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She returned to her seat, apologizing, then suggested they take their tea. The Duke agreed, for it would give his trousers time to dry a bit before he returned home.

Helen resumed sitting, cradling her tea cup with an innocent look on her face.

“Why do I believe that this was no accident at all?” he asked with a knowing smirk on his face.

Helen made a point of looking anywhere but at his face. “I don’t think I take your meaning, Your Grace.”

“I am sure you do,” he said with an indulgent smile.

Helen stood up. “While I enjoyed this outing, Your Grace, I fear I have to return home. My Father might be beside himself with worry.”

“I highly doubt that, but I am ready to go home. I don’t particularly fancy sitting here in my wet clothes. I could drop you off at your manor. It is just on my way.”

Helen nodded and went to pick up Rose, her lady’s maid, from where she sat conversing with the store owner. They headed outside to meet the Duke, who was already waiting. He helped her into the coach.

The ride was uneventful, with her preoccupying herself with studying the landscape while he read through the papers. When they got to the manor, she thanked him while he helped her down from the coach. When she had her feet firmly on the ground, she walked closer to the Duke and plastered on her best smile.

She said, “Thank you for this outing, Your Grace. I am sorry for how it played out, but it was nice coming here with you.”

“I enjoyed myself too. Since we both enjoyed ourselves, what do you say we meet tomorrow for a promenade along the serpentine at Hyde Park?” he asked with a knowing smile on his face.

Helen was so shocked by that unexpected response, she blurted out the first response that occurred to her

“No.”

At that, his smile disappeared, and the predatory gleam replaced it, and he approached her.

“Why?” he asked in the low timbre that always sent shivers down her spine.

Rose noticed her mild trembling. “Are you cold, Miss? I left your coat at home. Silly me,” she said, before rushing into the manor, leaving Helen alone with the Duke.

Helen turned to him, and he raised a single eyebrow in question

“I… I just…” she trailed off.

She noticed he was stalking her, and she initially moved backward until her back was pressed against the coach. She had noticed she was always ending up in this position with the Duke. It was fast becoming a habit.

That was her last coherent thought before her mind was scrambled up by his increased proximity. She just stared into his eyes. The hungry gleam in his eyes and the way he kept staring at her lips made her decide that he obviously wanted to kiss her… badly.

His face kept coming closer till their breaths were mingling, and his scent surrounded her. She closed her eyes in anticipation for the kiss, but instead, she felt his breath on her ear.

“Helen,” he said in a husky tone, “I know what you want.”

Yes, a kiss,her body screamed.

“It won’t work,” he said, before turning to climb into the coach.

It took her time, after she had gotten her rioting body back to order, to understand that he wasn’t talking about a kiss but the fact that he understood her game.

Helen walked into the manor in a daze. It took Margaret calling her name several times to drag her out of it.

“I am sorry, Maggie. I was distracted. I didn’t hear you call me,” she apologized.

“Distracted? I am sure that is one way to describe it,” Margaret said, giving a detailed perusal of Helen’s outfit. “I am guessing the get-up was for the Duke’s benefit.” She chuckled. “How did he take it? I really hope you succeeded because you sure went to a lot of trouble to scare the Duke away.”

“That is the problem, he took it too well,” Helen huffed, dropping onto the sofa with a pout.

“Well, did he fall on his knees and profess his undying love for you and his partiality to orange-colored hair?” Margaret asked, laughing.