Page 71

Or maybe she was the one person who truly ought to be told. She certainly deserved to know. She deserved a sainthood, in his opinion, if indeed she planned to go through with her marriage to Wyndham. He could not imagine anything less pleasant than spending one’s life with such an arrogant prig.

And then, as if summoned by his thoughts, the arrogant prig appeared.

“Amelia.”

Wyndham was standing in the doorway in all his ducal splendor. Save for the lovely eye, Jack thought with some satisfaction. It was even gorier than the evening before.

“Your grace,” she replied.

“How lovely to see you,” Wyndham said once he had joined them. “I see that you have met our guest.”

“Yes,” Lady Amelia said, “Mr. Audley is quite diverting.”

“Quite,” Wyndham said. Jack thought he looked as if he had just eaten a radish.

Jack had always hated radishes.

“I came to see Grace,” Lady Amelia said.

“Yes, of course,” Wyndham replied.

“Alas,” Jack put in, enjoying the awkwardness of the exchange, “I found her first.”

Wyndham’s response was pure icy disdain. Jack smiled in return, convinced that would irritate him far more than anything he could have said.

“I found him, actually,” Lady Amelia said. “I saw him in the hall. I thought he was you.”

“Astounding, isn’t it?” Jack murmured. He turned to Lady Amelia. “We are nothing alike.”

“No,” Wyndham said sharply, “we are not.”

“What do you think, Miss Eversleigh?” Jack asked, rising to his feet. It seemed he was the only one who had noticed that she had entered the room. “Do the duke and I share any traits?”

Grace’s lips parted for a full second before she spoke. “I’m afraid I do not know you well enough to be an accurate judge.”

“Well said, Miss Eversleigh,” he replied, offering her a nod of compliment. “May I infer, then, that you know the duke quite well?”

“I have worked for his grandmother for five years. During that time I have been fortunate enough to learn something of his character.”

“Lady Amelia,” Wyndham said, clearly eager to cut short the conversation, “may I escort you home?”

“Of course,” she said.

“So soon?” Jack murmured, just to make trouble.

“My family will be expecting me,” Lady Amelia said, even though she had not made any indication of this before Wyndham had offered to remove her.

“We will leave right now, then,” Wyndham said. His fiancée took his arm and stood.

“Er, your grace!”

Jack turned immediately at the sound of Grace’s voice. “If I might have a word with you,” she said from her position near the door, “before you, er, depart. Please.”

Wyndham excused himself and followed her into the hall. They were still visible from the drawing room, although it was difficult—indeed impossible—to glean their conversation.

“Whatever can they be discussing?” Jack said to Lady Amelia.

“I am sure I have no idea,” she bit off.