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“I’ll be the judge of that. I am the one that carried you.”

Eleanor’s eyes flew open in horror. “Excuse me! How dare you say such a thing! It was not my intention to faint, nor did I ask you to carry me.”

The Duke leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his lap. If Eleanor wasn’t mistaken, he was sizing her up. She’s been around enough ballrooms to know when someone was judging the worth of an opponent.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

A sly grin tilted his lips. “What? You can look at me like this, but I can’t look at you with a similar expression?”

Eleanor swallowed and cursed her heated cheeks. She knew exactly what she was thinking about when he called her out for staring.Does that mean he was thinking about me the same way?

“I assure you, Your Grace, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Derek.”

“Excuse me?”

“My name is Derek, Eleanor.”

The way her name rolled off his tongue did something to her stomach. Something she chose to ignore. She balled her fists at her side. She was not here to act like Sarah and fawn over something sparkly and new. She had thoughts, opinions, and she needed to share them.

“It is not proper to call you by your Christian name, Your Grace.”

He shrugged, returning his attention to the ledger on his desk. “Suit yourself.”

“Why are you here?” she asked pointedly.

The Duke looked up from his work. “Because I am the Duke of Graynor.”

“Yes, you have been for a year now. Why now? Did you not know you had responsibilities here? You should have come once you learned of us.”

Eleanor was aware of their dwindling coffers for some time, but she played the fool when her mother was around. She knew the stress of their diminishing funds was taking a toll on their mother, and she didn’t want to add to it.

If he had come sooner, they might have been in better standings. The thought of her worried mother reignited her vitriol.

“I have significant responsibilities all over England.” His voice grew quiet, but it did nothing to hide the irritation in his voice. “I knew the importance of what waited for me here, and I wanted to make sure my affairs were properly in order before coming here.”

Eleanor shifted her weight under his glare. There was something dangerous in his eyes that set off alarm bells in her mind.

“I see.” She looked down at her now fidgeting hands. Stilling them at her sides, she looked back up to see him working again.Hello! I’m still standing here!

“Um, well, now that you’re here, you’ll be glad to know we are throwing a ball in your honor two days from now.”

His eyes drifted up from the desk. “What?”

Eleanor sighed. She hated repeating herself. “We’re throwing a ball in your honor. You are the new Duke of Graynor after all.”

The Duke raked a hand through his dark hair. Eleanor refused to notice the strand of hair that fell over his forehead.

“Is there a problem, Your Grace?”

“No. I don’t want a ball,” he said as if just by saying the words it was so.

A laugh escaped Eleanor. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. I fear it is too late to cancel.”

A gruff “Hmph” was his only response. Eleanor’s weight shifted again. This conversation was going nowhere, and it was becoming irritating. Once again, she opened her mouth only to be cut off.

“If that is all, please close the door on your way out.”