Read Online Married to the Marquess by Rebecca Connolly - Free Book Online
Authors: Rebecca Connolly
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eyes upon him. “I prefer Katherine.”
“Well, I prefer Kate,” he stated as he and his friends sat back down. Colin looked excited about the potential fight that was brewing. Beverton, on the other hand, seemed remarkably ill at ease.
“It is not your name,” Katherine said through clenched teeth as her hands tightly balled into fists.
He shrugged and replaced his serviette into his lap as he reached for another biscuit. “It’s not your choice. I will call you what I want to call you and you will just have to deal with that.”
“I will not answer.” Her voice was starting to grow shrill, and Katherine knew she was reaching a breaking point. It galled her that he knew how to taunt her so very well.
He offered her one more careless shrug. “Then I will continue to call you Kate and worse until you do.”
A sound so high she nearly could not hear it escaped her. “Insufferable man!” she screeched.
“Impossible woman!” he mimicked near perfectly with a smirk.
“Aren’t mornings with Derek and Katherine the best?” Colin sighed to Beverton.
Katherine gathered up what control she had remaining, and said, “Might I have a word with you in private, Whitlock?”
He grinned rather impishly. “Going to scold me, are you, Kate?”
“Katherine.”
“Whatever. Chamber pot, remember.”
“Yes, I remember,” she snapped. Then she took a steadying breath. “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
“That’s not likely,” he said as he tossed a grin to his friends, which Colin returned and Beverton did not. “I’d like to keep my head firmly attached to my body and all of my limbs too, if I can help it.”
“So little confidence in your own strength?” she retorted before she could stop herself. A duchess never reacts in haste or retaliation , came the scolding voice of her mother in her head.
That was one of her least favorite rules. Katherine was always reacting in haste and retaliation where her husband was concerned. It was the only way to behave around him.
“Bravo, Kate,” Whitlock said with a small amount of applause. “That was a brilliant retort. But as I was going to say, I will not be removing myself from this sumptuous breakfast, nor will I ask my friends to. Therefore, if you wish to speak to me you will either have to wait until I am finished or say it here in front of these two gentlemen.”
“Derek, I can…” Lord Beverton began, but he was silenced with a glare, and then chanced a look at Katherine, who was surprised by his actions. Perhaps having a wife had changed him.
Katherine looked back to her husband, who obviously had no idea what she needed to speak to him about. If he did, there was no way he would have even suggested that she do this here and now in front of his friends. But if that was what Whitlock wanted, then that was what Whitlock was going to get.
“Very well,” she said slowly, knowing that she should not, but would, enjoy every single moment of his discomfort, in spite of her own mortification, “then I will tell you now, with your friends present.”
A quick lifting of his brows was all the satisfaction Katherine needed as Whitlock’s always so carefully composed features shifted to complete surprise. Oh, this would be sweet indeed.
“I need you to stay in London for at least another two weeks,” she told him, folding her hands in front of her.
He recovered his surprise and snorted. “Whatever for? I’ve already been here three days, which is entirely too long as it is.”
She offered a very small smile, which made his eyes widen, just a touch, with worry. “I need you to stay because people think you have come into town to get me with child.”
Colin choked on his drink instantly, Beverton closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead, and her husband merely sat there stunned, though his face went shockingly devoid of color. “How do you…?” he started to say in a very weak, very hoarse voice.
“My sister overheard some of the
“Well, I prefer Kate,” he stated as he and his friends sat back down. Colin looked excited about the potential fight that was brewing. Beverton, on the other hand, seemed remarkably ill at ease.
“It is not your name,” Katherine said through clenched teeth as her hands tightly balled into fists.
He shrugged and replaced his serviette into his lap as he reached for another biscuit. “It’s not your choice. I will call you what I want to call you and you will just have to deal with that.”
“I will not answer.” Her voice was starting to grow shrill, and Katherine knew she was reaching a breaking point. It galled her that he knew how to taunt her so very well.
He offered her one more careless shrug. “Then I will continue to call you Kate and worse until you do.”
A sound so high she nearly could not hear it escaped her. “Insufferable man!” she screeched.
“Impossible woman!” he mimicked near perfectly with a smirk.
“Aren’t mornings with Derek and Katherine the best?” Colin sighed to Beverton.
Katherine gathered up what control she had remaining, and said, “Might I have a word with you in private, Whitlock?”
He grinned rather impishly. “Going to scold me, are you, Kate?”
“Katherine.”
“Whatever. Chamber pot, remember.”
“Yes, I remember,” she snapped. Then she took a steadying breath. “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
“That’s not likely,” he said as he tossed a grin to his friends, which Colin returned and Beverton did not. “I’d like to keep my head firmly attached to my body and all of my limbs too, if I can help it.”
“So little confidence in your own strength?” she retorted before she could stop herself. A duchess never reacts in haste or retaliation , came the scolding voice of her mother in her head.
That was one of her least favorite rules. Katherine was always reacting in haste and retaliation where her husband was concerned. It was the only way to behave around him.
“Bravo, Kate,” Whitlock said with a small amount of applause. “That was a brilliant retort. But as I was going to say, I will not be removing myself from this sumptuous breakfast, nor will I ask my friends to. Therefore, if you wish to speak to me you will either have to wait until I am finished or say it here in front of these two gentlemen.”
“Derek, I can…” Lord Beverton began, but he was silenced with a glare, and then chanced a look at Katherine, who was surprised by his actions. Perhaps having a wife had changed him.
Katherine looked back to her husband, who obviously had no idea what she needed to speak to him about. If he did, there was no way he would have even suggested that she do this here and now in front of his friends. But if that was what Whitlock wanted, then that was what Whitlock was going to get.
“Very well,” she said slowly, knowing that she should not, but would, enjoy every single moment of his discomfort, in spite of her own mortification, “then I will tell you now, with your friends present.”
A quick lifting of his brows was all the satisfaction Katherine needed as Whitlock’s always so carefully composed features shifted to complete surprise. Oh, this would be sweet indeed.
“I need you to stay in London for at least another two weeks,” she told him, folding her hands in front of her.
He recovered his surprise and snorted. “Whatever for? I’ve already been here three days, which is entirely too long as it is.”
She offered a very small smile, which made his eyes widen, just a touch, with worry. “I need you to stay because people think you have come into town to get me with child.”
Colin choked on his drink instantly, Beverton closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead, and her husband merely sat there stunned, though his face went shockingly devoid of color. “How do you…?” he started to say in a very weak, very hoarse voice.
“My sister overheard some of the
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