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seconds earlier you would’ve discovered me on bended knee.”
    He brought Rose’s limp fingers to his lips and kissed her bare knuckles and then turned her hand over to kiss her palm, his mouth warm on her flesh.
    “I am more than happy to go over my financial details with you—or the duke, when he is found. I am a man of good family.”
    “We can discuss all that later,” David said, his gaze also on Rose. “Are you sure you want to marry this man rather than the second richest man in the village?”
    “Absolutely sure.” She managed a rather wobbly smile.
    “That’s excellent news. I must go and tell Henry at once.” He nodded at them both and left the room, whistling happily down the corridor.
    As soon as the outside door banged behind her brother, Rose snatched her hand away.
    “Whatever were you thinking ?”
    Mr. Ford raised an eyebrow. “You wished to marry Mr. Potter?”
    “Of course I didn’t.”
    “Then what is your concern?”
    “You don’t want—you can’t want to marry me .”
    “That is rather beside the point.” He retook her hand and smoothed his thumb over hers. “If you are officially engaged to me, your brother can’t order you to marry elsewhere.”
    “Because he’ll be expecting me to marry you!”
    “ Expecting … yes, but think about it, Miss Leyton. We continue our engagement until the new duke is found, and then you lay the whole matter before him. He can decide whether he wishes to prosecute your ex-betrothed for breach of promise, offer you a new and larger dowry, or marry you himself.”
    Rose blinked hard at him. “And what about you?”
    He shrugged. “I’ll abide by whatever makes you happy.”
    “But why ?”
    He held her gaze. “Because you are my friend.”
    She fought back tears. “That is too much to ask of any man.”
    “I don’t think so. In truth, I’m happy to be of service.” He hesitated. “Can you bear the deception? We will have to pretend that we like each other.”
    “I do like you.”
    His smile was slow and so endearing that she caught her breath. For a terrible second she wished with all her heart that his affection for her was as deep as it could possibly be.
    “Then there is nothing else to worry us, is there?”
    He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. She closed her eyes as his mouth met hers and simply savored the essence of him—his breath feathering her lips, his warm hand curving around the back of her neck, holding her still for his kiss as though she was a fragile and precious thing.
    With a soft sound she kissed him back.
    “I think we will be quite convincing, don’t you?”
    She nodded as he stepped back.
    “Perhaps you should go and break the news to your great-aunt.”
    “I’m fairly certain David will have done that already.” She paused. “Do you intend to write to your family, or will it be possible to keep the matter between ourselves?”
    “As the Beckworth family are in mourning, I hope we can only inform those who are directly involved with this matter.” He smiled at her. “Neither of us are society high flyers, so I doubt anyone will notice what we choose to do. I will see you at dinner—if that is acceptable?”
    He walked over to the door and held it open for her. With the sense that she was still abed and dreaming, Rose went past him, heading for her great-aunt’s bedchamber. She was now affianced to Mr. Ford—who seemed to think they were capable of deceiving her brother, her great-aunt, and possibly the new Duke of Beckworth, whoever he might be.
    A smile quivered on her lips as she recalled the sight of her brother stretched out on the carpet and Mr. Ford standing over him in a particularly masterful pose. She’d never imagined her life would turn into a romantic novel with men fighting over her… In truth she was living in a novel, because none of it was real. The moment the duke returned, she would have to deal with the consequences of her choices—which wasn’t appealing at