Always the Second Choice (Never the Bride Book 12) by Emily E K Murdoch

Author:Emily E K Murdoch [Murdoch, Emily E K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc
Published: 2021-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“Good evening, Miss Isabella. Oh, I see you are with your husband, so ’tis Your Grace now, I suppose!”

Colin sighed heavily. It was the third person to approach them with such a greeting in the inn where he and Olivia had decided to break their journey to Bath. None of them meant badly, he could see by their faces. Nay, they intended to be pleasant.

He watched Olivia’s lips purse and then that smile he knew so well appear; controlled, restrained, definitely a smile but with absolutely no warmth.

“How kind of you to say,” she said quietly.

“Oh, ’tis no trouble at all,” said the lady with a knowing smile. “How many of us get to say that we have landed a duke?”

Olivia’s gaze met Colin’s, and he sighed heavily. How was he supposed to make them stop? Their meal, at least, was almost over. It would not be long before they could take their leave of the other diners, finally, and retreat upstairs.

“—never seen a duchess before, not in person,” the lady chattered away. She had not seen fit to introduce herself, but Colin wondered whether that was on purpose. She must know how irritating she was being!

“How very kind,” repeated Olivia in that quiet, unassuming tone. “But we must not keep you from your dinner, so I will bid you good evening.”

The interloper blinked and looked at Colin. “Oh. Oh, I see. Good evening.”

She stalked away rather haughtily, and Colin could not but smile at his companion.

“Very well done. Almost regal, far more impressive than a mere duchess.”

Olivia rolled her eyes in that rather delightful way that was starting to make his heart beat faster. “It was very rude, I am afraid, but I could think of no other way around it. I simply wish to be left alone. Is that so difficult?”

Colin shook his head. “For some reason, the rank of duke does not encourage those of a lesser degree to stay away. It tires me. I would rather be in Scotland.”

Where were these words coming from? He was not a gentleman to share his feelings, and Olivia was a woman he had known of for years but never really spoken with.

Until the last few days. Until they had stepped into a carriage together and found they had so much more in common than he ever had with his intended bride.

“You will be in Scotland soon,” Olivia said lightly, pushing her plate away. “As soon as we find her, and that will be tomorrow, I am sure of it.”

Colin smiled but did not say anything. What could he say? After another long day on the road, full of moments of temptation he should never have even noticed and opportunities for kisses that he managed not to take, what sort of a conversation could he have?

All he wanted was to be left alone with his thoughts.

Well, that was not entirely true. Colin watched Olivia as her gaze flickered around the room, examining the inn they were staying in this evening.

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