Regency Romance Omnibus 2018: Dominate Dukes & Tenacious Women

“It’s not fair...” she muttered to herself, resting her head against him, her soft voice mostly getting lost in the noise of the engine.

“Hmm?”

“It isn’t fair.”

“What isn’t?” The buildings were coming to view, not much longer to go. Awaiting an answer, he felt her head move, looking ahead, and felt it shake before she pushed herself gently up from him, resuming her position at the far side of the car. “What isn’t?” He asked again, a bit more pressing albeit in a harmless way. She shook her head again, that stony look having returned. He let the matter lie for the time being, but none the less took it as a victory that he’d managed to lighten her mood at least for a time. Things seemed quite dark indeed when he’d arrived to her home.

They drove without so much as an utterance, he turned at a corner and they made their way along the side of a park, a very gentle swerve made to avoid a pleasant little mound of horse manure. The vehicle was brought to a stop, the engine shut off, and so with the sound of the engine replaced by the muffled noises of the city, he turned slightly in his seat and looked to her. Still, void of emotion, she merely sat there staring forth. Not at the brick structures to their left, nor the park to their right, nor at himself. The spark and the fire in her that so drew him, it seemed as though it had been doused to merely an ember.

The Duke reached over, took her hand, and held it. A few seconds later she looked down at this gesture of his, her limp hand held in his firm one, and her gaze followed the arm to his face. She seemed so sad.

“What’s happened?” Still she merely stared, and her empty features seemed to him to say that somehow he should already know. “She really is pressing you to make this work, hmm?” The hand twitched, tightening on him slightly. “You want to remain single, however.” Her lips twitched, pursed, her eyes squeezing as though some twinge of pain had just shot through her. “Do you?”

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, their eyes locked.

“Come, let’s go to the park, some peace and fresh air could do us both good, I dare say.” The hand was lifted to his face, a kiss given, before returning it to her intact.

“So, is it just me that causes you such vexation, or is it men in general?” They’d reached the bench in quiet, and sat upon its wooden surface. Her hands rest placidly on her lap, peering faintly downwards at the stone path that cut through the greenery. A young boy ran about with a yapping dog, a couple with greying hair strolled at a pleasantly slow pace, and a young family with an infant, a small child, and another that was only slightly bigger all sat on a sheet with a basket of tasty bits to nibble on.

The Viscountess’ eyes calmly twitched about before her, not looking at anything in particular. He knew she was thinking and so, leaning back on the bench, politely awaited her to find proper articulation.

“It’s...” she started, but with her head cocked slightly to the side as she vaguely looked forth, her eyes narrowing in search of the proper words, he leaned ahead and put his elbows on his knees as he watched her.

“It all just seems... so... unfair.” Shaking her head lightly she looked over to him. He steadily held her gaze with his own.

“How so?”

“Well, what do you mean ‘how so’? Isn’t it obvious?”

“It might be.” He gave with a light shrug. “For now, explain it to me as though I were an imbecile.”

“Heh, well...” a grin came to her face, her features lighting up slightly at the thoughts coming to mind. He, too, was met with a grin at seeing the pleasant change in her expressions.

“Thought you might like that.”

“I do. Well... what I mean, is...” she regarded him again briefly before bringing her eyes ahead again.

“It’s unfair that I have so much wealth and you don’t? Not the best stance to take, considering how poor King George’s cousin faired recently.” Her eyes shot to him rather suddenly at that.

“I’m not a bloody Socialist.” Spoken forthrightly and with dignity, even though indignation would have been an acceptable way to reply.

“Well thank God for that.” From his forward-leaning posture he relaxed back once more.

“I mean, it’s unfair in a more broad sense. Unfair for women.”

“Mmh, go on.”

“What do you mean ‘go on’, do you doubt it?”

“I didn’t say that. I want to hear your point of view. Emma, I find you to be fascinatingly passionate about the matter, in truth I find it strangely... I should choose the term, em-” he glanced to her a moment, “-carefully.” She nodded, a studious eyebrow raised at him. “Attractive. Yes, I’ll go with that one.”

“I see. Well, thank y-” she began to provide politely, nodding.

“I was going to go with ‘erotic’.” The nod turned into a double-take, a smile threatening to spread on her lips in spite of her will to suppress it, meanwhile her eyes attempted to portray anger or outrage. It resulted in quite an odd overall expression, which brought a chuckle from him.

“Pig.” She swatted his chest with the back of her hand, though really not much actual force had been put into it. It’s as though it were merely to hold up appearances than actually airing grievances.

“Oink oink.” She snorted, failing to kill the laugh before it fully came out. “Anyhow, injustice between the genders, go on.” Her shoulders sagged as she sighed.