Page 10

“In all honesty, I saw how that young lady was watching you and I thought I would come in for a swift rescue. She seems quite ghastly.”

“Well, you were the one that–”

She couldn’t, for Gretchen’s sake, say what had happened aloud. If someone were to overhear, it wouldn’t end well.

“You see?” the Duke nodded, “I did nothing wrong. Perhaps we might agree to keep it that way?”

“You know precisely what you did!” she hissed. “We ladies are not these little things for you to enjoy yourself with then cast aside. I know what men like you do to ladies like her, and I will not stand for it.”

“Even if I were guilty of what you accuse me of, which I decidedly am not, why do you care? It isn’t as though she is a friend of yours, she has made that very clear.”

“That is as much your concern as that floor tile. I do not need to explain myself to a man that I shall never speak to again.”

“But you will speak to me again. The dining arrangements are fixed. If you wish to pass each meal wordlessly then you may do so, but I do not think it the most pleasant option.”

Emma wished she hadn’t attended at all, and simply left Sarah in their father’s care. It wasn’t as though she had been of any use, and now she was forced to spend the rest of her time in the proximity of a handsome duke with a hideous tongue. It was a dreadful fate, even worse than the one she had lived before. She willed the Duke of Pridefield to enter the room and tell everyoneto leave, as the event had to unexpectedly come to an end, but of course he did not.

“For what it is worth,” he said suddenly, “I am sorry. You must know that what happened outside was not my doing.”

“No, I don’t suppose that it is ever the fault of you hapless gentlemen. It is the wanton ladies that ambush you, isn’t it?”

“In this case, yes.”

“Even if that were the case, which I doubt, you did not have to talk to her. I could hear her giggling thoughtlessly at you as if she were some sort of parrot. You should have known better than to tempt it. What if it were not me that found you?”

“You say that as though you have no plans of ruining the girl.”

“Because I do not! I would never do that to someone, even if they do not like me.”

“In which case, I must thank you. You must know that I would have married her if necessary, as that would have been my duty, but to know that I do not need to is quite the relief.”

“We both know what you would have done,” she snapped. “You would have refused, claimed that you wanted nothing to do with her, and destroyed her in an instant. You probably would have had that ridiculous smile on your face as you did so, too.”

“I do not think my smile is ridiculous.”

“And how much time do you spend in the mirror looking at it?”

He laughed, but he did not have a response. She had won, and she tried not to look too triumphant about that.

“I think it might be best that you at least try to enjoy my presence,” he suggested, “or, at least, you do not outwardly loathe it. It would only dampen the others’ experience, which is hardly fair to our host.”

“You may care all you like for the feelings of another duke. I can see where your loyalties lie in that respect. I, on the other hand, shall be far more occupied with the lives of my fellow ladies.”

“A noble cause, indeed.”

“Yes, and so you should know, Your Grace, that as long as I am here, as long as we are under the same roof, you will not ruin another soul. I will not allow it.”

“As you wish, Miss Kendall.”

He winked at her with a smirk, and she turned on her heel and stormed away.

CHAPTER 4

Emma found her friends, and they left for Dorothy’s room. It was very spacious indeed, and immaculately decorated. Emma realized then that she would be in a room of her own for the first time since Sarah was born. It was an unusual arrangement, especially given that they had plenty of rooms to spare, but their father had insisted upon it. He needed more space for his things, he claimed, as Emma and Sarah took up enough room in his life as it was.

It would be a quiet night, she imagined, and though there were times when she wished she had a room of her own, she suddenly longed not to.

“So,” Cecilia began, handing Emma segments of orange, “might you wish to tell us why the Duke himself asked to speak with you?”