She refused to think about his kiss and the way it had brought her body alive through the most extraordinary series of sensations. She had never been kissed before, had suffered a head injury, and had spent the night sleeping in a damp hut. Of course her insides were in a jumble. Her reaction meant nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
The duke reached the gig, deposited her in the centre of the seat, and climbed up beside her. Lord Merrow swung up on the other side and took up the ribbons, leaving Sanderson to walk behind.
‘How come Sanderson is here?’ the duke asked.
‘When the rain started and you hadn’t returned, Mrs. Aston became very agitated and I thought it best to ride back to Endersby and fetch Lady Calder. She handled the situation magnificently and calmed Mrs. Aston down.’ Harriet threw him a grateful smile. ‘I also brought Sanderson back, thinking he would know the lie of the land and be able to suggest where you might have taken shelter.’
‘I dare say Miss Aston’s workers would have the advantage of him there,’ the duke remarked, his tone mildly critical.
‘They are out searching, too. We reasoned you must be somewhere on the furthest reaches of the estate, otherwise you would have returned to the house, even if you got soaked in the process. That’s why we started with the more remote areas first.’
Mrs. Aston’s relief at the sight of her daughter turned into hysterical sobs when she espied her wound. ‘We have been beside ourselves! I’m sure I don’t know what would become of us all if you were to be taken ill, Harri.’
The duke, in his usual autocratic manner, dismissed Harriet’s assurances that she was well able to walk. She felt herself blush when he lifted her from the gig, carried her into the parlour and placed her on a settee.
‘You are a constant source of distress to your poor Mama,’ said an accusatory male voice.
‘Here again, Mr. Binstead?’
‘I was happy to lend your mother my reassurance in her time of need.’
Harriet refrained from rolling her eyes, only because the strain it put on her wound made her wince.
‘Should we send for the doctor?’ Mrs. Aston asked between sobs.
Lady Calder removed the duke’s handkerchief and examined the extent of Harriet’s injuries. She winced when dried blood caused it to stick to her skin. ‘I don’t think she’s badly hurt. Just warm water and a clean dressing will do the trick. A day or two’s rest should see her fully restored to health. Thank you for coming, Mr. Binstead,’ Lady Calder added, looking up briefly at the beadle, ‘but you may return to your duties now.’
Harriet smiled with satisfaction. Mr. Binstead clearly knew when he had met his match and prepared to take his leave.
‘I thank the good Lord this episode had a happy ending,’ he said, bowing to the duke, who ignored him. ‘I cannot tell you how concerned I was for your poor mama’s sensibilities when word of it reached my ears.’
‘And how exactly did you hear of it so soon?’ Harriet asked.
‘Once the news reached Endersby, it soon spread throughout the district.’ He twisted his hat through his hands. ‘Naturally, I came at once to offer my assistance.’
The duke frowned at the beadle, who took the hint and finally left. An unnatural silence fell over the crowded room once he had gone.
‘I have no intention of resting,’ Harriet said, in no frame of mind to be cosseted. ‘There’s nothing wrong with me and I have business to attend to.’
‘Ben can manage in the mill, Harri.’ James’s eyes were huge with concern. ‘And I shall help him.’
Harriet squeezed her brother’s hand, even as she set her jaw in stubborn defiance. She felt control had been wrested from her and wasn’t at all happy about the situation. She could feel the duke’s sombre eyes trained upon her.
‘A word in private, if you please, Mrs. Aston,’ he said.
‘No!’ Harriet attempted to come between the duke and her mother.
All eyes were on the duke, and no one appeared to hear Harriet’s protest. Really, the man was impossibly arrogant. Helpless to prevent the pair leaving the room, she swore under her breath. Damn it, he should have consulted her first! She hadn’t actually agreed to anything and felt as though she was being bamboozled into matrimony very much against her will.
Well, quite against it.
