Page 26 of A Highland Duke to Claim Her Heart

She took a deep breath. “I am prepared for this night,” she murmured. “My mother, she… she prepared me. You do not have to worry that I will be frightened.”

The duke gave her a long, penetrating look.

“You are frightened,” he said. It was not a question. He knew, and the certainty of his words made her redden.

“I am not—”

“But you do not need to be,” he interrupted. “That will not be happening tonight.”

She stared up at him in shock. A million questions filled her head, but she could not articulate a single one of them. The duke, however, filled the silence.

“While we are husband and wife now, I could not be with you in that way while we are still such emotional strangers to one another. It would be against my very nature to be with someone who was not fully willing, who was only doing her duty, who did not want…” he trailed off, a dark look passing across his face.

He does not want to be with me.She had not been expecting such a rejection, and it hit her harder than she could have imagined, like a blow to the chest.

At last, he looked back at her. The candlelight was flickering across his face, making him seem even tanner than before, but also softer, more open.

“In fact,” he said, clearing his throat, “I cannot promise that there will come a time when I am interested in having that kind of relationship with you. While ours can and will be a real marriage, while I am willing to do whatever it takes to protectand care for you, ensure your comfort and happiness, while I shall be your husband in my soul, I am not sure that I can be your husband in my body.”

It took Cassandra a long time to realize what he was saying. When she finally did, she felt dizzy, as if she had stood up too quickly. She had to put out a hand to steady herself. When she could find nothing solid, he supplied himself, and she leaned against his arm.

“Sit,” he murmured, and he brought her over to the small lounge, where a sofa and a chair had been set next to a low table. She sat down obediently, and he seated himself next to her. For a long moment, there was silence, except for the guttering of the candles in their sconces.

At last, she looked up at him.

“So… never?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“Most likely,” he murmured.

Her jaw tightened, and she felt something claw its way up her stomach. Was it… disappointment?

He huffed a laugh. “Do not fret, duchess. I am much older than you. Perhaps I will not be around for long, and then you will getthe chance to marry again, someone younger and more capable of meeting your needs…”

Cassandra frowned. “Why do you jest about such things?” she asked. “You have a young daughter who loves and needs you. It is not amusing to joke about your death when she is still in your care.”

“Of course,” he said, sobering. “I only meant that you may get a second chance at marriage.”

“This already is my second chance,” she pointed out.

He looked down at his hands. “And I am sorry if it is a disappointment,” he murmured. “But I must be honest about what I am capable of giving you.”

“Perhaps…” She was thinking fast, trying to make sense of everything. “Perhaps we ought not to predict what the entirety of our marriage will look like. After all, we only decided to wed a few days ago. Perhaps it would be better to simply get to know one another. Feel comfortable in one another’s presence.”

The duke sat back in his chair, giving her a wry, intrigued smile. “I like the sound of that,” he said. He spread his arms wide. “So tell me about yourself. What do you like to do, duchess?”

The way he said her title was almost cheeky, and she found a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Well, I like to walk,” she said slowly. “As you saw the other day. I spent most of my life in Cornwall walking the cliffs and moors. After we came to London for the last two seasons, I desperately missed being in nature. I used to have a garden in Cornwall where I would grow herbs and vegetables. I feel more myself when I am surrounded by trees and fields.”

The duke inclined his head. “I feel much the same. Whenever I am in the city, I find myself overwhelmed.”

“Plus, you are far too large for it,” she observed, the smile wider now. “You must take up far too much space whenever you are in the city.”

“Yes,” he said, laughing quietly. “I am not suited for indoor spaces, it is true. Even this castle…” he shrugged. “I spend little time here. Most often I am in the fields, building drainage systems and helping my farmers work their lands.”

“You mentioned this before,” she said, leaning forward with interest. “I have never heard of a duke who spends so much time farming and working land. That is why, when we met, I did not think you were the duke…” She trailed off, her cheeks heating as she remembered their first meeting.

“Many of the lairds think I am mad,” the duke said, and something playful glittered in his eyes. “But I enjoy being outside, working the land, and most of all I enjoy engineering. Modern science and mathematics are moving at a rapid pace, and the advances being made are allowing our farmers to work more efficiently and increase their profit margins. I want to bring as many of these advances as possible to my tenants. Not merely for the estate’s sake, although it does benefit it, but for the farmers’. For centuries, farmers in the Highlands have worked difficult land for little profit. If we can change that…”