Page 49 of The Duke's Indecent Match

That was part of what he’d realized on his ride once he’d had some time to think.Marrying Miss Little meant he could take control over aspects of his life that he had not previously had control over.That was the upside.Almost enough to soothe his rage over how it had been done.

However, he would have to wait and see how it affected his sisters’ prospects before he could fully settle with the warring emotions inside him.

Clearing his throat, he glanced over at Christian.

“I need to apologize?—”

“As do I.I apologize as well.There, now you apologized, and I apologized, and we need not speak of it again.”The serene expression on Christian’s face, the evenness of his tone, carried a warning.

Nathanial sighed, exasperated.He had not actually apologized, but he also knew that pressing Christian further would only lead to the other man riding off again.Running was Christian’s favored method of dealing with anything he found even the slightest bit uncomfortable.

He should have expected this reaction.

“Do you think there will be pudding this evening?”Christian asked, the question appearing to be the only thing on his mind as he looked up at the sky.“I could do with a good pudding.”

“I am sure you could,” Nathanial replied wryly.

They finished the ride up the drive.Feeling eyes on him, Nathanial looked up at the front face of the manor.

In one of the windows, a floor above his own, there was a silhouette, barely visible.He was rather forcibly reminded of how he and Matthew had watched Miss Little and her family arrive from very nearly that same position.If he’d known then what he knew now about their plans for this house party, would he have run?

He certainly would not have accepted any drinks from Mr.Little.

Was it Miss Little watching him now?

Was she feeling triumphant?Or had she begun to regret what her actions had wrought?

He supposed it did not matter.They would both be living with the consequences of those actions for the rest of their lives.

Grimly setting his jaw, Nathanial dropped his gaze and determinedly did not look up again as he and Christian rode past the house toward the stables.Tomorrow, once Drake returned with the special license, he would be married to her.

Plenty of couples married under less-than-ideal circumstances.

One way or another, he would find a way to live with it.

He had no other choice.

18

Kalina

Rather than eating supper with everyone, Kalina requested a tray in her room.She had managed at breakfast, but she could not face the throng again.Could not face their suspicious gazes, the unspoken questions hanging in the air around them.And she did not want to see her father.Not right now.Not yet.

Especially in front of others, where she would have to pretend she was not wildly upset with him.

It was difficult enough doing so when her mother was the only important audience member.

She was midway through her meal when there was a knock at her door.

Kalina froze.

There was no help for it, though.Everyone must know she was in here.She could always pretend she had gone to bed early…

But maybe it was her father.While she had eschewed her chance to see him over dinner, in complete privacy without her mother present would not be so bad.It might also be her mother if she had finished her meal and retreated early.

Getting to her feet, Kalina brushed off her skirts to straighten them and went to answer it.

Not her mother.Not her father.