Harriet fumed in silent frustration for what seemed like an eternity, but which could not have been more than a few minutes. Charlotte was talking quietly with Lord Merrow and had displayed no particular concerns about Harriet’s condition. In fact, she looked rather petulant. Lady Calder had just finished dressing Harriet’s wound. The boys were hanging about in front of fire, kicking their heels, and Harriet was left alone with her thoughts.
But not for long. Mrs. Aston’s excited squeal aroused the curiosity of rest of the party. Are you sure you really wish to marry a lady whose mother squeals, Your Grace? Harriet thought as her mother dashed back into the room, her lovely face animated, and it was with a degree of inevitability that Harriet submitted to her embrace.
‘Oh, Harri, why did you not say something immediately? You shouldn’t tease your poor mother thus.’
‘What is it, Mama?’ Charlotte asked, her head jerking up.
‘The duke has just asked for my permission to marry Harri.’
‘No!’ Charlotte’s expression was incredulous. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Charlotte, you forget yourself,’ Lady Calder said.
‘When will the happy event take place?’ Mrs. Aston asked.
‘I shall arrange for a special licence and, if you are agreeable,’ Marc said, inclining his head in Harriet’s direction, ‘then a ceremony in the chapel at Endersby could be arranged for Thursday week.’
‘So soon?’
Harriet accepted she had been outmanoeuvred and would have to go through with this charade. She should have anticipated that he would speak to her mother at the first opportunity, because he seemed absolutely determined to do the right thing by her. If her mother had asked her if she was sure, there might have been a chance of escaping, which is absolutely what she wanted to do. But now her fate was sealed.
‘I see little profit in delaying matters.’
Harriet could think of a dozen reasons why they should do precisely that but could hardly voice her doubts in front of her family. ‘Very well,’ she said quietly.
‘Oh, Harri, how shall we manage things so quickly?’ Mrs. Aston clapped her hands in delightful anticipation. Charlotte, on the other hand, displayed a countenance that was puce, her lovely features twisted into an expression of envy and disbelief.
‘Harri,’ said Lady Calder in a quiet aside. ‘Am I being called upon to congratulate you, or rescue you from an unfortunate misunderstanding?’
‘Congratulations appear to be the only course open to you, Aunt,’ Harriet replied. ‘I doubt there’s anything you can say that would persuade your nephew to release me from our ridiculous agreement.’
‘You make it sound as though you have been condemned.’
‘That is exactly how I feel,’ she replied with a wan smile.
‘I don’t believe it!’ cried Charlotte, making no further effort to conceal her jealousy. ‘Life is so unfair!’
Pandemonium ensued. Giles pumped the duke’s hand and bestowed hearty congratulations upon the affianced couple. Harriet was able to find some amusement in the situation, since neither of them looked exactly besotted. The duke’s features were arranged in their customary expression of detachment. Harriet probably looked as despondent as she felt. She said very little and eventually, pleading her injury as an excuse, rose from the settee and made for her chamber, refusing all offers of assistance from the duke.
Harriet didn’t know how long she slept, but was surprised she could sleep at all at such a time. A light tap on her door roused her, and she was relieved to discover it was Lady Calder seeking her out, a tray of tea in her hand. There was no one whose company she would have preferred at such a
moment, no one to whom she could speak more candidly about her situation, or anyone whose advice she would value more.
‘Are you feeling rested, Harri?’ she asked, smiling.
‘I feel much better, thank you, Aunt.’
‘Then drink some tea and tell me what troubles you.’
‘What troubles me!’ She spilt hot tea over the coverlet in her agitation. ‘How can you ask such a question?’
‘But I do ask it, Harri. You have just become engaged to one of the richest gentlemen in England. Surely that ought to be an occasion for joy?’
‘Your nephew doesn’t wish to marry me for myself. He’s merely combining his sense of honour with his requirement for a wife who will give him an heir. He admitted as much. We were forced by circumstances to spend the night together—quite innocently, I might add—but the duke considers my reputation has been compromised and offered to marry me out of some misguided notion of chivalry.’
‘Oh, Harri, how can you say that?’
