Patience wasn’t Claire’s strongest quality. She could go outside with the horses or go [i]out[/i], so she did her best to distract herself with reading and planning for the next few weeks. Buying some outfits to help he dress down out help stand out less, along with a few new hats. Thinking about all this, however, couldn’t drown out the muffled voices of her future husband and their fathers downstairs. She kept wondering if they were talking about her yet, or if Nicholas was simply talking himself up so he would win her father over even more. It wouldn’t take much, but it seemed like something he would do.

Finally someone was sent upstairs for her. The woman asked Claire once more if she would like to put on something nicer, appropriate for the meeting, but she didn’t answer. Her dress was nice enough that her father couldn’t complain in front of anyone, but she wanted a message sent to Nicholas- she was not so smitten with him that he deserved an effort from her to impress.

Claire came down the stairs with a polite smile, her eyes immediately going to Nicholas’ father, then her own. She didn’t want to look at him, not unless she had to. Just being in the same room with him again was making her angry, reminding her how he acted their first night together. This wasn’t real, and she was going to find proof eventually. Just because she was agreeing to the marriage for her own reasons didn’t mean she’d settle for his lies.

Because they were, in fact, lies. They had to be, right? Claire pursed her lips, nodding to the gentlemen. “Hello Mr. Rochford. Nicholas. I’m so glad you could join us for lunch! I do hope you liked baked salmon, I wasn’t sure what to request for the meal,” she said, greeting them both with a curtsey. The duke gestured for them to sit, the two “lovebirds” together of course. Except Nicholas was where she usually sat. “Do you-“

Now she had to look at him. She should have just let it go, it wouldn’t have been a big ordeal. Claire mentally scolded herself, wishing she could back out. “I’m sorry, do you mind if I sit in [i]that[/i] chair and you here?” Now she sounded like a high born brat. Claire sighed, looking up at him with embarrassment “It’s not what you think. I’m left handed, and if we can avoid bumping elbows all night I’d appreciate it,” she added with a weak laugh, looking down. Who was going to bring up this marriage first? Perhaps her doing it would give her the chance to request a quick, small, extremely short ceremony.