Any Duchess Will Do (Spindle Cove #4)(87)

Delacre slumped to the ground with relief.

Pauline felt like doing the same.

“When next you see her,” Griff said, giving Delacre a light kick in the ribs, “you will greet her with respect and address her by her rightful name. As her grace, the Duchess of Halford.”

Now Pauline’s knees truly buckled. “What?”

“What?” Delacre echoed. “Halford, we had a pact.”

“For God’s sake. Leave off about the stupid pact. We were nineteen. At that age, we thought midnight grouse hunts were a grand idea, too.”

Griff crossed to Pauline and took her hands in his. “I can’t let you leave today.”

She shook her head with vigor. “No, no. Griff, I can’t stay. My sister. I promised her.”

“I’ll take care of her,” he promised. “I’ll take care of you both. Always. From this moment on you will never need to work again. Never need to be anxious or fearful. I will take care of everything.”

Oh, Lord.

“But you must stay with me and see this through. If you retreat today, the gossips will claim their victory.” His thumb caressed her hand. “We can have a future together, but we must seize it now. We can be married today.”

“Today? Are you mad?”

“Not at all. There are only a few men in England who could procure a special license on such short notice. I’m one of them. We’ll marry today, and tonight you’ll appear in public as the Duchess of Halford. No one will dare to cut you, just on the basis of a rumor in the scandal sheets. You’re beautiful and gracious and clever, and you have that whole silly etiquette book memorized. We’ll show them all tonight. You can do this.”

She wanted to believe him. She did. But how could she, when she could see very well the reaction of his own supposed best friend?

“She will never be one of us,” Delacre said. “Not even if you marry her. You know it, too, Halford. Be honest with yourself, and with her. The gossip will be savage. You will lose almost all of your social connections.” He struggled to his feet. “It gives me no pleasure to say this. But I’m trying to be your friend.”

“You are not my friend,” Griff grated out. “Get the hell out. And pray I don’t send my second with a challenge tonight.”

“I am your second,” Delacre said as he left the room. “You don’t have anyone else.”

See? she wanted to exclaim. It was happening already. Perhaps Delacre wasn’t much of a loss, but there would be others. She didn’t want to see Griff estranged from all his friends.

As for her, there was no question. She must go home, tonight. If she didn’t come back as promised, Daniela would feel betrayed and abandoned. Pauline couldn’t live with herself then. She’d sworn to never make her sister feel that way again.

She had to end this now. In no uncertain terms.

The duchess entered then, dressed in a quiet gray silk enlivened by a collar of sapphires and diamonds. “What on earth is going on?” she demanded, her keen gaze sweeping the room. “Griffin, explain this commotion.”

“Delacre’s a jackass. And I’m in love with Pauline.”

“Well,” the duchess said after a moment’s pause. “I already knew both of those things. Neither quite explains the state of my salon.”

Griff’s eyes never left Pauline’s. “I’m going to marry her.”

“No, your grace,” Pauline countered. “He’s not.”

The duchess arched a brow. “Does that mean I cast the deciding vote?”

“No,” Griff and Pauline said in unison.

She seemed unconvinced. “We’ll see.”

Pauline drew him aside and whispered, “Griff, this just can’t happen.”

“Why can’t it?”

“How many times must I point out the obvious? You are a duke. I am a serving girl.”

“You won’t be a serving girl tonight. You will be a duchess. A beautiful, poised woman who can hold her head high anywhere. And I will be the proudest man alive to stand at your side.”

“But what pride will I have, when I’m pretending to be someone I’m not?”

“I’m not asking you to pretend.”

“Yes, you are.” Her voice faltered. “You told me I wasn’t a ‘someone’ to you. You called me perfect, said you wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Yes, but—”

“But what? You don’t mean to stand before all of London’s Quality and tell them you’re in love with me. A serving girl with a coarse, yeoman farmer for a father and a simple-minded sister. Do you?”

He didn’t answer. Which was answer enough.

“No. You want to dress me up in a fine gown, throw your name over me like a cloak, and pretend this barmaid everyone’s gossiping about just doesn’t exist. As if you’re ashamed of me.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I can’t hide the truth of who I am.”

“I am asking you to live the truth of who you are. The full truth.” His tone was impatient now. He took her by the shoulders and gave her a mild shake. “There is so much more to you than a common serving girl, Pauline. Inside you, there’s a remarkable woman who soaked up poetry and squirreled away etiquette lessons, turned cruelty into dreams and plans—because she knew she was meant for better things. I saw that woman the first day we met. I don’t know why you won’t let the world see her, too.”