Chapter 16
Part 6. An Offer of Marriage
Morning dawned on the third day following the Duke’s proposal. Chloe prepared to leave the castle, for it was the day on which he expected a response. She bade her ailing father farewell, his worried gaze following her as she departed.
Duke Thisse possessed a number of castles scattered across the kingdom, as if collecting them was a pastime of his. Among them was a coastal villa that was a three-hour journey from the Verdier estate. As the carriage rattled along winding mountain roads, Chloe gently lifted the curtain to peer out at the scenery.
By the time the cerulean waves of the sea came into view on the right, the sun had reached its zenith. Chloe could see the Duke’s villa perched atop a steep cliff. As the carriage began to slow, she clasped her damp hands together.
“Do you have an appointment?” the butler asked, his tone polite yet distant.
