Page 11 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke (Claimed by Regency Devils #1)

Chapter Eleven

A nthony found himself standing in the back corner of the drawing room, glass of whiskey in hand, free of company in ways that were all too familiar. There must have been over two dozen people spread across the room, drinking and chatting merrily as they reminisced on what was for them a splendid weekend. If only I could share the same thought.

Anthony had no love for the nickname that had been bestowed upon him by his peers. The Cruel Duke… given to him for reasons that were not true— of course they are not— even if he refused to correct them because he would not be seen to beg and plead and explain. That was beneath him entirely.

However, it was times like this one where he could see the advantages of being thought of as such, as it allowed him peace and quiet during a time when he needed it the most.

Thoughts of Lady Hawkins were what clouded his mind this evening, as they had done continuously since he had first come upon her on the side of the road. That first day, she had annoyed him more than anything, set it seemed on frustration because she was apparently unable to control her wandering mind or her ever-wagging tongue. If only that was where it had ended.

Now, they were engaged. Now, they were set to spend the rest of their lives together. As to how Anthony was feeling about this… that remains to be seen, but if these last few days are any indication, it is not something to look forward to.

Typically, it was as this thought settled upon his broad shoulders that Anthony spied Lady Caroline making her way through the crowd and straight for him. Her jaw was set. Her brow was tight. She looked determined. And when she caught him watching her, she did not balk and turn and flee—at this point, he wouldn’t have expected it. Instead, she stood that little bit taller as if to warn him off trying to avoid her.

Despite his efforts to appear unconcerned at the sight of her, Anthony felt his chest tighten just that little bit as memories of the previous evening returned to him. That kiss… neither what he had expected, nor wanted, but a moment which had stuck with him… which still lingered on his lips in ways that made him squirm.

“We need to talk,” she said as soon as she was close enough to be heard.

Anthony took a sip of his whiskey. “Is that right?”

She nodded, suddenly seeming unsure. “We do.”

“And of what reason do we need to talk?”

“Our marriage,” she said. “I need to...” She bit into her lip. “There is something we must discuss. And no, it cannot wait.”

“If your intention is a repeat performance of the other night, I shall save you the hassle. Nothing has changed, nor will it. And badgering me incessantly might not be as clever a stratagem as you think.”

“That is not my intent. What I wish to speak about...” She considered and Anthony could see the effort it was taking her to stand up to him. On the way over, he had seen fire and brimstone burning behind her eyes as no doubt she had spent some time working up the courage for this little assault.

Now that she was before him, she was wilting. “It concerns the expectations of our marriage. What it is that you require of me. Of us.”

Anthony could not help but notice a few eyes drifting in their direction. Although he did not care what others thought of him in the traditional sense, he was still a duke and he still had a reputation to protect. It would not do to be seen bickering with his soon-to-be wife.

“Not here,” Anthony said, his voice low. “And not now. In the coming days, I will apply for a marriage license, and once it is acquired I will be sure to pay you a visit. When I do, I will happily listen to whatever it is you simply must tell me.”

“That’s not good enough.” She did not so much as blink. “We will speak now .”

As said, Anthony did not relish the name he had been given by his contemporaries, nor did he aspire to it. He had, however, lived with it for so long now that it had become a part of him, whether he liked it or not. That was why he was so careful to control his emotions, fearing that perhaps the name was as apt as people said. That I am indeed that monster …

No. He was not those things. A short temper, perhaps. And yes, he hated being told no—what duke didn’t? But he was not cruel or mean, and he certainly was not evil. He only wished that people could see that.

This, beyond anything, was why he struggled to be around Lady Hawkins so much. The way that she fought him. The way that she pushed against his indomitable presence. She forced him to react and assert himself like he had never needed to before, to delve into the depths of his anger for no other reason than he felt he must. And when she really tested him… he lost control completely, but not in the way he might have thought.

Even now, just to look at her, I find my blood pumping as if I had just run a mile. What terrifies me most of all is what might happen if she pushes me too far. What will I become then?

Anthony was not a savage, uncontrollable madman. However, for Lady Caroline, and the lust she inspired in him, he just might be…

“Not here,” he growled warningly at her. A glance about the drawing room and he spied a door across the way. “Come, we can speak in private?—”

“Here is just fine.” She took a step back. “This will not take long.”

“Less than a second, the way you are going,” Anthony said. “For there is nothing to stop me from walking away. Which, under the current circumstances, you should find yourself grateful for.”

“I wish for a quick conversation only,” she hurried.” There is no need for...” She swallowed and her eyes looked everywhere but at him. “For us to argue.”

Anthony scoffed. “If only that were true.”

She laughed at that. “Is it my fault that you bring it out in me?”

