Page 48 of A Duke in Her Fate
Ronan drummed his fingers on his cane while he watched Isla instruct her two sisters to behave themselves before wandering off through the Royal Gardens.
After three miserable days of heavy storms, he had thought it best to bring her out into the sunshine. Then Lacey was there and so was Margaret, and how he could turn them down? Besides, Isla had smiled when he agreed to bring them along.
And he needed her smiling.
“I’m coming,” Isla sang as she twirled the lace umbrella he’d purchased for her. Away went her sisters with matching ones.
“Very well, I shall wait,” he called in turn.
Rolling his shoulders back, Ronan braced himself as Isla wound around the low maze to find her way to him. They were finallygoing to have some time together without anyone else to bother them.
It had been a week since the garden party and days since they had danced in his friend’s parlor with her. They’d had little time to talk since. He was busy or they were surrounded by too many people. While Ronan knew that this was the pattern for proper courting, he’d never realized just how galling it could be.
The three weeks are practically up, and I am done waiting around. I need to know if my plan can move forward or not.
“It really was very generous of you,” Isla said as she met him on the edge of the maze. “Bringing my sisters with us, purchasing these parasols. You’re practically courting my whole family at this point.”
“Yes, but I would only marry you.”
Her lips twitched. “I would assume so. Though should you change your mind, I feel I must tell you that Lacey is most eager for your hand in marriage.”
“The little sprite? She’s a child.”
“She’s willing to wait if you are.” Isla laughed as he awkwardly tried to find a way out of that. “I told her it would not be an option. But you’ve surely won her over, as you have the rest of my family. I thought I might tell you, Ronan, in case you had any doubts.”
He nodded slowly before offering his arm. “Ah. Of course.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Shrugging, he asked, “Should I have something else to say? I have no desire or inclination towards Lacey but as a brother.”
“I appreciate you saying that.” Isla still smiled like it was all a jest. “You will make a very find brother, I think.”
A perfect window of opportunity.
“And what of a father?” He forced himself to ask.
Isla stumbled, and Ronan tightened his grip on her arm to keep her steady. Winding her way out of the hedge maze, he still turned them away from where most of the crowds wandered the main rows of blossoming flowers.
A lovely space that he knew his sister had much adored. He remembered taking her here when they were younger, where she could wander through the flowers and he could find plenty of damsels to flirt with before they returned home.
But that was another life. Ronan wanted to move on, to move forward. It was time. He had to do this.
“A father?” Isla cleared her throat rather prettily. She jutted her chin up to consider the shining sun before glancing his way. Theway she grazed her teeth against her plump bottom lip had him staring longer than planned. “Do you then still intend to claim him as your own?”
He braced himself for another fight. Though Isla’s tone was polite, he could tell she was being careful.
Ronan nodded and answered, “It will offer him the most protection.”
“And what will you say of his mother?”
“I will address that problem when it arises,” he had resolved. “The most important thing to us now is that he has a family who claims him. Not only that, but cares for him.”
Isla hesitated, stalling them, before allowing them to continue moving forward. Through an archway they walked of white roses. “You would still consider marrying me even though you know what I think of this situation?”
“It is still the plan so long as you will have me.”
She pulled away but remained closed, turning to face him. He did the same. There was that pretty face of hers. She really was a lovely thing, even with the freckles. No, especially with the freckles. There were only five on her right cheek and a smattering more on her left. Two on her nose. Ronan wondered if she ever tried to remove them or was resigned the spots that helped highlight the brightness of her eyes.
