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Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat when she spotted the duke entering the hall at the far end. She wondered if he had come in specifically to see her, but it was more likely he was checking on the arrangements. With so much to do and so little time, she and Gabriel had no time alone.

Eleanor looked at Charlotte and smiled, excusing herself before turning and moving to meet Gabriel, so Charlotte wouldn’t overhear anything they spoke about.

“I wanted to ensure that everything was progressing smoothly,” he told her when they came together.

“Yes, that’s what I expected,” she replied. “It will all be ready for the big day.”

“Splendid,” Gabriel replied.

Ever since she accepted the proposal, things had been awkward between them. They still talked, but their relationship felt completely different. They no longer argued or challenged each other. They spoke politely, going out of their way to make sure the other was comfortable and happy. It felt like they were going through the motions with each other.

“I wondered if you wanted to serve lemon cakes at the reception,” the duke said. “We could even have lemon cake as our wedding cake.”

Eleanor smiled. “That’s very considerate of you, Your Grace.”

“You don’t need to call me Your Grace anymore,” Gabriel pointed out. “Gabriel will be fine.”

“All right.” Eleanor felt it was wrong to call him by his name, as if the informality didn’t match what they had.

“I wanted to tell you again that you are an honorable man, Your—Gabriel,” Eleanor said. “You didn’t need to ask for my hand, but you did, and you did so because you were unwilling to leave my reputation in ruins. I don’t know many men who would do the same.”

“I’m not many men,” Gabriel pointed out.

“No, you are not,” Eleanor agreed. “So, thank you for marrying me to save my reputation.”

“Of course,” Gabriel said curtly.

Eleanor had told him the same thing a few times over the past couple of days, and each time she said it, she hoped the duke would tell her it wasn’t only because of her reputation, but because he could see them falling in love with each other.

Eleanor had spent much of her life knowing she didn’t want to fall in love with someone and then marry them, because she didn’t want to risk being ripped in two like her mother. But now that she was to wed, she had an urge to find love. She wished that Gabriel had feelings for her as she had for him.

There was no doubt she had grown feelings for him, hastened by the closeness they shared; if he felt the same, perhaps they could grow to love each other, and he wouldn’t end up like her father.

Yet, when she questioned him, hoping for a different answer, he cemented what she already knew: he was marrying her out of duty and nothing else.

They would start a family together, and he would have heirs, and he wouldn’t need to go out and find someone. The marriage was meant to protect Eleanor and required no extra work from Gabriel—convenient for them both.

“I…” Eleanor started. “Have you spoken to Lord Fairfax since the masquerade ball?”

“I have not,” Gabriel replied. “Don’t worry, he shan’t be a problem. If he were going to cause trouble, I would know by now, and I expect that if he were going to say something to someone, he would not have dared to do so without informing me first. He will not reveal our secret.”

“Good,” Eleanor confirmed. “If he did come out and tell people, I know it would be horrible, but it is something we did, and I don’t regret it.”

The duke took her hand and rubbed the back of it gently with his thumb. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done.”

Eleanor was left wanting again. She was fishing for something more. She knew that, in the moment, the duke enjoyed the intimacy, and it could have gone much further. But looking back, was it something he was glad to have done? Did he enjoy it the way she did? Did he have any feelings for her, as she did for him? Would there ever be more between them, or was this all they would ever have?

“We don’t…You don’t have to marry me if you don’t wish to,” Eleanor told him. “I know why you are doing this, and I believe that the marriage can be beneficial to us both, but I will get through this either way. If this is not what you want, then you must say so.”

“If this was not what I wanted, I would have said so already.” The duke smiled. “I don’t take my duty lightly, and I do what is best for me.”

There was that word again: Duty. It only made her feel worse. How she longed to hear him tell her he wanted to marry her because she was the most special woman he had ever met, and that the moment he first laid eyes on her, he had become smitten.

“Thank you for doing all that you are doing for me,” Eleanor relented. She wanted more than she had when she had no right to ask for it. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Just make sure that everything is ready for the wedding,” he informed her. “We will put on a grand show for the ton, even if we have cobbled this together.”

“Yes, cobbling it together,” Eleanor murmured. “I will do my best to ensure that we are ready for the wedding.”