Page 5 of A Duchess for the Mysterious Duke
CHAPTER 4
M arina could not tear her eyes away from the man who had just appeared in her drawing room. The young Duke of Peterborough’s face was as steely and unreadable as it had been at the ball the night before. He nodded his head to her father with formality.
“How do you do, Carlisle?” Marina watched the two men remove their gloves and shake hands, wondering desperately when they had been formally introduced. Surely, at the ball, but by whom? And what was the manner of this meeting? Her heart raced, fearful that the Duke had come to tell her father of her impropriety the night before.
Then, shamefully, hopeful that if he did, she would not have to go through with the marriage her father had arranged.
“Very well. I hope the morning finds you in good spirits and health. Marina, come and meet His Grace, Duke of Peterborough. Your Grace, my eldest daughter, Lady Marina Linfield.”
Marina, who had stepped forward for the introduction, curtsied. As she rose again, her eyes met Phillip’s, and she felt that same thrill which had been present the night before. She thought that under different circumstances, were they meeting on another morning, the way she felt might have pulled her to pursue the Duke’s company. If she were not minutes from becoming betrothed to someone else, she might have thought him quite handsome.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Marina. How do you do?”
“Yours as well,” she breathed, her astonishment evident no matter her attempts to hide it. “I am very well, Your Grace, thank you.”
“I have come to call upon your father,” he told her. Something about the look in his eye held Marina captive, and she wondered for a moment if there was something else for her to glean from his simple, innocuous statement.
Then, turning to Richard, “It is a business inquiry. Shall we remove ourselves from the Lady’s company to discuss these matters which she must find remarkably dull?” Phillip’s lighthearted, charming tone might have regaled the Earl but burned Marina like a hot pan against her hand. Why had he come? And why was he being so secretive?
She nodded to both men, in turn, and retired to her seat to fret. A few seconds later, Olivia—who must have been waiting for her opportunity—appeared to sit beside her. Marina reached out to clutch one of her sister’s hands.
“What is it, Marina? You look troubled. And pale. What’s happened?”
“Olivia, the Duke of Peterborough is here. He’s come to call on Father. They are now speaking in his office.”
“His Grace? Here? ” Marina was comforted to see that her sister was just as confused as she was. It made her feel less as though she were going mad to know that she was not the only one who saw the absurdity of this situation.
“Yes. And he and Papa had been introduced already. Do you know when?”
“At the ball,” Olivia answered, knowingly. “It must have been. I did see them speaking, but I do not know who introduced them. Did he say why he is here? What he wants?”
“To make a business inquiry,” Marina huffed. “Where are Emily and Nicholas?”
“With their governess, playing in the garden. I’ve just left them. But, Marina, it cannot be the Duke’s sudden appearance that has you in such a state. You’ve been beside yourself since we returned here last night.”
Marina smiled painfully at her sister, annoyed with herself for being so transparent. After all, she was meant to be their pillar of strength and not the other way around. But the events from the night before, the news about her impending marriage arrangements, and now this visit from the Duke had her feeling as if her head would spin right off.
“Father has given my hand,” she sighed.
“To whom?” Olivia asked with alarm.
“A man I have not met. He is to call upon us today. Oh, Olivia, you must know that I do not wish to leave our home. I cherish the three of you above all else. I have done all I can—all but begged Father to reconsider.”
Olivia said nothing at first, only squeezing Marina’s hand tightly. There were no words needed between the two of them. Not for this. Marina and Olivia had discussed the matter of her marriage many times over. The younger girl knew precisely how her sister felt.
“Do not fret too much about us, Marina. You have given us so many years of your life already,” she said, at last, with tenderness. “If he is awful, I will pretend to be so ill that you’ve no choice but to come home and care for your dreadful sister.”
They laughed together, and Marina was able to put her nerves to bed for just a little while. She allowed Olivia to distract her with details about her experience at the ball where she seemed to have been among the most popular of young ladies on the dance floor. A part of Marina wondered if perhaps that was why the Duke had appeared so suddenly. Had he come to ask their father’s permission to court Olivia?
After great length, the two gentlemen emerged from Richard’s office. The Duke stopped at the door and nodded his head to each of the family members in turn, lingering a moment on Marina. She averted her eyes, not wishing to feel that tug of electricity in her core that appeared each time she met his gaze.
“I give you my thanks for receiving my visit today,” he told the Earl. “But I will bid you all farewell, now. Please, have a wonderful rest of your afternoon.” Marina could feel his eyes on her for a moment before, at last, she heard his footsteps retreating.
“Papa, what was his visit about?” Olivia demanded.
“You know better than to ask questions out of turn,” he grumbled. “Leave us, please, Olivia. I must speak to your sister.”
Marina’s face paled, alarmed by her father’s behavior. She gave one last, pleading look to Olivia then watched the younger girl disappear, presumably to find their siblings in the gardens.
“What is it, Father? What’s happened?” Marina begged.
Richard Linfield shocked his daughter when his face erupted into a prideful smile, something akin to glee. He was a vastly different man than the one who had walked into the room only moments before.
“The Duke has asked for your hand,” he said, simply.
“My hand?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Well?” she demanded, her voice growing higher and shrill. “What did you say to him?”
The Earl of Carlisle seemed perplexed by Marina’s reaction but pressed forward anyway.
“We have made the proper arrangements.” His daughter was stunned and did not respond at first, so the Earl felt compelled to continue, “It seemed a rather pleasing offer for him to make, given the way last night’s news went over with you.”
“Father!” Marina’s eyes were panicked, and her voice fevered. “What could possess you to do such a thing? I do not know this man. The ton does not know this man except for the rumors of his exploits when he has been out of the country these ten years. He is a known rake, Papa. His reputation alone will ruin me the moment we present our arrangement to court. How can we be sure that he intends to go through with this at all?”
“I understand that you are in shock, now, Marina, but rumors are just that. He is a kind young gentleman who came to me in the proper way to ask for your hand after you caught his eye at the ball. That is a man who proposes marriage in earnest, my love.”
“ That is a man who will do anything to appease his station,” she remarked.
“Marina, be sensible. This union will bring with it great fortune and a title for you. Not to mention what it will do for your siblings. I thought this a great deal more suitable than a man twice your age, as you so vehemently pointed out at the ball. Hayward Estate is also a great deal closer to here, and you will be able to see us whenever you like. I have made this decision in your best interest.”
“No!” Marina stood, her skirts gathered in one hand as she faced her father and prepared to leave. “You have done nothing of the sort. You have written my name on an ill-fated contract in your desperation to see me wed when you should have listened to my wishes instead!”