by Dawn Brower
Bloody hell...
If he wanted to see her, it looked like he would have to deal with her geese. Bumble and Beetle were annoying creatures; however, she was worth the effort. At least he thought so. He’d have to become better acquainted with her before he made up his mind entirely. He would see her. Grant would not turn around as if he feared a pair of geese.
He slowed his pace. Grant didn’t want to appear too anxious to see her. He would much rather have her believe this trek hadn’t been about her at all. He had to ensure that their relationship progressed, and if he seemed eager, it might dissuade her from spending time with him. She was tossing feed toward the geese as he approached the cottage. The little heathens gobbled up their food. She giggled as they flapped their wings and squawked. Grant barely suppressed a shudder.
“I see you haven’t made them dinner yet,” he drawled. Her head jerked upward, and he met her gaze. Grant tilted his lips upward into a smile. Perhaps if he tried being pleasant, she wouldn’t go on the defensive.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I wondered if you might go for a walk with me.” That sounded reasonable enough. He hoped that she would say yes, but he suspected she might protest. At least at first. Grant fully expected to change her mind.
“Thank you, but I must decline.” She glanced up at the sky. “It could start raining again.”
By some miracle, even the mist had stopped. Grant didn’t care if rain poured down, he was not giving up now that he had her before him. He hadn’t waited three days for the rain to go away, to quit now. She was here, before him, and he would keep moving forward with her. “Are you afraid of the rain?” He kept his tone light so he could charm her.
“Is anyone afraid of rain?” she retorted. “I’m definitely not, but I prefer not getting drenched. As a rule, I stay inside if it is raining to prevent that very thing. You should consider that in the future.”
Grant almost laughed at her chastisement; however, he decided against it. Something told him that if he did, he’d regret it. She didn’t seem the type that liked anything resembling laughter associated with something she said in a serious tone. He might be wrong, but he didn’t believe so. “I’ll consider your words of wisdom.” He winked. “But a little rain doesn’t hurt anyone, and besides the sky is clear.” He gestured toward the bright blue and cloudless canvas above them. “I do believe that we don’t have to worry about unnecessary wetness. At least not for the rest of the day.”
She sighed. “You will not let this idea of yours go, will you?”
“Not likely,” he replied in a jovial tone. “It’s best to agree now and avoid a disagreement.”
He was winning her over. Grant could feel it in his bones. She’d say yes, and that was the first step toward making her his.
She tilted her head to the side. So far, her geese had been too busy eating to notice him. Grant hoped they continued to pay more attention to their food, but that couldn’t last forever. She had to say yes. He sent up a silent prayer for some otherworldly assistance. He wasn’t too proud to ask for help. It seemed as if with this particular woman, he could use all the help offered to him.
Amelia shouldn’t want to go for a walk with the Duke of Darling, but she did. Her attraction to him was unending, and she wanted to be with him. It didn’t matter that he didn’t recognize her or that she fully believed this suggestion of his stemmed from a state of ennui. Darling didn’t want or desire her in any fashion. She was a challenge, and clearly she’d issued one by refusing to give him her name.
She sighed. Again. Amelia couldn’t seem to help it when he was around. “I still think it’s not a good idea to walk when it could start raining any moment now.”
“What fun is it to always do the proper thing,” he retorted. “You have to take risks, or you will lead a very boring life. Besides, you never know if you’ll like something unless you at least attempt it. Walk with me.” He tilted his lips into a wicked grin. “I promise you will not regret it.”
Amelia narrowed his gaze. “Why are you so keen on this walk, anyway? What to you hope to gain from it?”
“I only have one goal.” That grin would be her undoing. His smile alone made her want to cave. “And that is to spend time with you, and I do hope you’ll honor me with your name in the process.”
She chuckled. “It really bothers you that you don’t know who I am?” She shook her head. “You do know it. I cannot help it if you have a faulty memory.”
He frowned. “We’ve met before?”
