Why I Caught The Duke (The Duke's House Party Book 3) by Eva Devon

Author:Eva Devon [Devon, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, romance
Publisher: Bard Productions
Published: 2023-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“I wish to marry your granddaughter,” Grayson declared. “Immediately”

The words came out of his mouth with surprising boldness and, much to her credit, Agatha’s grandmother did not blink.

She was a formidable force in her grand gown, shimmering with embroidered peonies, and her silvery hair was laced with jewels.

She lifted her chin and replied, “Your Grace, it would give me great pleasure to know that my granddaughter, and I do assume you mean Agatha, is to be a duchess. Still, this is rather surprising.”

Agatha’s grandmother poured out the tea steadily, not a drop faltered, and then with un-shaking aplomb, she handed him a delicately painted pink teacup and saucer.

He was sitting across from her in the sitting room given to her by the Duke of Wildwood for the party. The chambers were sumptuous. All of Wildwood’s were.

He smiled a slow smile. “I’m glad to hear that you like the idea of Agatha as a duchess. She will be an excellent one.”

She inclined her head and her smile changed slightly. “But I do have concerns, Your Grace, as to the speed with which you are moving. The rapidity of it is, well, a surprise. You barely know her.”

He contemplated the perfect tone of his tea and the beautifully painted birds in flight on the rim of the cup. “Does one need to know another so very well to marry them? Would you not argue that the ton is peopled with terrible marriages based on love and that some of the best are based on virtually no acquaintance?” He lifted the cup, took a sip of the rich beverage, then observed, “The Duke of Richmond comes to mind.”

“Yes,” the dowager agreed without hesitation, pouring out her own tea, the engraved silver pot glinting. “That is true, but the duke and duchess’s children? What a disastrous set of circumstances largely happened in those marriages.”

“I will not argue with that,” Grayson replied, “but I have a feeling, Dowager, that you would be pleased to see Agatha rise to the top of society.”

“You are not mistaken, but nor would I see her hurt,” she countered firmly. “I have seen far too many a bad marriage. Convince me, Your Grace, that you would be a good husband to Agatha and that all will be well.”

“Define a good husband,” he countered, lowering the cup to the saucer as he eyed the dowager carefully.

She was a wily, intelligent woman, one he respected immensely, and he needed her approval, or at least not her resistance.

He had formulated the plan after the interlude in the forest.

He did not want to let Agatha go ever, and he was determined to bind her to him, no matter what it took. Because he was, if he was honest, terrified that once she understood what he was about, she might leave him forever.

But this way, she could not.

It was selfish.

In the end, he was exactly what she said, but he wasn’t going to deny either of them this because it was clear that they were destined for each other.

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