To Defy A Duke

Chapter 31

"You could break the engagement." Eliza's words slice through his heart. The mere notion is unthinkable. They had been riding for half an hour and her skin glowed with the cold when she suggested her idea. The words cause his heart to miss a beat and his stomach feels like stone, the rest of her words fall upon deaf ears, words of their family, Lady Rosemarie and spinsterhood.

He swiftly changes the direction of his horse, he never intended on punishing her but on taking her to his house and giving her a few hours to cool off before he approached her but the offhand way she suggested breaking their arrangement had him changing his mind instantly. Harrington leads his horse to a small village on the town outskirts. In front of him, Eliza has become more and more restless, she is constantly shuffling her position. Her hair maybe bonnet free but the locks are wound her tight against her neck and the pins keeping it in place are digging into her scalp.

"Where are we?" She asks looking around the village, there isn't much but it is quaint, a few rows of ivy-covered cottages, a church, a school, a few shops, a blacksmith and forger. Harrington doesn't answer that question but jumps down from the horse, gathers the reins in his left hand and leads her over to a fence and trough outside the small pub. He lifts Eliza down by her waist and she shoves herself away from him as soon as her feet touch solid ground. She hovers by him as he ties the reins in a know

"Come here." He orders, grabbing her arm and linking hers through his. Together they walk down the main street, many people stop and stare at the imposing Duke. Eliza begins to feel uneasy, where is he taking her? Is her punishment here?

He stops at the little church with plain windows.

"I am not confessing my sins," Eliza vows glaring at him. He doesn't respond, he pulls her inside the church. Despite the humble appearance of the building the inside is rather nice, benches line each side and at the front, there is a table covered in purple cloth, treasures and books are laid on the top.

"Minister?" Harrington drags Eliza down the aisle, a man about Harrington's age looks up from polishing the silver, he has a few boys with him, apprentices of the church no doubt.

"Jasper?" He says in utter surprise, "My lord, what has caused you to grace us with your presence?"

"I need that favour." He says shortly. Eliza looks between him and the minister in confusion, the minister himself seems taken aback at the appearance.

"Of course." The minister says rubbing his hands awkwardly.

"Marry us."

"What?" Eliza must have missed something because it to her it sounded like Jasper has just asked the minister to marry them. The minister looks confused and the boys around him look to him expecting.

"You can marry us, correct?" Jasper asks, keeping an extra tight grip on her hand.

"Yes but..."

"Use these boys as witnesses and we shall do it."

"I am not marrying you." Eliza insists. "Let go of me." She hits his shoulder with her free hand repeatedly. Harrington clasps both her hands and pulls her to the side, they have a small audience as they whisper angrily at each other.

"You think I don't want you?

"This is madness."

"Do you think I don't want you?" He repeats, "Answer the question!"

"Yes, I think don't want me." She says at length.

"Then let me prove otherwise." He pulls her back to the altar. "We are ready." He says to the minister who doesn't look that confident.

"Are you sure?" He asks tentatively, looking at Eliza's distressed face.

"Quite" Jasper answers for her. The minister picks up a book from the table and ushers the silent boys to the side. He clears his throat.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Jasper Harrington and....." He trails off and looks expectantly at her.

"Eliza Turner." Harrington supplies when she doesn't.

"Do you Jasper Harrington, take Eliza Turner to be your wife, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do."

"Do you Eliza Turner take Jasper Harrington to be your husband, to love and serve, till death do you part?" Her mouth falls open, of course, she doesn't! "To love and to serve." She isn't his mother!

"No."

"She does," Harrington says, squeezing her hand tightly in warning.

"Then In the sight of God, his son, the holy spirit I pronounce you husband and wife." The minister concludes.

Needing no more encouragement Jasper cups his wife's face and covers her lips with his own. His grip is feverish as he pulls her closer, this isn't a soft loving kiss but a harsh desperate attempt to show Eliza how much she actually means to him. She can tell he is angry with her by the way he grips her neck holding her against his body, his hands slide down her body and rest at her waist, torso to torso he consumes her mouth, stealing the breathy moans that come within. She wraps her arms around his neck deepening the kiss, she feels a pool of heat awaken in her stomach and the world around falls away. Jasper ends the kiss violently, almost shoving her away from him. Eliza catches her breath and glares at her new husband, how dare he kiss her like that? And why is she disappointed that he stopped?

Jasper can hardly regain his composure, although she is looking at him with unfiltered hate he cannot help but feel smug at the way she responded to his kiss. The minister coughs and Eliza turns a peach red, she had forgotten he was there! And the boys too!

"Thank you, minister," Jasper says bowing to him, he bows in return, confusion written over his entire body. Jasper places Eliza's arm through his own and walks from the church with a new, albeit moody, wife. They retrace their path back to his horse only this time she climbs up without objection. He sits behind her and the horse picks her way away from the village. They don't speak for a while, just ride in silence, watching the country glide past, eventually, Eliza cannot contain her upset.

"What happens now?" She asks, "You have made a mess of things."

"Elaborate." He replies shortly.

"Our wedding is on Saturday but we are already married."

"So think of Saturday as a celebration of that."

"So we are telling people?"

"No."

"I don't understand, why marry me now if we aren't making it public?"

Harrington sighs, this is all quite simple to him, evidently, his pretty wife hasn't caught up yet. He stops his horse at an old oak tree and jumps down, he lifts her down too.

"Well?" She waves her arms in an open gesture.

"You don't think I want you, correct?"

"Correct."

"Wrong, I do want you, all of you, even the sarcasm. I couldn't imagine life without you. You have brightened my world, made me see the good for a change and I couldn't let you slip through my fingers."

"What...." Eliza looks at him as he kneels on the dirt road in front of her, he looks up at her, his face open and vulnerable.

"I admire you greatly, your spirit and determination are unlike any other. I confess the way you enraptured me scared me at first, I didn't want to admit that I was falling for you but the thought of you with any other man is not an option to me. I know I am a hard man to even tolerate but I am hopeful that I can prove my value to you." He takes a deep breath and his ice blue eyes look deep into the emerald pair.

"Eliza Turner, I am falling in love with you."