‘Very easily! I have no interest in being married, but if I were to change my mind it would only be because I had met a man whom I truly loved.’ She paused, the anger draining out of her as she gave voice to her concerns. ‘Your nephew is incapable of loving anyone.’
‘Are you surprised, after the things I’ve told you about his early life?’
She shrugged. ‘What is that to me?’
‘Why did you agree to the engagement, Harri?’
‘I didn’t. He just rode roughshod over my objections and spoke to Mama before I could prevent him. Once he had done that, there was nothing I could do. Besides, he pointed out that Charlotte’s reputation would be tainted by association, and I couldn’t live with myself if I was responsible for thwarting her marital ambitions.’
‘But will it be so bad, being married to such an influential man? He may be a little cold in his manner, but he won’t treat you unkindly.’
‘Perhaps, but he’s forcing me into the union against my will!’ she responded in agitation. ‘Although, I suppose, his conditions are more than generous.’
‘And what might they be?’
Harriet explained his willingness for her to run the cider mill, and his intention of providing the funds necessary to restore the business to good order.
‘That does sound remarkably generous. It seems to me you will have the best of both worlds. Not many gentlemen would allow their wives such latitude.’
‘He’s only doing so because he doesn’t want me under his feet the whole time,’ Harriet replied, refusing to be mollified. ‘There is only one purpose he requires me for.’
Lady Calder patted Harriet’s hand and then stood up. ‘I shall return to Endersby now and leave you in peace. Your mother has invited us all to dine here this evening. I shall ensure Marcus and I arrive before the prescribed hour and, if you are feeling well enough to hear it, I shall explain my brother’s reasons for offering your family the tenancy of Matlock House. If you are to marry my nephew, I think it only right you should both know beforehand.’
‘Thank you, Aunt Alicia. I confess to being as curious as ever.’ She summoned up a smile. ‘And who knows, perhaps your explanation will provide me with a legitimate excuse to withdraw from the engagement?’
‘That, my dear,’ Lady Calder replied, bending to kiss her brow, ‘is not my intention.’
Chapter Nine
Aware that it wouldn’t take long for the news of his impending nuptials to reach the dowager’s ears, Marc penned her a few lines to inform her personally of his choice of bride. He allowed himself one of his rare smiles as he anticipated her reaction. Despite what she would undoubtedly think, it was not his intention to anger her. He merely insisted upon conducting his own affairs without interference.
Arriving early for his dinner engagement at Matlock House in the company of Lady Calder and Giles, Marc was told Mr. Binstead had once again inflicted himself upon the family. He was in private conversation with Mrs. Aston in the small parlour. Marc, who already shared Harriet’s suspicions in respect to the man, positioned himself outside the open door and listened to their conversation.
‘It would indeed be a most advantageous match for your daughter, Mrs. Aston, but I can’t persuade myself it would be a happy one.’
‘Whatever can you mean by that, Mr. Binstead?’
‘Please don’t think I speak out of turn when I offer you the benefit of my advice. Since your husband’s demise I have done my humble best to look out for your interests and cannot remain silent when I see you making ill-advised decisions. The duke is a great man but, forgive me for saying it, your daughter comes from humbler stock. Would she really be comfortable mixing in the elevated circles inhabited by His Grace? She can be a little outspoken, and I can’t imagine someone with the duke’s irascible temperament tolerating such conduct.’
Mrs. Aston gasped. ‘You think he would ill-treat her?’
‘He would likely crush her spirit. He is not, by all accounts, an agreeable gentleman.’
Marc wondered why the beadle was so violently opposed to his plans, but was damned if he would allow him to run on about a subject which didn’t concern him. Aware that Harriet was still averse to the match, he wondered how she would react if she knew she had an unlikely ally in Binstead. It would probably be enough to make her have a change of heart. He strode into the room, bestowing a scathing glance upon Binstead, who paled visibly before remembering his manners, jumping to his feet and bowing low.
‘Leave here immediately,’ Marc said curtly, ‘and don’t show yourself at Matlock House again without my express permission.’
