He took his place beside her, and fixing his bright blue eyes on her face said jovially: “This is a luxurious state indeed, to be finding myself tête-à-tête with you! But you know that we have not settled it that you are to spend Christmas at Bushey. Come now, you will not be so unkind as to refuse me! We will have a snug party. I will engage for your liking Bushey excessively. Everyone does! It is a neat little box, I can tell you. I was used to have a house at Richmond, but from one cause or another I gave it up, and when they made me Ranger of Bushey Park I went to live there. It suits me very well. I don’t care so much for the river, do you?”
“Perhaps it may be damp to live beside,” said Judith, glad to be getting away from the subject of Christmas. “I must own I have a decided partiality for it, however.”
“Well, for my part, I don’t see what there is to make so much of in the Thames,” said the Duke. “You are all in raptures over it, but I am quite tired of it. There it goes, flow, flow, flow, always the same!”
She was obliged to hide a smile. Before she could think of any suitable rejoinder he was off again. “But I did not come to talk of the river, after all. Christmas! Now what do you say to it?”
“I am very grateful to you, sir—honoured as well, I am sure beyond my deserts—but it must not be.”
“Grateful—honoured! Pho, pho, don’t use high-sounding phrases to me, I beg of you! You should know I am a plain sort of a man, never stand upon ceremony, think it all stuff and nonsense! Why should you not come? If you are thinking it would not be just the party you would like I will engage for it it will be. You may have the ordering of it, may look over the list of guests, and have it all as you choose.”
“Thank you, thank you, but you misunderstand me, sir! Consider, if you please, how particular an appearance my joining your party must present! It is not what either of us could wish.”
“Well, there you are quite in the wrong,” said the Duke bluntly. “It is of all things what I should like most. It cannot seem too particular for my taste.” He leaned towards her, and seized her hands. “My dear, dear Miss Taverner, you cannot be unaware of my feelings! You won’t expect pretty speeches from me; you know how it is with me: I am just a sailor, and say what I think: but I have the deepest regard for you—damme, I am head over ears in love with you, my dear Miss Taverner, and don’t care who hears me say it!”
He had her hands clasped so tightly that she was unable to move. She could only turn her head away, saying in a good deal of confusion: “Please say no more! You do me too much honour! Indeed, I am sorry to give you pain, but it is impossible!”
“Impossible! How so? I see no impossibility. Ah, I daresay you are thinking I am too old a fellow to be addressing you, but I have the best health of all my family, you know. You will see how I shall outlive them. Have you thought of that?”