Page 44 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction (Dukes of Passion #3)

“ Good morning, Duchess,” Robert said as Georgiana opened the door.

Georgiana was in the process of washing her face when she heard a knock at the door. She had perked up, assuming that it was Caroline arriving with her breakfast.

She looked up in surprise at the duke, who was holding a tray laden with food. Her stomach growled with reactive hunger.

Her smile was as shaky as her knees were as she tried to step away from him. She did not understand why her body was reacting so strangely to his presence.

“Good morning,” she said unsteadily. “What are you doing?”

He walked into the room and put the tray on the table, before straightening to his full height and fixing her with a flat stare.

“I thought we might eat together.”

She looked from him to the food and then back to him. “We have never done that before.”

“Yes. I imagine it is time we began.”

“Why?” she blurted, not understanding why she was being so unrelenting.

“Because you are my wife. And I am your husband.”

“Are you just now realizing that?”

He sighed in annoyance, looking away from her. “If you want me to leave, why not just say so?”

She felt her heart constrict in her chest and realized that she did not want him to leave. “I am sorry. You had me at a disadvantage. I was unprepared, but I would like to have breakfast with you.”

He nodded. “Good.” He indicated to the stool. “Will you please take a seat?”

She looked around. “And what of you? Where will you sit?”

He pointed towards the bed. “I think that will be good enough for me.”

She nodded, feeling her cheeks heat at the thought of him sitting on the bed in which she had been sleeping. Her reactions both troubled and confused Georgiana

She took a deep breath, leaning forward to pick up the teapot. “Shall I?”

“Please,” he replied politely.

She poured each of them some tea, handing Robert his cup.

They sipped their tea simultaneously before they both reached for the same honey cake. Their fingers brushed, and they looked up at each other, as Georgiana quickly withdrew her hand.

The air was suddenly thick with tension, but Georgiana was at a loss how to ease it.

She cleared her throat. “You never told me what brought you here,” she said.

“The same reason you are, no? To stop Lord Newston from marrying your sister.”

“How did you know that?”

“Oh, well, it is an amusing tale. Lord Newston, who I had the misfortune of rooming with at Cambridge, found himself a likely bride. His uncle, with whom I often conduct business, informed me that Newston had asked him for money so he could run off with his paramour. That is, your sister.”

Georgiana’s lips pressed into a tight line. “I suppose he neglected to mention that my sister lacks the financial means he is expecting?”

Robert’s mouth quirked wryly. “I suspect that detail may have escaped him. His uncle seemed rather displeased. He told me that he refused to give his nephew the money he had requested.”

“How were they able to travel without funds?”

Robert shrugged, “I assume Newston found some way to fill up his pockets for the journey. Either way, I have every intention of bringing him back before he can do any lasting damage.”

Georgiana sighed, the weight of her concern evident. “Daisy is young, and easily swayed by a scoundrel’s charms.”

Robert nodded, his eyes softening. “Then it seems we are both here to prevent a disaster.”

She held his gaze, a tentative warmth stirring in her chest.

For all his faults, Robert was here to help protect her sister, just as she was. She felt a flicker of gratitude and something else as well, though she could not bring herself to name it.

“Yes. I am here to get my sister before she ruins her life with that man.”

He nodded in understanding. “Well, seeing as we are here for the same purpose, we might as well travel together.”

Georgiana opened her mouth to protest. The idea of traveling alongside Robert, sharing close quarters with someone so effortlessly composed and so assured of his own charm, made her hesitate.

But before she could voice her objections, he held up a hand, his expression unreadable, yet oddly gentle.

“No, no. No need to thank me,” he said with an amused glint in his eyes. “It is merely practical.”

“Thank you? For what, exactly?” she replied, arching an eyebrow and feigning indifference. “For deciding, without consulting me, that I am in need of your assistance?”

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a faint smile. “Not at all. But if we are both here to rescue your sister, it seems pointless to go our separate ways. I may know a thing or two about handling men like Newston.”

Georgiana looked away, her frustration turning into reluctant relief.

As much as she disliked admitting it, having Robert accompany her would make the situation less daunting.

“Fine,” she said finally, crossing her arms. “We shall travel together, but only until we find Daisy. After that, I can manage on my own.”

“Understood,” he replied with a slight bow, the humor softening into a respectful nod.

For a moment, they sat together in silence, the tension from moments earlier now mingling with a sense of cautious exploration.

“Well,” he said, his voice a touch softer, “we had best be off then.”

Riding in the carriage with Georgiana beside him felt surreal. He did not know where to put his eyes, choosing to gaze sightlessly at the passing scenery while he fought the urge to stare at her.

A year after Robert had met her at the altar and promised to love and cherish her, he was struck by the fact that he hardly knew her at all.

