Page 43 of An Unwanted Spinster for the Duke

She gasped at his tone. He couldn’t truly believe that.

She hated him for his words. But she also hated herself for how her body reacted to them. She was supposed to be insulted—to slap him—but his words set her on fire. She tried not to press her thighs together as something unfamiliar seemed to pulse between them.

Before she could protest or move, he stepped away from her and straightened up. Her cheeks heated at his implications.

How could he? How dare he suggest that she would want to approach him with…those thingsin mind? Surely, a lady would not do such a thing.

“I won’t bed you when you look like you are facing the guillotine, Duchess,” he added.

Marianne blinked. She let her breath out slowly, finally allowing relief to surge through her.

“How noble of you,” she muttered.

He shook his head and gave her an arrogant smirk. It made her cheeks warm again, feeling the spark that only he could ignite.

“There you go. I’ve been waiting to see the lady who jumped in front of my rifle again,” he said, lifting his chin slightly, his mouth twitching.

“Am I a curiosity to you?”

“You are not afraid of me. I like that. But I didn’t marry you only because I’m curious,” he murmured, his voice back to that ragged depth from earlier—the one that made her skin burn.

She paused then, not knowing what to say or do, except crumple the satin of her gown in her hands.

“I am merely reminding you that you are my wife now, little doe. Tell me what you want, and you shall have it,” he urged.

What she wanted? She wanted to befreeof her father. She wanted her family completely free of him. To whisk them all away from his claws, his outbursts, his vitriol.

She wanted to salvage whatever she could from Victoria and Daphne’s childhoods. To let Elizabeth and Wilhelmina choose the life and the husbands they wanted. To let Daniel grow into the man he wishes to be, without the cruel scrutiny of Lord Grisham.

Her brow creased. A fire in her burned, wanting to believe him. Wanting to make this marriage real. However, she had not yet found anyone beyond her siblings that she could trust.

She didn’t know this man. How could she trust him? How could she tell him about her father’s sinister nature without knowing whether he would side with his father-in-law?

Still, the Duke had the power to ensure her sisters’ safety. For that, she could make a bargain with him.

Forthem. Yes, everything that she had done so far in this world was for them.

Her breathing ragged and raw, she decided what she was going to ask.

“I would like to make a deal.”

His eyebrows rose quickly, clearly surprised by her words.

“I will be your well-mannered Duchess,” she said. “I know how to behave among company. I’ll be agreeable, smile, and curtsy if needed. I will eat meals with you and accompany you everywhere you require me to go. What I’m asking for is for my sisters to stay here. With us, during the weekends… or for as long as they need.”

The Duke was silent for some time, making her wonder if he had changed his mind about giving her what she wanted.

“Is this merely about you missing your sisters?” he asked.

“Yes,” Marianne answered, nodding. “I miss them very much. I have not spent a day of my life without them.”

She was partly telling the truth. She wanted her sisters there, to see them regularly. To know if they were being treated well at home. But she also wanted to test just how far her husband would go to give her what she wanted.

“And you are offering yourself in exchange for their company?” he asked, studying her.

He circled her with deliberate slowness, his hunter-like disposition visible once again.

“I am offering my cooperation as your Duchess. If that includes warming your bed, then yes,” she said, meeting his eyes.