Amelia nodded. “Several times.” She tilted her head to the side. “And to answer your other question, yes I know who you are, and I suspect I’m also aware of your reason for being in this lovely area of the country.”
He cursed, and she couldn’t help smiling at his dilemma. “I won’t marry you,” he spat out the words.
She lifted a brow. “Excellent, as I have no intention of tying myself to a man who not only cannot love me, but will most likely not respect me enough to stay faithful to our wedding vows.”
“You don’t want to marry me?” Confusion was etched through his voice as he spoke.
She shook her head slowly. “No. You’re a rake with a faulty memory. I am perfectly content with my cottage and my life here.” Amelia glanced at her geese to make sure they remained occupied. Beetle had taken an instant dislike to the duke, and she didn’t need him chasing the man around. She turned her attention back to him. “I don’t need or want your attention. So, if you hope for something...wicked. You have come to the wrong woman.”
“You mean what you’re saying.” He had a baffled expression on his face. The poor dear didn’t know what to make of it. She should take pity on him.
“I admit,” she began. “In my youth, I found you charming. I might have even foolishly believed myself in love with you. The thing with youth though is that it also screams naïveté. I’m not that naïve young girl anymore, and I know something she didn’t.”
“What is that?” he asked. He lifted a brow, and then waited for her response.
“You, Your Grace,” she used the honorific so he knew she told the truth. Amelia was well aware of his identity. “…are not worth desiring. It will lead to heartache I would much rather avoid.”
She would not give in to that naive girl’s dream of being loved by the Duke of Darling. This was her life now. Amelia had chosen to reside in a seaside cottage and embrace her spinsterhood. There was freedom with that decision, and she would not give up what she had found there. The duke’s problems were not hers. He could handle the dilemma his mother had brought to his door. What he did to escape it had nothing to do with Amelia, and she would like to keep it that way. She moved away from him, hoping to escape to her cottage. Amelia needed to be done with this conversation.
He started walking beside her. Damn him. He placed his hand on her arm and stopped her from moving any farther. “How is it I do not recall meeting you?” He seemed genuinely puzzled by his lack of memory of her.
Amelia shrugged. “I cannot even begin to understand the inner workings of your mind.” She blew out a breath. “But I believe it comes down to one thing.”
“And what is that?” he asked and tilted his head to the side. Confusion filled his gaze as he studied her.
“You’re selfish and egotistical.” Surely, he was aware of his own faults? She could be wrong, and no one had ever dismissed him or gave him a good dressing down before.
“I am not,” he said in an offended tone. Well…apparently no one had had the audacity to belittle or disparage him. Interesting… Perhaps, because he was a duke, no one had wished to hurt his precious feelings. He folded his hands over his chest and said, “I’m generous, and there are several people I think the world of and would put above my own needs.”
“I’m sure you believe that,” she said in a solemn tone. He might genuinely have a few people in his life that he valued. That didn’t make him any less selfish. “But I’m willing to bet your mo
ther is not one of those people you are so generous with.”
He cursed. “I won’t speak of her.”
“Why?” she asked. “Because she tied your hands?” There was humor in her tone she couldn’t quite hide. “You must admit it’s comical, and in a way brilliant.”
“I will not agree to that.” The duke ran his fingers through his hair. “She’s made living in London unbearable. I cannot attend any social gathering. If I do, I won’t be able to leave unattached to a female for the rest of my days.”
“That sounds horrid,” she said in a faux sympathetic tone. “What an atrocity.” Amelia placed her hand over her heart. “You poor dear. Imagine finding oneself married and having a family. I’m so sorry she has pushed you to such great lengths.”
He glared at her. “You told me mere moments ago you don’t wish to marry me. What if this little encounter between us tied you to me?” He grinned at her evilly. “In marriage. Forever. How would you feel then?”
Her heart skipped a beat. A part of her still wanted that, but he could never know. It was far better to let him believe she feared marriage. She did. Especially if it forced her to the altar with him by her side. She never wanted to marry him out of necessity.
