seemed too reserved. She felt a fleeting sense of triumph that she had pierced his armor when shock flared in his gaze before he lowered his eyes…to her lips.
A curious heat filled Adel. Was he perhaps thinking of kissing her? As if he had heard her wanton thoughts he dipped his head even further. The duke visibly shuddered and the reaction was quiet enthralling. “Why do you tremble?”
A soft curse hissed from him, and she blushed at the vulgarity.
Chapter Seven
“Your utterances, Your Grace, are ungentlemanly.”
“Censure from a young lady that climbed into a man’s bed with flagrant disregard for society’s expectation… bloody hell,” Edmond incised quite deliberately.
She stared at him in ill-concealed shock. “You disapprove of me.”
Earlier he had spoken at length to his host and hostess, and despite Lady Gladstone’s anger, she had previously thought Miss Adeline a sensible young lady, a good friend, and companion to her daughter. A better man than he would have felt guilty for taking advantage of her embarrassing situation, but he’d never deluded himself as to being good. “Forgive my rudeness,” he said, stepping even farther away. “I do not.”
Her eyes were widened, and her face was flushed becomingly. Too becomingly.
He would have to be ruthless in guarding his response to this female. If he were to marry her and keep his sanity, there would be no more kisses or talks of her providing comfort. Though he had belatedly realized she had not meant the comfort of being buried deep inside of what he knew would be the tightest sheath.