The Duke's Bride (15 page)

“Correct,” he said coolly. “Besides being your
husband, I am a duke, after all.”

What a pompous remark! She knew Roderick had a big
head about some things, but she had given him some leeway because his father
had brought him up to think so much of himself. He had been the firstborn, the
heir. That, in itself, had set Roderick apart from his other siblings. However,
the man did have a good heart. He adored his nieces and nephews. He was kind to
his mother. He helped the poor. He paid attention to his tenants and had many
other good qualities. But this attitude toward her was unacceptable!

“Actually,” she said sweetly, testing him. “I have no
other choice, do I?”

A beaming smile lit his eyes. “You, sweetheart, are
smarter than any other lady I know, besides my sister, that is.” He gave her a
peck on the lips.

Ha, as if that would seal the agreement, she thought.

“You do realize,” he continued. “This is just a minor
distraction in our marriage. Frankly, it won’t affect us in the least.”

“Oh?” she said, taking a seat. “We will go on as if
nothing has happened, then?”

His eyes moved hungrily to her lips. Her heart turned
over as the air between them crackled. She fidgeted in her seat, feeling rather
warm.

Goodness, she thought. The man was more powerful than
she realized. And she had been married to him for years! Or at least she
thought she had been married! But that was the point, was it not?

 She frowned just as he turned and grabbed his
snifter of brandy. He was distancing himself from her again. Her stomached turned.
How long was this going to continue?

“That’s entirely correct,” he said, his smile a bit
wooden. “Pretend it never happened. We have the weight of the king behind us, and
a valid date on the license. Not to mention my family and friends.” He took a
sip of his drink and turned to her, as if they were discussing a dinner menu. “When
I return, we can speak more of this. But tomorrow, we must wed. Then I am off
to France.”

She looked up, her eyes flashing. “I think not.”

He put his drink to his lips and halted. “What?”

She brushed her hands over her gown. “I believe I will
not marry you. At least, not now.”

He laughed. “I do not think you understand, sweetheart.
Let me explain. We are not legally married. Therefore, we have to marry again. Don’t
know how the license was brought to the attention of the king. He wouldn’t tell
me. But Jane, there is no question of our remarriage.”

She lifted a delicate brow and smiled sweetly. “Well,
Your Grace, I suppose you shall have to woo me again.”

Roderick spurted the brandy from his mouth. “W-what?”

“Woo me again, dear man.”

He slapped the brandy glass onto the table. Black eyes
impaled her. “I will not woo my wife in order to marry her. Besides, I am off
to France, if you have forgotten.”

“Ah yes, government matters. And who is this Devereaux
person? His name does sound familiar?”

Roderick’s face turned dark. “It is none of your
concern. But this marriage is! We are to be wed tomorrow!” There was an edge to
his voice she had only heard when he was ready to box someone’s ears. But he
would not take a finger to her, and he knew she knew it.

She batted her eyes at him and lifted her chin. “But
you just admitted it. I am not your wife. Therefore, anyone may marry me, is
that not so?”

“
That
is not so.”

“I believe you have your information mixed up,
Roderick. If I am not married, anyone may marry me. And therefore, if I want a
child, I can have one with whomever I choose.”

Every muscle in Roderick’s powerful form seemed to
stiffen. His face turned red with fury. His eyes darkened to a dangerous black.
And the corner of his mouth began to twitch.

She blinked in innocence, waiting for him to explode.
She wasn’t disappointed.

“This is not a matter of discussion,” he said harshly.
“And I do not find it amusing either.”

“Neither do I.” She rose from her seat, glared at him,
then started for the door. “If you want to marry me again, you had better woo
me.”

“I cannot woo you in less than twenty-four hours,” he
yelled.

She glanced over a delicate shoulder. “Well, then,
until you return from France, you may dream about wooing me then.”

His face turned a darker crimson. “Where the devil do
you think you are going?”

“I am packing my things and then off to Hemmingly.”

“You will marry me tomorrow, madam. I forbid you to
go.”

