"That is not better."
"No," he admitted. "It isn't."
The bird fluttered down and landed on a chair. Eliza pointed at it. "I came here because that creature stole my mother's necklace from my bedroom."
Julian glanced at the necklace. "You followed it here?"
"Yes."
"Through the gardens?"
"Yes."
"Across the terrace?"
"Yes."
"And into my drawing room?"
"Yes."
He nodded. "I see."
"What do you see?"
"That I have made a very unfortunate decision."
She folded her arms. "At last, we agree."
Julian laughed. He could not help it. And that was the first problem. The second was that he wanted her to stay. The third was that, for the first time in two years, the idea of marriage did not make him want to escape through a window.
Eliza Hart had no intention of marrying the Duke of Bellamy. This was important. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to explain to everyone else. By breakfast the following morning, three newspapers had already mentioned her name. By luncheon, her aunt had received four letters. By tea, Lady Margaret had sent a dressmaker.
Eliza stared at the woman measuring her sleeve. "I am not getting married."
The dressmaker smiled. "Of course, miss."
"I mean it."
"Of course."
"I am not the Duchess."
"Not yet."
Eliza looked at her aunt. "Why is everyone behaving as though this is settled?"
Her aunt stirred her tea. "Because you are now the most interesting unmarried woman in England."
"That is a terrible position."
"It is worse for Julian."
"Why?"
"He has spent years rejecting women. Now the first woman who catches his attention is the one he publicly promised to marry."
Eliza groaned. "I did not catch his attention. I was chasing a bird."
Her aunt smiled. "Sometimes life is rude enough to disguise opportunity as humiliation."
"I prefer humiliation."
"Of course you do."
That afternoon, another carriage arrived. Julian stepped out. Eliza saw him through the window.
"Oh, absolutely not."
Her aunt smiled. "You are going to speak with him."
"I am going to hide."
"You are twenty-four. That is old enough to know when to hide."
She went upstairs. Five minutes later, a maid found her. "His Grace is waiting."
Eliza sighed. "Tell him I died."