“Funny, I was going to say the same to you.” He almost smiled but quickly pressed it down as Anthony almost never smiled. “Go on then…” He took a sip of whiskey. “What is it that you wish to speak of? That could not wait for a more appropriate setting?”

She stood a little bit taller, proud that she had won this round. “It occurs me to that I have been...” She clicked her tongue. “That I have been unfair to you.”

“You… you have been?” Anthony said, stunned by the admission.

“I accused you of forcing this marriage on me as if it was your fault and then became angered when you refused to do anything to stop it. I realize now that in this life we do not always get our way and that sometimes there is nothing to be done but accept the reality and move on from it.”

“How very...” He frowned at her with confusion, surprised that she was being so honest with him. “That is…” He did not know what to say. “Very kind of you.”

She shrugged. “Sometimes, I have it in myself.”

“Better late than never, I suppose.”

Her face dropped. “I am trying to be nice.”

He gave his head a shake, forcing his attention back to the matter at hand. “You want something? Somehow, I doubt you came over here merely to apologize.”

She narrowed her eyes angrily and it got Anthony’s blood pumping. Why am I teasing her? I know what it will do to her. Just as I know what it will do to me...

“The point I am trying to make is that there is no getting out of this, so the best that I can hope for it to find a way to accept it. To live with it, as you must do also.”

“Meaning?”

“What is it that you want from this marriage?” she said simply, the annoyance fading, earnestness evident in the way she looked up at him. “You never told me why you wished to marry to begin with, and I sense that you are not in it for love...” She snorted. “Somehow, I doubt you are capable of such a thing.”

“Careful…” He warned her. “Do not think that the presence of a crowd will save you.”

“My meaning is that there must be a reason you wished to marry,” she said quickly, careful to avoid angering him further. “And I would like to know what it is. What do you expect of me? If you tell me that, then I will at least know how to approach our union. Truly, it might make things easier on both of us.”

Anthony considered the question, and the logic behind it. It surprised him, that she was being so forthright and practical. It also relieved him, because he saw in it a chance to establish the exact boundaries that he needed. He did not want a marriage in which they were at one another’s throat the entire time. He certainly did not want her to push him, for he knew where that would lead.

What he desired... he looked across the drawing room and caught sight of Roderick, seated beside his soon-to-be wife. They were not speaking to one another. They were not even acknowledging each other’s existence. They would never be happy, nor would they be woeful. Perhaps in many ways, that in itself was the definition of a perfect marriage.

At least Anthony told himself as much, because he knew that to want anything else for himself would be folly.

“You want to know what I require of you?”

“That is all I want.”

“I have said it once and I will say it again.” He looked right at her. “Peace and quiet. I do not want to fight. I do not want you to test me. I want a marriage that to the world outside of our walls appears like any other. No gossip. No rumors. Peace and quiet.”

There was more to it than that. The true reason that Anthony had sought suddenly to find himself a bride. What he really wished from this union. But for the time being, his explanation would suffice. Somehow, he doubted the truth of it would please his soon-to-be wife.

Unsurprisingly, Lady Caroline was nodding along. “A marriage of convenience.”

He chuckled at the term. “If that is what they are calling it.”

“It is,” she said. “And I am. I think...” A smile reached her lips. It was a beautiful thing, reminding him again of how pretty he found her. Which annoyed him, as was typical. “I think this can work.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes.” She stood herself up and for a moment he thought she was going to extend her hand for him to shake. Rather, she nodded once and then... just sort of lingered, again unsure.

“You may leave me,” he sighed. “Before you do or say anything that might annoy me.”

“I would not want to disturb your peace and quiet,” she joked, and Anthony very nearly laughed.

Lady Caroline hesitated, her eyes roaming him, her tongue licking her lips, a sense that she had more to say. Or perhaps there was something else on her mind? Their shared kiss had not left Anthony’s mind these past few days, and he wondered if it was still on her mind too. More than that, he wondered how she felt about it.

Surely she felt nothing? For how could she? She was forced into this marriage and is now trying to make her peace with it. That is all it can be…

A shake of the head and Lady Caroline turned suddenly and disappeared through the crowd, gone as if she never was. Anthony stayed in the corner, finishing his drink before retiring for the evening.

As strange as it might have been to think, that right there was by far the most pleasant conversation Anthony and Lady Caroline had engaged in yet. Still a little hostile, but by no means venomous. It gave Anthony hope.

What did he really want from this marriage? Apart from an heir, as was expected, he wanted a marriage in which his wife was not terrified of him. A marriage where she did not balk at the sight of him, or turn and flee when he entered the room. Dammit, he wanted a marriage where she laughed when she heard the name the Cruel Duke, rather than screamed.

Anthony had long since given up on such notions, knowing that when he married, it would be a forced affair, likely to a woman who feared him, and the best he could hope for was that she avoided him and pretended he did not exist. For her own sake, as well as his.

Peace and quiet…