Page 6 of Matters of a Duke’s Heart

He pushed his smile a little wider, a little more sincere, thinking of his son.

“I will not waste your time, Lord Merriweather. I am a man who speaks plainly, and I do not attempt to insult your intelligence by buying time. I wish to marry your eldest daughter, Lady Felicity Merriweather. It is true that we have not met, for I have not been in society, but I hear she is very well-admired despite being in her third Season.”

At his blunt declaration, the earl’s eyes widened, but his smile did as well. “You are right in that you do not waste time, and I appreciate that, Your Grace. I am a man who prides myself on taking into account the wishes of my daughters. As such, that is why my eldest is in her third Season.”

“I have heard she is well-liked.”

“She is,” he agreed with a wry smile. “Only… she is hard to please, I suppose is the best way to put it.”

“With all due respect, My Lord, I do not aim to woo her. I wish for a timely arrangement. I believe Lady Felicity will make an excellent duchess, and maternal figure to my son. You are aware of him?”

Lord Merriweather nodded. “I have heard some stories, but none that I will listen to before your own.”

Spencer was surprised by that extension of patience and listening, so he spoke briefly. “I was married. My wife passed away, leaving me raising our son, Alexander, alone. He is in need of a mother once more. That is all there is to it.”

He paused, waiting to see if Lord Merriweather pushed, if he asked about the rumors, but there was only warmth and kind expectancy on his face. He nodded, sipping his drink.

“Your Grace, to extend a branch of honesty in return, I want to see my daughter married. My youngest, Lady Daphne, will assuredly marry well. Lady Felicity is stubborn, yet I fear she will soon be the Season’s spinster.

She is not without a courtship due to any shortcomings except for her own ideals and chase of love. ”

Spencer tried not to flinch at the word, but only offered a small, tight smile.

“I want to see her settled,” Lord Merriweather sighed. “I want to see her happy. Even if your marriage does not bring love, can you promise it will bring security?”

“Lady Felicity will want for nothing,” Spencer swore.

“I cannot promise love for her. I…” I do not believe I am capable of it any longer.

“I am a good man, but I do not entertain such things. Truth be told, I do see this as an arrangement, one of advantage for both me and your daughter. Forgive me if I am looking at this too harshly, but—”

The earl was already shaking his head. “I can understand your concerns, but I also appreciate that you have my daughter in mind as well. As her father, I want to see her happy and safe. Can you provide that?”

Spencer nodded, even though he knew that happy could be overestimated, depending on how truly Lady Felicity hinged a good, content future on love when there would be none to find with Spencer.

“Then I am happy to let the two of you meet,” he told Spencer. “I alerted her of your arrival, and she understands her current circumstances and risk in society. She has agreed to a meeting if you do.”

Spencer could not show such vulnerability to admit openly that he just wanted the ordeal to be completed and done with.

“I will meet her,” Spencer conceded, giving a sharp nod.

Lord Merriweather studied him for a moment, and Spencer politely lowered his gaze.

He was not there to challenge the earl and meet his stare, but he also knew that dropping his gaze wasn’t a sign of giving in, either.

His father had always told him to demand power.

However, Spencer didn’t want power in this moment.

He just wanted an afternoon that was as easy as he could make it.

“Although, if I may be bold again, Lord Merriweather, I do wish for a fast engagement.”

The man’s brows rose in genuine surprise.

Spencer hurriedly added, “not for anything suspicious. I just… I cannot help but feel that a longer engagement will only disrupt my son’s routine further.

The sooner Lady Felicity and I can begin our married life the sooner I can see my son gain some stability.

A delayed engagement will only cause problems.” He grimaced, smoothing a hand over his jaw.

“Furthermore, it could help your own connections. My dukedom’s notoriety carries some sway.

The ton will favor a quick marriage and know that you are a good family for me to choose to align myself with so quickly. ”

Lord Merriwether was considering it; he could see it on the his face, and Spencer dared to hope he would not be questioned. His intentions were good, but a quicker engagement also removed much of the fuss and the gossip and would also help quell rumors about his late wife.

Or it could make them worse, he thought. People might see it as a cover-up.

He also continued. “A quicker engagement will also help you and Lady Merriweather solely focus on your youngest daughter’s match. I hear she is having a very successful debut so far.”

The extra tidbit he’d learned from Rupert clearly charmed Lord Merriweather, and he beamed. He stood up from his desk once more and rounded it to gesture for Spencer to follow.

“That she is, Your Grace. How kind of you to acknowledge it,” Lord Merriweather praised as he led him out of the study and down the hallway.

Pools of sunlight filled the carpet runner at intervals, and Spencer didn’t realize he was avoiding them until the earl paused, seeming to notice.

Spencer cleared his throat and stepped into one pool of sunlight, wondering if it might be symbolic.

That if he could tear down the heavy drapes of his past, let more warmth and light in that came in the form of this Lady Felicity, then he might have a better future.

It would be a formal arrangement but perhaps they might be cordial with one another, have dinners that were comfortably silent even if they had nothing in common.

I am doing this for Alexander, he reminded himself, as he joined Lord Merriweather at the door to the drawing room.

Only to look in and see a face that was vaguely familiar, a face that had him working hard to keep the shock from being noticed by Lord Merriweather.

But he felt it in the way his heart raced just for a moment, and he worried over what to say, what she would say. For he knew the woman he faced.

It had been a little over a week since the Vauxhall Gardens celebration, but Spencer could not forget the face of the desperate woman over whom he had harbored guilt for so brusquely turning away.

Yet there she sat, the woman who had been separated from her family. The eldest Merriweather daughter.

His future wife.