According to her parents, she was comely and obedient, a hard worker who was familiar with all the rules of decorum.

“ She will not trouble you ,” they had said, moments before negotiating a substantial sum for her unblemished purity.

He had not minded paying. It had been worth every pound to enable him to circumvent the marriage mart while fending off his increasingly insistent grandmother.

“ I want to see my great-grandchildren before I die .”

Robert knew she was being melodramatic, but he could not stop her words from affecting him.

So, here he was, saddled with a bride, but not really a wife.

I wonder if I could change that .

He gave her a sidelong glance as she sat, chilled and miserable, beside him.

The morning was misty and damp, and she had nothing but a shawl to shield her from the cold.

She looked bemused as Robert began to struggle out of his coat.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Well, it appears that you forgot to bring along any warm clothes, so I am forced to surrender my coat to you.”

“You do not have to do that.”

He snorted. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I did not?”

She looked around in an exaggerated manner. “Who is here to see you failing at your gentlemanly duties?”

Her comment took him by surprise, and his eyes crinkled with amused delight. Robert had to purse his lips to stop himself from laughing out loud. He removed his coat and handed it to her.

“ I am here,” he said tersely.

Despite her sarcasm, she wrapped herself snugly in his coat, hunching into herself to gather some warmth.

“We shall stop at the next inn for a foot warmer,” he promised.

“Do not worry about me. I am all right.”

He favored her with a skeptical glance but refrained from saying anything else.

They rode in silence for a while, seemingly alone on the road, the thick mist cutting off any evidence of civilization. Robert kept a watchful eye out for brigands, but he was not overly concerned in the light of day.

“Why?” Georgiana asked, breaking the long silence as she turned to face him.

Robert glanced at her. “Why, what?”

“Why did you decide to go after my sister without alerting me?” She paused, a slight edge creeping into her voice. “Is this some sort of…heroic attempt?”

He scoffed, casting her a sidelong look. “Hardly. I am not here to play the noble rescuer, if that is what you are suggesting.”

“Then why, exactly?” She tried to keep her tone calm.

“Because her impulsive actions also reflect upon my reputation, and I have no interest in seeing it dragged down by Newston’s foolishness—or your sister’s, for that matter.” His mouth twisted with a hint of irritation. “So, forgive me if I took the liberty of stepping in without your knowledge.”

She gave a short, incredulous laugh. “Oh, so now Daisy’s choices are a direct threat to your image? How dreadfully inconvenient for you, Your Grace.”

He stopped, turning to face her fully. “Yes, quite inconvenient,” he replied coolly. “But believe it or not, I am here to help. And if my presence keeps her out of trouble—and spares you a potential scandal—then you are most welcome.”

Georgiana narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, I am grateful for the thoughtful intervention, but I am perfectly capable of managing my own family matters, thank you very much.”

They sat in tense silence, neither one of them willing to back down, until finally, a smirk softened the hard edges of Robert’s expression.

“I suppose we will see how capable we both are, then.”

Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder. Georgiana flinched and gasped, her fingers closing around Robert’s arm and digging in hard.

He winced but did not pull his arm away.

“We are fine,” he soothed.

She was shaking and he frowned in concern, letting go of the reins with one hand so he could encircle her shoulders.

He offered her a reassuring squeeze and repeated, “We are fine.”

The carriage slowed down significantly, and the horse seemed agitated. The burst of thunder was followed by a bright streak of jagged lightning. Robert worriedly looked out the window.

Heavy, ominous, dark grey clouds were gathering quickly, and the wind was picking up speed.

We must find shelter.

He recalled that there was an inn not too far ahead, just outside of Gretna Green. They could stop there and wait for the storm to pass.

Georgiana clung to him as the color drained from her face in obvious fear.

He cast about for something to distract her from her worries. “Do you know, that in spite of my owning several properties in the continent and the Indies, I have not left England in my lifetime?”

She gaped at him, “What? Not even to Scotland?”

He shook his head slowly, hoping the good Lord would forgive him for lying.

“Why?” she asked incredulously.

He shrugged. “I have been busy.”

“But…what about during the wintertime or…or…” her eyes shifted in bewilderment as if searching for answers in the rolling hills around them.

“Any time?” he finished for her.

She huffed in amusement. “Well, yes.”

“You have not yet met my grandmother, have you?”

She frowned. “What has that to do with anything?”

“Well, my grandmother is something of a…firebrand. Highly opinionated and does not suffer fools gladly. She is quite a handful. Managing her temperament is time-consuming.”

She huffed in amusement. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I am quite sure she would have behaved herself had she been able to attend our wedding, but once you meet her on her own turf, you will understand what I mean.”

Georgiana laughed. “Well… Then I look forward to meeting her when she is less well-behaved.”

It was Robert’s turn to bark in laughter.

“That, you will. Never fear.”