Chapter 3: DELICIOUS PROPOSITION
Claire went directly to her small bedroom after they returned to the Cloveshire Manor. She was tired after listening to her stepmother's constant chattering throughout the carriage ride.
Nellie Hudson rebuked and scolded her for behaving insensibly during the ball.
"It is a good thing that the Duke of Stonehill was not offended by you calling him a monster." Nellie had said with an exaggerated sigh.
In the same breath, the woman told Claire to think about the best way to create a connection between the Duke and her sister, Lucia.
"It is for the good of the whole family." Nellie had insisted.
The chances of the Duke of Stonehill falling in love with Claire were minuscule. And without love, she was not a good match for an aristocrat of that calibre.
However, Lucia had been groomed as the perfect wife to match men of high ranking. If she had an opportunity, the Duke could not resist.
The words made Claire angry, but she could not vent. If she shed all pretences with her stepmother, her life would fall apart. At the moment, her father had control of her life. And her father listened to everything that Nellie said like it was the gospel.
Therefore, she could only suppress her irritation and discomfort.
After returning to her room, she prepared herself for bed with haste. When she finally crawled under her warm covers, she sighed in relief.
She could finally rest.
"You look comfortable." A voice reached Claire's ears after she closed her eyes.
She had only heard the voice a few times, but it was etched in her mind.
The Duke of Stonehill…
"I thought you would be a little more afraid after the scare you got. I thought you would be up praying and putting up crosses around the room. After all, you have a timid temperament." The Duke laughed.
"Your Grace," Claire said as she sat up in her bed.
She looked around the dark room and found growing red orbs at her vanity table. Indeed, she had not imagined it. There was something peculiar about him.
"I am in your chamber, my Lady. You can call me Haider." He said.
Claire was too frozen to respond to the statement. She watched as he looked for the lamb, struck a match and lit up the room.
The handsome face was revealed.
"Why are you here?" Claire asked.
"Perhaps I want to silence you."
"If you wanted to kill me, you could do so without engaging me. Unless, of course, you like to play with your prey." Claire said.
"You are quite astute and well-spoken. It is strange that you have such a poor reputation in the Ton." Haider responded with a laugh. "You are also quite beautiful when your face and figure are not concealed in powder and dreadful clothes."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Claire bit out in anger.
The Duke laughed again.
"This will make my proposition a little more pleasant." Haider's eyes glowed. "I need a wife, and you need a husband to escape your appalling situation with your stepmother and the muddled baron. What do you say?"
Claire was stunned by the words.
"Why do you need a wife? And why me?" She asked. "If you whistle, the country will come running to you with better matches."
"You are suitable. I find you amusing, and you are quite brave, considering that you ran from me and are still able to converse with me. It is difficult for me to find a wife with the mental strength and appropriate constitution for a monster like me."
Claire lowered her head in shame at the reminder of the word she used. However, she still planned to reject the proposition.
"Also, no one knows of my true identity. It is a sensitive matter. If you were to land in someone else's hands, I would be exposed. I would prefer it if you were at my side. Otherwise, it might be necessary to eliminate the threat." He added with an amiable smile.
Claire felt angry at being threatened. She could understand his logic and position, but she did not like his attitude. He was forcing her hand.
On the other hand, this proposition was not a bad idea. Her stepmother had already 'promised' to help her establish a 'good' marriage with the Earl of Pelsley. It was her future reward for helping Lucia marry the Duke of Stonehill.
Which member of the aristocracy did not know that the Earl of Pelsley was a horrid rake with a reputation for perverted interests?
By marrying the Duke of Stonehill, she could avoid cruel matches that her horrid stepmother would, without a doubt, arrange.
In addition, she would thwart the woman's plan to marry her daughter to the most prestigious man in the peerage. It would be satisfying to see her face when she realised that the man her daughter could not get belonged to her.
With these wickedly delicious thoughts in her mind, Claire stretched out her thin hand to the Duke of Stonehill.
"Then, I look forward to being your wife." She said.
Haider caught the warm hand in his cool ones. He lifted the hand to his lips as if to kiss it politely. Instead, he captured her index finger in his mouth and pricked it with a sharp fang. And then, he sucked on the drops of blood.
Claire tried to pull back her hand, but she could not match his strength. She could only surrender to him until her little finger popped out of his mouth.
"Delicious, just as I imagined it would be." The Duke said before kissing the fingertips.
Before Claire could protest, the lamp went out, and Haider disappeared from her chamber.
Weekly Power Status
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