She turned slowly around and put her hands on her
hips. “I do not care for that tone, Roderick. In fact, I do not care for your
edicts. I do not like you telling me, where I should go, what I should do, and
whom I should see. I shall do what I want, since I am now a single woman again.
You, of course, are invited to visit me at Hemmingly, after your return. Perhaps
then, you can use your dukie ways and woo me into your arms, and ask me to
marry you. And maybe, I will say yes.”

He blinked as if no one had ever spoken to him like
that before. “I will not follow your skirts like some young buck, madam. I am
no puppy-eyed youth!”

His condescending tone pushed her over the edge.

“I do not believe it too much to ask to be wooed
before I marry,” she snapped.

“Thunderation, Jane! Have you lost your mind? Society
will blacken your name.”

She lifted her chin. “Let them blacken it then. The
ball is in your court, Your Grace. You know exactly what I want, and that’s all
there is to it.”

“I won’t grovel, madam! And I certainly won’t bow to
your edicts. I will not do that for anyone! You are playing a dangerous game,
madam, and I don’t like it!”

A game? This was no game to her! This was her life.

Hot tears rushed to her eyes. “Oh, Roderick! Why do
you have to be so…so dukie!”

His eyes widened in disbelief when she ran from the room.

J
ane took a dinner tray in her bedchambers while
Roderick took his meal in the dining room with his brothers and Jared. The
other ladies, backing Jane, dined in the nursery with the children.

Clayton forked a piece of his beef into his mouth and
turned a pointed gaze toward Roderick. “Carry the woman over your shoulders.
That’s the only way to do it.”

Roderick’s lips thinned as irritation spurted through
his veins. He picked up his wine glass, and tipped the sweet red liquid down
his throat. The last thing he needed was his younger brother giving him advice.

“No doubt, that is exactly how you married Briana,” he
said sarcastically. “And by chance, have you double-checked your marriage license?
Perhaps that is not legal either.”

Clayton blanched. “By Jupiter, it’s legal! Agatha saw
to it. Ain’t saying the problem is going to be solved in a day, Roderick. But
devil take it. I think it best you apologize to Jane and do whatever she wants.
There was a day when you would do just that. You loved that girl like there was
no tomorrow. I see no reason you cannot humble yourself and get on your knees
and beg her to marry you.”

Roderick slapped his hand against the table, shaking
the water goblets. “I did get on my knees! In front of the king, I might add!
And I fail to see why my brothers wish to give me advice. Advice, might I add, that
is not wanted.”

Jared dabbed his napkin against his lips and mumbled a
curse as he swung his head Roderick’s way. “I do not like seeing Jane in pain. With
her past health problems, I believe you have been rather harsh with her.”

Roderick glared at him. “King George, you too!”

“Yes, me too!” Jared growled. “Wed her tomorrow morning
and let it be over with. By Jove, Jane needs closure before we leave! And, the
devil! I do not take pleasure in heading off to France with a partner who has
only half a brain!”

Roderick had informed his brothers about the mission
earlier and of the danger involved. In case there was any retaliation, they
needed to know, especially if it involved the safety of their families.

“You act as if you were still her guardian,” Roderick
snapped, his fiery eyes shooting daggers at his friend.

 “If she is not married, then yes, I am still her
guardian!”

Stephen shook his head. “Jane is at least twenty-three,
Jared. No guardian can make her decisions now.”

Jared shot a curt glance across the table. “No matter.
Roderick must marry her.” He turned toward Roderick, threw his napkin on the
table and narrowed his eyes into a fierce scowl. “I do not care how you do it!
But, by Jove, do it!”

Roderick leaned back in his chair. Jared was wild with
rage. This was the last thing he needed before they went to France. They needed
to be a team. “Since she was your ward, you know exactly how stubborn she can
be.”

Jared raised his dark brows. “Stubborn? And you are
the king of calmness, I suppose?”

Stephen swallowed a sip of wine. “I have a feeling you
are not listening to her, Roderick. Jared is correct. You can be quite dukie at
times.”

