Bewitching the Duke

“Yes. Move back to your home.”

Her lips trembled as she blinked furiously. “Thank you.”

He nodded, unable to say what he really wanted to tell her. Perhaps a little distance between them would help him make the decision. “I suppose I should go now.”

“Yes.”

He headed for the door with a heavy heart. He reached for the handle and then turned. “Are you visiting tenants tomorrow?”

“Yes, I have a few people I need to check on.”

“May I accompany you? Then we can get your things from Hart and return them to the cottage.”

She closed her eyes. He waited for a rejection. Slowly she nodded. “Yes. You should greet all the tenants and they seem to accept you better when you’re with me.”

“They do,” he admitted.

“Good night, Colin.”

“Good night, Selina. I shall be ready by ten tomorrow.” He opened the door and then headed for his study. God, he wanted a drink. He wanted more than that right now. He wanted to forget the look on her face when she told him she needed to leave.

Once in the study, he poured a large snifter of brandy and sat in the velvet chair by the empty fireplace. He looked up at the large portrait of Mary over the mantel and wondered what she would think of him at this moment. While she had been raised a proper lady, a perfect woman to become duchess, would she think this crazed idea of loving Selina was madness?

He knew in his heart that Mary would think it was insane. Her mother had taught her that only women of quality become duchesses. A simple countrywoman could never be accepted in Society. And how would Kate and his stepmother react?

Seeing Georgina at dinner, he knew she would be appalled by the idea. Kate had befriended Selina and most likely owed the wise woman her life. She would be far more accepting of Selina.

But the rest of Society would shun her.

Could he really do that to such a gentle woman?

She might hate him forever. She had already told him how she would dislike London, even though she had never been there. She needed the wide open spaces of the estate to keep her happy. And he had no choice but to go to town at times. He took his position in Parliament very seriously.

“What are you doing down here?”

Colin turned toward the door where his sister stood in the threshold wearing her dressing gown. “This is my study.”

“Yes . . . but

I thought you had, er, retired for the evening.” She walked into the room.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either.” She poured a glass of brandy and sat down across from him. “I thought I would pilfer some of your fine brandy.”

He lifted his glass in salute. “Great minds and all that.”

“Cheers.” She sipped her brandy and then stared over at him. “So why couldn’t you sleep?”

“No reason.”

“Of course.”

He heard the sarcasm in her voice. “Selina told me she was leaving.”

“What do you mean?”

“She insisted on leaving here.”