Binstead, his face now as red as the kerchief that spilled from his breast pocket, backed out of the door so quickly he almost tripped over the rug. Marc watched him go, then bent over Mrs. Aston’s hand.
‘You have my assurance that your daughter will receive no ill treatment at my hand.’
‘I had not supposed she would, Your Grace, but Mr. Binstead—’
‘Is quite wrong.’
Having set Mrs. Aston’s concerns to rest, Marc went in search of Harriet herself, and was cheered to find her looking better. She was dressed in the same evening gown she had worn in London and, apart from the discreet dressing covering her wound and the pallor of her complexion, she seemed to have recovered from her ordeal.
‘I rejoice to see you looking in better health.’ Marc received her permission to take the chair beside hers. ‘Do you feel quite well?’
‘There is nothing wrong with me physically,’ she replied as they waited for Lady Calder to join them. ‘Release me from this ridiculous engagement and my recovery will be complete.’
Marc raised a brow, then lifted one hand and framed her jaw with his fingers, fleetingly brushing his lips against hers. ‘Am I so repellent to you?’
She shook her head, forcing him to release her face. ‘I have no wish to marry a man whom I do not love.’
‘You set too much store by love, Harriet. In my experience, it’s a greatly overrated emotion that creates all manner of problems. I am perfectly satisfied with our agreement.’
‘I don’t recall agreeing to anything.’
‘You are charming when roused,’ Marc replied, impressed by her genuine disregard for all the material benefits she would derive from the union.
Lady Calder entered the room, bringing a halt to a discussion destined to leave both participants feeling frustrated, albeit in very different ways. She smiled at them, not appearing to sense the resentment radiating from Harriet, or Marc’s satisfaction, which manifested itself by nothing more extreme than a droll expression.
‘Well my dears, now that I have you alone together, I would offer you my warmest felicitations.’ Harriet’s frown produced an amused chuckle from her godmother. ‘You have chosen wisely, Marcus, but be aware, your future wife is unlikely to be docile.’
‘I had already reached the same conclusion,’ he responded calmly.
‘You were going to explain Uncle Frederick
’s reasons for granting us a tenancy of Matlock House,’ Harriet reminded her.
‘Indeed I was.’ Lady Calder paused to gather her thoughts. Harriet tapped her slippered foot impatiently. ‘But before I begin, it is important for you both to understand that as a young man, my brother was widely indulged and given a vast amount of freedom. Not unnaturally, he ran a little wild, and it was during that period he first met your mother, Harri.’
‘I was unaware they had been acquainted,’ Harriet said, raising both brows, looking as intrigued as Marc himself felt.
‘Oh, they were very well acquainted.’ Marc nodded, suspecting he knew what Lady Calder was about to say. ‘Clara was not much older at the time than Charlotte is now. But few knew of their liaison. Your mother was the daughter of a gentleman farmer hereabouts. Frederick had cause to call upon him while in the district. He was immediately taken by your mother’s charms and a tendre developed between them.’ Harriet gasped and opened her mouth to ask a question. Marc patted her hand, encouraging her to remain silent. ‘Frederick was madly in love. So too was your mother. My brother, who was used to having his own way in everything, saw no reason why they shouldn’t marry, even though she had no fortune to bring to the marriage. She was not quite as well-bred as her aristocratic admirer, but a young man doesn’t stop to consider such matters when he is in love.’
‘Perhaps he would be wise to do so,’ she remarked sweetly, glaring at her intended.
‘Perhaps he should have had the courage of his convictions,’ Marc countered.
‘He would have gone through with the union, in spite of your mother’s want of fortune, but when my father found out about them he intervened and the couple were immediately separated. I have never seen my father half so put out before. He reminded Frederick very strongly about his duty to the family. We were in dire financial straits at the time and my brother knew very well that he was expected to marry for money. It broke his heart to separate from your mother, Harri, but he had no choice but to comply with our father’s wishes. Belatedly recalling what was expected of him, he knew he could not let the family down.’
A Duke by Default: Dangerous Dukes Vol 3 Page 10