Instead of answering his question, she met his gaze and said, “You may address me as Miss Halsey.” Amelia glanced at her geese. “And no, I will not be walking with you today.”
With those words she gathered Beetle and Bumble and took them inside. She would speak to someone in town about building them a pen. Soon they would be too big to live inside her cottage. As to the Duke of Darling...she would do her best to both ignore and forget him.
Chapter 7
Sun streamed through the library window, and light danced across the bookcases. Grant was trying to decide if he should pick a book to read or attempt one more time to become more acquainted with Miss Halsey.
Grant couldn’t discern why Miss Halsey continued to be so distant with him, and to make matters worse, she knew he was a duke, and still preferred to stay away from him. He’d never met a woman so contrary. He’d given her permission to address him by Grant instead of using the honorific, and she refused. She wanted to keep things completely within the strictures of society’s rules, and Grant hated it. He wanted to know her given name, and he hated the idea of addressing her as Miss Halsey. He could inquire about her; however, that might lead to his undoing. If anyone caught wind of his interest in her, namely his mother, he might find himself trapped in matrimony. Something Miss Halsey had expressed an explicit disinterest in.
He wasn’t as terrible as she claimed... Was he?
No. Miss Halsey was incorrect about his character. Yes, he’d been deemed a rake, but he hadn’t taken advantage of any innocent young virgins. All of his encounters involved widows or the occasional opera singer. There was one affair with a married lady, but it had been nearly disastrous, so he had stayed away from that sort of situation going forward. The lady had fallen in love with him and demanded too much of his time, and her husband had almost caught them together. It was not something he wished to relive ever again.
Perhaps if he proved to Miss Halsey, he wasn’t the man she believed him to be, she’d be more interested in socializing with him. He didn’t understand why her opinion mattered to him. Grant didn’t want to dissect his feelings. There was no reason to. Besides, after the whole mess his mother started was cleared up, he’d likely never see Miss Halsey again.
He would walk over to her cottage and pay a call on her. Last time had gone reasonably well, and her evil geese hadn’t attacked him. Perhaps they were indifferent to his presence now. They had been preoccupied with their meal then, though. He supposed anything was possible.
With that decision made, Grant turned away from the window and walked out of the library. His charm hadn’t seemed to work with her; however, that didn’t mean he couldn’t still win her good opinion. He would learn more about her and then he could show her he was a good man. Then he could walk away from her and finally stop thinking about her. At least he hoped so.
He headed toward her cottage. It wasn’t more than a ten-minute walk from his friend’s manor. He crossed over the field to save time. The weather had been nice lately, and the grass didn’t have the extra moisture from rain to contend with. When he was almost to her cottage, he stopped short. Near the pond, a man was building a pen. The geese squawked as they swam in the pond. Bumble and Beetle didn’t seem to mind him, and for some reason that bothered Grant.
Grant started walking again and stopped by the pen. “Hello,” he greeted the man.
He had dark hair, damp with sweat. His clothes were covered in sawdust and grime. There was even a streak of dirt across his left cheek. He glanced up at Grant and nodded at him. “Howdy,” he said in greeting. “Fine weather we’re having.” His accent was thick and reminded Grant of one of the workers on his estate. He had been from Wales.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No,” he confirmed. “I moved here a few months ago. My sister married one of the farmers in the area. She wrote to me and mentioned how they needed someone with my skills around here, and work was hard to find back home. I took a chance and followed her advice.”
Grant nodded absentmindedly. “You’re a builder?”
“Aye,” the man replied. “Do you need help with repairs or a new building?” There was eagerness in his tone. Grant almost wished he could give the man more work.
He shook his head. “No. I’m staying at a friend’s home” Grant gestured toward the pen. “Is this for Bumble and Beetle?”
The builder nodded. “Miss Amelia wanted it built as soon as I was able. It should be completed tomorrow.” He glanced at the geese in the pond. “They're friendly geese. They always greet me when I come by.”
