Page 2 of Bound By the Duke

Taste of your own medicine. Provoking politeness.

Without waiting for any of them to speak again, Aurelia quickly bobbed a curtsy. “If you’ll excuse me, Sir Whiskerton’s probably terrorizing someone else’s boots by now.”

She turned before they could recover, cheeks burning but chin held high. There was no use pretending she didn’t already know she was the subject of that day’s whispered amusements. She knew what she was in their eyes. Twenty-three, unmarried, and chasing after a cat instead of a husband.

But damn it, shelikedher cat.

And unfortunately, he liked her.

Distancing herself further from the sisters, the rebellious animal in question reappeared. He lifted his head from beyond a trimmed edge, and she could almost see a smug look on his tiny face.

“Get back here, you infuriating creature!” she called out.

Her cat flicked his tail, his eyes glittering like trouble in feline form. If he could talk, he would certainly be telling her,Catch meif you dare.And without caring to wait for her, he turned and darted even deeper into the park.

A frustrated groan had her rubbing her temples. But despite how tired she was, she couldn’t leave him. She couldn’t abandon him. Because in truth, she needed him more than he needed her.

Taking a deep breath, she resumed walking, following the path the cat had taken.

Eventually, she noticed the path was becoming more… secluded. The trees grew thicker, and the road became quieter with the absence of gossiping ladies and noisy children. Trepidation filled her as she eyed the barely defined path ahead, not liking how devoid it was of human attention.

Hiking her skirts up again and gritting her teeth, she continued moving through the trees with renewed determination. She would find the stubborn creature and return home quickly before it got too dark or the weather turned, as she had mentioned.

But her determination was quickly met with a challenge when something unexpected greeted her on the other side.

Yes, yes, she found her cat. The silly creature was lounging behind a shrub with the satisfaction of a king surveying his kingdom. But for that moment, chasing after him wasn’t the challenge.

Rather, it was the scene ahead of her.

A very quiet, very private scene.

She sighted the silhouette of two men standing several paces ahead. They were conversing in hushed, intense tones, seeming so absorbed that they didn’t notice her presence.

She was quite thankful for that, because something about the presence of these strange men felt like a storm gathering that had her stopping dead in her tracks, especially the taller one. The one who looked like a charming statue that suddenly decided to breathe. He stood with his back half-turned, and his midnight-blue coat fit him so perfectly that it could have been stitched onto his skin. So much power clung to him.

Although she couldn’t see his face except the sharp line of his jaw, something about the shape of his shoulders utterly, foolishly, piqued her curiosity.

“She’s suitable,” the other man, who looked older, continued to speak. “Uncomplicated. Well-mannered, according to her former governess. No expectations. Just parents who can’t wait to marry her off.”

Aurelia knew she was supposed to grab her damned cat and leave. But for someone like her, who was a spinster struggling to find a match, the topic of marriage always caught her interest.

So she remained behind the tree, her head poking out only slightly.

The blue-coated man didn’t answer immediately. And she waited. She wanted to know what his voice sounded like.

When he spoke, his voice was deep, composed, and colder than the autumn wind. “I don’t care who she is, as long as she signs the papers, Samuel.”

Aurelia blinked.

He doesn’t care who his bride is?

“She has a pretty face and a respectable background. Or as respectable as one can find with noble blood. You’re certain you don’t wish to meet her beforehand?”

“No.”

“Not even a letter of introduction?”

“No.”