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“I did,” Margaret assured him with a forced smile. “My sister could nae believe how well behaved I was being…” The duke stiffened noticeably to hear the use of that word. “… but as I told her, there is nae reason to be surprised. Such is the happy state of our marriage, yes?”

The duke looked at her flatly. “Might I have a word alone with my wife?”

“I was just going to suggest we find a drink…” Sampson took Catherine by the hand. “Shall we?”

Catherine looked between Margaret and Lysander. No doubt she could sense the change in atmosphere that had arrived, and no doubt she knew for a fact that everything was not as it seemed. But she did not argue, allowing herself to be pulled away, leaving Margaret and Lysander alone.

“What do you think you are doing?” he spoke at once, keeping his voice low to that nobody might hear them.

“Me?” She touched innocently at her chest. “I am doing exactly as ye asked.” A fluttering of her eyelashes. “Behaving meself. Is that nae what ye wished for?”

“You know what I mean.”

She dropped the act, her expression turning flat, her eyebrow raising in a dismissive gesture. “I am doing exactly as I promised and nae more. You wished for me to be on me best behaviour, tell me how I have nae done so.”

He clicked his tongue. “While I admit you have done well tonight, it would not do if your sister suspects –”

“She suspects nothing,” Margaret cut him off. “Although she knows me well enough to know that somethin’ is nae right. Nae that it matters, as she and Sampson are both privy to the truth.”

The duke hesitated, looking about them again to ensure that they were alone and not being listened to.

They were, but he stepped in closer anyway, wrapping a hand around her waist in a way that to the observer would have looked like a loving gesture.

But his grip was strong, and Margaret knew it to be an act of taking control.

Her breath caught at his touch. Her mind flashed back to that kiss. She tried to dispel it, for she did not wish to concern herself with such things. But standing this close… dammit, how he undoes me!

“And pray, do tell, what is the truth?”

She shook her head and forced herself to concentrate. “That you and I hate one another.”

This had the duke leaning back in surprise. “Margaret, I… do not hate you. Surely, you know this.”

She scoffed. “And how can I possibly ken such a thing? Ye demand that I stay away from ye bairns as if I carry some sort of disease.”

He winced. “That is not…”

“And then, just when I think that ye are starting to change yer mind and admit that maybe I am nae the worst possible person ye have ever come across –”

“I do not think –”

“-- ye double down,” she spoke over him. “Telling me that our…” She felt her cheeks flushing. “That our kiss was a mistake. That ye did not mean it.” She scoffed. “Confirming, as I suspected from the beginning, that ye wish for little to do with me.”

This had the duke frowning at her. Not angered by her rancor. More surprised, as if he hadn’t considered for a second the things that she said. “I’m confused,” he began carefully. “Are you saying that you want to kiss me again?”

Her eyes turned wide. “Nae, that is nae what I –” She caught her tongue and took a breath. “I am simply referring to the mixed messages ye continue to send me. I do nae ken where I stand in this marriage, outside of your desire for me nae to ruin your life and that of ye bairns.”

“So…” The duke smirked as he so often did when they started arguing. “I should not have told you I wouldn’t try to kiss you again? I had no idea you would be so upset by such a thing.”

“That is nae… you ken that is… do nae twist my words.” She was becoming flustered, made worse by the smirk on the duke’s lips and the look in his eyes that was both mocking and elated. “I do nae wish to kiss ye again. Ever.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes!” she cried loudly, realizing a second too late. She grimaced and dropped her voice and her head, smiling because they were being watched, but making sure the duke could see her meaning in her eyes. “This has less to do with our kiss and more to do with what you want from me.”

Still, the duke looked amused. “So, you wish for more than a kiss? Margaret…” He chuckled and flashed his eyes. “I had no idea you were filled with such desires.”

She glared at him. He is toyin’ with me again!

And so effortlessly. For some reason, whenever we argue, he reverts to this version of himself, takin’ pleasure in seein’ how far he can push me .

Worse, Margaret enjoyed it. Even as she glared, she felt her heart racing and her body flushing.

Still confused, as she had no idea what he wanted or why he was acting this way, she could not stop herself from wondering what might happen if they were alone…

“We are done here,” she said, straightening up. “And with this conversation.”

“I agree,” he said, instantly dropping the humor and turning serious. “The point tonight has been made, so I think it best if we return home and –”

“Ye misunderstand me,” she said to him. “Ye and I…” She widened her eyes at him.

“Ye insist on sending me mixed signals. Ye insist on refusing to be straight with me. Well, if ye will nae, then I will be.” She made sure to be looking right at him.

“From now on, when we are nae in public together, I will do everything in me power to avoid ye. And I expect ye to do the same for meh.”

He frowned, caught between amusement because he likely did not believe her, and a realization that she was indeed telling the truth. “You are serious?”

“Ye should be glad,” she said. “After all, this is what ye wished for from the beginning, is it nae?”

“It is…” He sounded unsure.

“Then we are in agreement.” She nodded her head once. “Now, I am going to find my sister to say goodbye, and then I will meet ye outside.” She forced a smile and fluttered her eyelashes, putting it on in case anyone was watching. “I will see ye then, loving husband.”

And with that, she turned and strode away, through the ballroom, not daring to look back at her husband even once.

Her heart was racing. Her body was flushed warm. Even her knees shook. In the forefront of her mind, she doubled down on what she had just said, believing it to be the right thing. The smart thing. The only thing! But even she could not swallow such a lie fully.

The reason her body was reacting in such a way was the same reason she could not stop thinking about that damn kiss.

The attraction she felt for her husband.

The desire that wrecked her body when she was near him.

But rather than exploring such desires, or daring to think she might have that chance, Margaret decided it was better to play it safe and avoid him altogether.

A fool’s errand, maybe. But I have always been a slow learner…