The rotten bastards like the builder but hated Grant, and why had she told him her given name? What made him so special? Heat filled him, and he wanted to hit something. This was wrong. All of it, and Grant had to change it. What was it about the builder that made her more comfortable with him?
“Ah, yes,” he began. “Beetle and Bumble are...precious.” Grant would still love to wring Beetle’s neck. He met the man’s gaze and introduced himself. It wouldn’t do to tell the builder his title, though. There was still that pesky scandal regarding him brewing in London. “I’m Grant.”
“Thomas,” the man answered. “Are you going to be in Rochford long?”
“I’m not certain.” How long would the ladies of London be determined to trap him into marriage? Hell, Grant might become a permanent resident of Rochford. “My friend has welcomed me for an extended stay.”
“Thomas,” a woman called out.
Grant glanced toward the cottage. Amelia was strolling toward the pond. Her geese squawked louder as she approached. One of them flapped their wings, and the other swam toward the shoreline. Great. They would exit the pond to greet her, and then they might notice him. He didn’t need Beetle poking him with his beak again. What were the chances the goose would ignore Grant?
Unlikely, as it turned out. Instead of going toward Amelia, the goose ran toward Grant. It had to be Beetle, because Bumble didn’t hate him nearly as much.
Beetle had taken one look in the duke’s direction and went after him. Amelia ran to try to intercept her goose from colliding with the man she loved but failed. Grant tried to dodge the goose and went around the pen Thomas had started to erect and tripped over a pile of lumber stacked nearby, then tumbled right into the pond.
Amelia groaned. She didn’t know why Beetle hated the duke so much, and mostly she didn’t know if she cared. He hadn’t been endearing, and he hadn’t even remembered who she was. How could she have fallen in love with a man who didn’t really see her? The only reason he probably showed any interest toward her now was because she’d rebuked him. That made her intriguing to the rogue inside of him, and he couldn’t let her go without at least trying to win her.
“Beetle,
no,” she chastised her goose. “It is not acceptable to chase the duke.” She waggled her finger at him.
“Duke?” Thomas said, confusion filling his tone.
Amelia sighed. Had he not introduced himself to Thomas? Of course he didn’t... He was probably afraid if anyone knew his identity, his location would become known. Then their quiet seaside town would be overrun with society ladies clamoring to trap the duke into marriage. “Don’t pay me any mind,” she told Thomas. “I’m trying to teach Bumble and Beetle manners.”
It was far better for him to believe she was a bit insane. The Duke of Darling would not appreciate her giving away his identity. She turned toward the pond and frowned. He’d crawled out of the water and was soaked through.
“That goose is a menace,” he growled out the words. “I insist you let me have him prepared for tonight’s meal. I’m willing to wager he’d be tasty with dressing, and apples.” He glared at Beetle, who had returned to the pond to swim beside Bumble. He almost seemed...smug. She hadn’t thought a goose could look pleased with his actions, but Beetle definitely did.
She shook her head. “Beetle will not be anyone’s meal. I’ve already told you that once. Do not make me repeat myself again.” Amelia placed her hands on her hips. “Why are you here?”
“Well, Amelia,” he drew out her name. Damn it. Thomas must have told him. Oh, well, she supposed he’d have discovered it at some point, regardless. Besides, she did like the sound of her name coming from his lips. “I thought perhaps you would feel more like joining me for that walk today.” He glanced up at the sky. “There’s not a rain cloud in sight.”
Amelia wanted to smack him, but refrained from doing so. He seemed as smug as her damn goose. They were quite a pair. No wonder they didn’t get along. They both wanted to claim her and not share her with anyone else. Thomas didn’t have any interest in her, so Beetle left him alone. Perhaps she should give in and allow the duke to court her. He’d lose interest if she went along with his ideas, and then when he gave up entirely, she’d be left in peace. “That sounds lovely,” she told him with a congenial tone, then smiled to add a little something extra to her acceptance. “Would you like to go now?”