The Duke of My Dreams: Regency Romance by Daphne Quinn

Author:Daphne Quinn [Quinn, Daphne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Richard tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for the lawyer to finish the paperwork. He did not know why it had taken so long. He had hoped to be home for dinner, and now that was not going to happen. The paperwork for the dowry for Lady Rose Merriweather had been weighing on his mind, but he hadn’t thought it would take him away for so much of the day.

In truth, he had been avoiding home most days, but he didn’t want to miss the evening meal with Honeysuckle. He had been finding it more challenging, for the last couple of days, to keep his vow to himself that he would give Honeysuckle time to settle in before consummating the marriage. She was beautiful, and when he caught sight of her he was taken with the same impulse to kiss her as had overcome him in the gardens that night.

But if he kissed her now, he knew he would struggle not to take things further – and he did not want to be tempted to go against his word. He had told her that they could ease into this marriage slowly, but if he gave in to his desire for her, he did not know if he could keep to that promise.

And so he stayed out most of the day, returning only for the evening meal, which was eaten with a large table in between them, which helped him keep to his plan.

It would only be a few more days, he told himself. She had seemed a little out of sorts since they had arrived, it seemed to him – although, he had to admit, he did not know her well enough to know much about her temperament. But in a few days, once she felt more comfortable around him, then he would take her in his arms, and kiss her, and show her just how attracted to her he was.

◆◆◆

"Is everything all right, Your Grace?" Hannah asked that evening, as she brushed through Honeysuckle’s hair before bed.

Honeysuckle sighed. Was it that obvious? "I’m just lonely," she said.

"Moving away from your family – it must have been hard."

She nodded. "It was. I’m very close with my mother, and my sisters, and my cousin. And here…" She sighed once more, not wanting to bad-mouth Richard, but not knowing who else she could talk to. She would perhaps attempt to write something to her family, but her emotions seemed even harder to put down on paper.

"The Duke is out a lot," Hannah said, biting her lip, and Honeysuckle met her eye in the looking glass.

"Yes," she said eventually. "He is."

"He does not…come to your room?" It was posed as a question, and Honeysuckle blushed red, wondering if she should speak to the girl about propriety, but feeling a sense of relief at someone actually acknowledging the unusual situation.

"No," she said. "This is not…public information."

"Of course not, Your Grace. And I’m not wed, and I know nothing – but

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