Page 25

Eleanor huffed out a puff of air and turned.

“A little late for a stroll.” The Duke’s deep voice drifted on the warm summer breeze.

Eleanor cursed her luck. She was tempted to ignore him and continue back inside, but her pride was too great.

She spun back around and raised her chin. “I could say the same for you. Or is it only helpless females that should be locked away in their rooms when the sun goes down?”

A slow, wicked grin widened on the Duke’s face. “I assure you, Eleanor, no one here thinks of you as a helpless female.”

Graynor sat up, stretching his back.

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. “Well, considering my livelihood is no longer in my hands and is completely dependent on someone else’s actions, yours to be exact, I would say I am quite helpless.”

The Duke let out a loud laugh and turned towards her. “How original. You had two years, two years,” he emphasized, “to find a suitable match, and you turned down each man. You had control, and you squandered it.”

Eleanor reared back before taking several steps in his direction. “Squandered it? I did not squander it. There are simply no appropriate men in the marriage mart, and you, sir, are a prime example of that.”

The Duke’s eyes darkened as he slowly stood up, causing Eleanor to stop her march towards him. Eleanor dropped her eyes and bit her tongue. This was the second time she had spoken ill of the Duke to his face, and she was horrified by her actions.

Only this time, her mother wasn’t there to act as a buffer.

The apology was on the tip of her tongue when the Duke spoke. “I did my research on this family before coming here.”

Eleanor tilted her head in confusion.

“After all, I am a businessman through and through. I need to know how my newly acquired assets will affect my bottom line.”

Eleanor bristled at the notion of her being an asset of his.

“I’m more than an asset, Your Grace,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

Graynor shrugged. “No difference to me. However, what I do find interesting is I assumed you would be the least of my troubles. I figured that honor would go to Sarah. But you…” He took a step closer. “You were supposed to be the good girl, the one who followed the rules. The perfect example of societal grace and representation of theton.”

Eleanor swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “I am.”

Graynor tilted his head to the side, considering her. “Are you? Not only did you insult my character twice, but you also reacted quite surprisingly the other night in the library.”

Eleanor felt her cheeks heat with the memory.

He was doing it again. She was losing sight of her stance; she was falling for his wicked ways. Eleanor balled her fists at her sides, trying to regain a modicum of the fire she first approached him with.

“My character? What about yours, Your Grace? You are a horrible rake who takes advantage of innocents!” She stood tall, her chin raised in the air. “Your research served you well because I am a well-bred lady of theton,so if I call into question your character, then your character should be questioned.”

Her rant left her breathless. Her chest heaved in each breath, waiting for his response.

“Innocents.” Graynor came to stand toe to toe with Eleanor. “I may enjoy a certain variety of female companionship, but I have never taken advantage of an innocent woman.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened at the blatant lie. “Then explain your actions in the library.” The adrenaline running through her veins pushed her up onto her toes, her pointer finger jabbing into his chest.

“The widow is far from an innocent,” he countered.

“I wasn’t talking about…” Eleanor’s bravado began to slip when she realized they were talking about two different things.

The realization dawned on Graynor at the same time. “Ah. You’re talking about our interaction and not mine with the widow.” A cruel smile danced along his lips. He leaned in closer, his body consuming her vision.

She met his eyes with what little courage she had left and instantly regretted it. She expected to be met with indifference, but instead he looked… interested?No. That can’t be.

Eleanor gave herself a mental shake. Sure, she had been on the receiving side of interested looks from her suitors, but it was preposterous to think the Duke was looking at her with those intentions.