Roderick shot from his seat. The thought of Jane not being
married to him set his nerves on edge, and these addlepated ninnies were not
helping in the least!

“I think I will say good night,” he roared. “Because
if I continue to listen to this blabber, I may fight the lot of you. And for
your information, I will not plead my case with my very own wife!”

“That’s just the point,” Jared snapped. “She is not
your wife!”

Agatha broke into the room and all the men stood. “Jared
is exactly correct!” she announced, darting a pointed glance Roderick’s way as
she closed the doors behind her.

Roderick turned beet red. He did not have to take
this. He thought the lady had left the premises. Muttering a curse, he turned
to leave when her parasol shot out, stopping him.

“Have a care,” he growled, looking up. “You, madam,
just missed my eye!”

The older lady lifted a stern brow. “Sit down!”

Devil take it! He was a duke, and this lady was
telling him to take a seat? What had happened to the sensitive soul earlier
today? The lady had all but cried her eyes out in front of him for worry over
Jane.

“I am taking my leave,” he replied, standing tall,
giving everyone in the room a glare that could freeze water. “The rest of you
may gossip about today’s happening. But Hell’s teeth! I have had just about
enough!”

Agatha jabbed him in the stomach. “Sit down, you fool.
I have something to say.”

Roderick’s eyes widened in shock. “Madam, you have once
again attacked a peer of the realm.” He would never have guessed that this lady
had shown a softer side earlier. Blast it all. She was a dictator!

A smothered laugh came from Stephen. Roderick glared
at his brother.

Agatha ignored them both. Her stern gaze swept over
the gentlemen. “You have all been in reconnaissance, so I shall ask every one
of you to keep this conversation to this room. You know of the situation that
Jared and the duke must tackle.” She glanced over her shoulder at Roderick. “I
suggest you stay. I have received more information that may alter your plans.”

Roderick’s eyes narrowed. The cool look in Agatha’s
eye told him she had more than a little information. His stomach curled into a
knot as he took his seat.

He gave the lady an authoritative glare. “A
suggestion, madam, is workable. A command, is not.”

Agatha stared at him, and dash it all, he thought he
detected a twinkle of laughter in those gray eyes. “Touché, Your Grace.”

 She let her knowing gaze settle on the rest of
the gentlemen. “This assignment that Roderick and Jared are attempting is more
serious than we ever dared to imagine. Devereaux’s son is gathering an army,
and if we do not stop him in his tracks, we may have another war on our hands.
More unnecessary deaths. And more strife between the two countries. However, we
believe that once the head of the snake is cut, the rest of the body will
fall.”

“What are you saying?” Roderick asked gravely.

Agatha frowned. “I am saying that you and Jared must
leave tonight. Time is of the essence. We have detailed information about
Devereaux’s whereabouts, but he could move at any time.”

Roderick’s body stiffened. Thoughts banged against his
brain.
Tonight? What about Jane? And what about that blasted captain? Did he
dare leave his wife unmarried? Ha! His wife unmarried? That didn’t even make
sense.

He felt all eyes upon him. A taut silence filled the
room with only the ticking of the mantle clock ringing in Roderick’s ear.

“No wedding, you are saying then?” he asked, already
knowing the answer.

Agatha shook her head sideways. It was as if she would
not look at him. What was she hiding?

“Not now,” she said. “You cannot afford to lose any
time.”

Roderick frowned, thinking about Jane. He hated to
leave things as they were, but there was no other way. He told himself he would
be back in two weeks at most. At that time, Jane would be more understanding,
and the wedding would be quick and legal. Two weeks was nothing, he told
himself. Nothing at all.

Jane could travel to Hemmingly and avoid the gossips and
Society. But the thought of her and the captain together drove him insane. Captain
James Argyle had best stay away from his wife, because if the man dared to
marry her before he returned, Roderick would kill him.

King George, he thought grimly, he had to remember she
was no longer his wife! Plague take it! He was losing his mind. Jared was
correct. He had only half a brain. The other half belonged to Jane.