Page 310 of Desires of a Duke Collection

“What are you thinking of, Peanut?” CeCe heard Charles’s voice from above her.

He was leaning on the alcove with his arm just above her head. She could smell bergamot and lime, his familiar scent wrapping itself around her.

She smiled up at him. “Lost in a daydream, I am afraid. Nothing of any importance. Did you have a pleasant time at the picnic?”

He returned her smile. “Of course. How could I not when we thrashed my brothers so thoroughly? I am sorry about Eli’s injuries.”

CeCe grinned. “I’m not sure that was entirely your fault. Besides, it is always a bit bloody when we engage in sports. I haven’t the foggiest idea why.”

A chuckle escaped him. “Purely coincidental, I am sure. I saw you conversing with Widow Abbot and her niece. That was very kind of you. I know the widow misses your visits when you are in town.”

“I just adore her. She is so amiable and is good company. Indeed, I should hope even to call her friend, one that I would not have thought to gain but that I am so very blessed to have.” CeCe thought for a moment. “What are your thoughts about her great-niece, Frances?”

“I hardly know the girl,” Charles replied. “But from our brief conversations, I would say that she is incredibly shy, and her stutter is very severe. Why do you ask?”

“She’s quite beautiful, you know,” CeCe replied loftily. “You didn’t mention that.”

His smile deepened. “I hadn’t noticed, Peanut.”

“Yes, well, I think that we need to befriend her. She is too young and beautiful to be so very shy. Perhaps she just needs some encouragement to come out of her shell?”

Charles shook his head in amusement. “She may just want to be left alone in her solitude.”

“Nonsense!” CeCe replied. “Why ever would anyone want that?”

Charles sighed. “What scheme are you thinking of now, CeCe? Please do not involve me in it, I beg of you.”

“I never involve you in my schemes!” CeCe denied vehemently. “I only need the slightest of favors from you.”

“It always starts with the slightest of favors, CeCe. The next thing I know, I’m trying to explain to Mr. Johnson why all of his prize bulls have been set free or why I am returning his chickens in the middle of the night because somebody had decided to liberate them. That’s not even the worst. Remember when I had to explain to the magistrate why I have been helping a certain auburn-haired girl who had broken into the inn’s stables looking for a lost cat.”

CeCe flushed. “It isn’t nice to bring up the past.”

“Are we not to learn from the past to improve our futures?” he teased gently.

“Why ever would I want to do that?” CeCe looked exasperated.

He laughed again. “All right, my girl. What do you need me to do?”

“I just need you to help me convince your brother Spencer to show her a little interest in the girl.”

Spencer, who had just joined the pair at the window, immediately refused. “Over my dead body,” Spencer protested. “There is no way I am getting involved with a woman.”

“She isn’t a woman,” CeCe huffed. “She’s a lady.”

“Even worse,” he exclaimed. “Unmarried ladies have a tendency to trap poor fellows like myself into marriage. I’m way too young for that type of nonsense.”

“I’m not asking you to make love to her,” CeCe rejoined heatedly.

“Who are we making love to?” Robert asked as he joined the group. Eli, who wasn’t far behind, had just been tended and bandaged by the physician.

“No one,” Spencer replied.

Just as CeCe blurted out, “Frances Abbot.”

“Pretty little thing,” Robert considered. “Why are you playing Cupid, CeCe?”

“I just think that she is a lovely girl who might come out of that terrible shyness and stutter if someone would pay a bit of attention to her. I wasn’t asking him to marry the girl.”

“Attention equals marriage in this world,” Spencer said darkly.

“Are you not going to back me up?” CeCe elbowed Charles, who had been smirking at Spencer’s vehemence.

“Oh, of course… Do the right thing, Spencer,” Charles said abruptly, with a benign smile.

CeCe scowled at him. “Tremendous support there, Charles. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” his eyes twinkled down at her.

“I might be induced to help,” Robert scratched his chin, which was just starting to show his afternoon whiskers.

“You would,” CeCe exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down with excitement before darting over to Robert and attempting to place a kiss on his cheek. “You always were my favorite!”

She turned to the other two and struck out her tongue. Spencer looked relieved he’d dodged a bullet, but Charles looked thunderously at her little show of affection for his older brother.

Robert laughed and asked, “What is needed of me, Little Dove?”

“Well, they are coming to tea next Tuesday at the manor. Could you also come and join us? And, of course, Charles, too; we don’t want it to be too obvious.”

Charles rolled his eyes. “CeCe, are you sure you know what you are about?”

“She never knows what she is about,” Eli muttered while CeCe sent him a deathly glare.

“It will be perfect. I know how to be delicate in these situations,” CeCe said loftily.

“Like a bear at a garden party,” Eli teased back, feeling much better about his bloodied bits. He knew that the more he pushed against it, the more she would insist her plan be done. In his favor, the more she helped Robert ‘woo’ the fair Frances, the more both Robert and Charles would be in her company, helping Eli win the bet.

“That was unkind, Eli,” Spencer laughed, feeling relieved that he no longer had to play the suitor. “Hilarious, unquestionably, but unkind just the same. I love it.”

“You will eat your words, Brother dear,” CeCe replied.

“Care to place another wager, Sister dear?” he taunted.

“Good heavens, no more bets,” Charles interjected. Both twins ignored him.

“You are on,” CeCe said. “If I can get Frances to come to a party of her own free will, you will owe me ten pounds.”

“Done,” he smiled, shaking her hands.

Charles groaned and muttered, “Stop encouraging her.”