Page 27 of The Duke's Indecent Match

Getting into position for his next shot, he turned his head toward Nathanial, raising one eyebrow.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if you were going to offer for her.”The question was blurted out before he could stop it.Because it was of no mind to him if Christian did.

Christian’s fingers slipped, and his shot went wild.

Both of them stared at the balls bouncing off each other and the sides of the billiards table.Nathanial had never seen the other man miss so badly.

“Well, then.”Christian straightened, clearing his throat and reaching up to tug on his cravat as though to loosen it.He ran his hand down the burgundy waistcoat he’d changed into after their return to the manor.“I am thinking about it.”

Thinking about it but clearly undecided.

“Is there a reason you are holding back?”Please let there be one.A very compelling one.

Not that it mattered if she married someone else.

Even if it was one of his closest friends.

“Several.”

Thank God.

Christian courteously waited until Nathanial had taken his next shot before answering, giving Nathanial a look as if to say, that’s how it should have been done.

“I am not certain I would survive marriage to her.She is very good at scolding.”He gave his shoulders a little shake, grinning, but Nathanial could see the real hesitation there.Christian’s father had been incredibly strict.Privately, Nathanial did not think anyone would have ever been able to realistically live up to the former Duke of Montagu’s expectations of his heir.As far as he could tell, Christian had dealt with his father’s continual disappointment by meetingthatexpectation rather than attempting to rise to the occasion and disappointing him, regardless.

“Really?”Nathanial was fascinated.He could not picture Miss Little scolding someone.Much less a duke.Even when she relaxed in conversation, she was very proper.

“Yes.She did not take the way I talk about myself very kindly and told me I need to be kinder to myself.”Christian chuckled, laughing it off, but Nathanial was reluctantly impressed.He knew exactly the way Christian was talking about.

None of the things he or their other friends had said to Christian had made an impression, but clearly, Miss Little had.

“Surely, that would be a reason to marry her.”

“Ah, but think how disappointed she will be when she realizes I am not as she pictures.Worse, imagine how Tiffany and Astrid would react if I were to break their friend’s heart.”Christian’s shudder was much more theatric now, and he put his hand over his heart as if he could not bear the thought of their approbation.“I would be rent asunder from my friends due to their wives’ anger at me.”

Though he was joking, Nathanial could not help but wonder if there was a kernel of truth in Christian’s words.

“Have you given your mistress hercongéyet?”he asked curiously.

Christian wrinkled his nose, shaking his head.He leaned on his stick as he watched Nathanial line up the next shot.

“Well… no.Though I plan to soon.I might have already if Zachary had not been such a twit about Delilah.”

“You mean you have stayed longer with this mistress only to show him that he could have had Delilah and searched for a debutante bride at the same time?”Nathanial shook his head.“You overestimate Delilah’s understanding.She would have barred her door to him the moment she realized he was searching elsewhere for a bride.”

“She must have known that was coming.”

Nathanial shrugged.

“From the way she and Zachary are about each other, I believe she may have gotten her hopes up, widow or no.If it was not for his mother pressuring him, I think she might have gotten what she wanted, too.”

“Ah, yes.Well.The duchess is…” Christian’s voice trailed off.

Zachary’s mother was grieving the loss of her husband in a way none of their other wives had.Whether or not they had been a love match, Nathanial did not know, but it had become clear after the Duke of Grafton’s death that the duchess, at least, had loved her husband.Loved him so well, she completely fell apart when she lost him.Despite it being long past the period for formal mourning, she still wore her full blacks and refused to take them off, fashion and societal expectations be damned.

Which was why it was so ironic that she was pushing Zachary to follow those same expectations in choosing his bride.A debutante, virginal and young.Not a widow, even if she was still of childbearing age.