Page 12 of Duke of Bronze

CHAPTER 12

W hy does she haunt me so?

Colin sighed and pressed his thumb against his temple as though the pressure might banish the thought. It did not. It never did.

Lady Anna Sutton was proving to be a singular sort of torment. She was in his mind when he sat in quiet contemplation, in his thoughts when he should be otherwise engaged, and—most damning of all—she lingered in the most unguarded corners of his imagination.

He had nearly kissed her.

He had wanted to. More than he cared to admit. And even now, seated at his desk with contracts, correspondence, and ledgers demanding his attention, the memory of her lips—so near, so temptingly close—refused to be exorcised from his mind.

With a muttered curse, he dragged his focus back to the stack of documents before him. He had responsibilities, estates to manage, and yet?—

His hand stilled over a particular set of papers.

A property. One he had not visited in years, but one he recalled well. It had a lake. A rather magnificent one, if memory served.

Anna would like it.

The thought came so swiftly, so effortlessly, that it startled him. He had spent precisely none of his time before this absurd arrangement wondering what might please a woman beyond the obvious. And yet, here he was, contemplating whether a particular location would suit her tastes.

He could already see it—her delight at the water, the sun glinting off its surface as she stood at the bank, her dogs circling her feet, her laughter ringing out?—

Devil take it. He was doing it again.

With an audible sigh, he rubbed at his jaw, as if the motion alone could rid him of his newfound affliction. The sharp rap of a knock at the door prevented him from further berating himself.

"Enter," he called, rolling his shoulders as he braced himself for yet another distraction.

Fisher appeared, his usual composure utterly ruined by the unmistakable smugness radiating from every inch of him. Worse, he was waving a paper in the air like a harbinger of doom—or, more accurately, scandal.

"They have done it again, Your Grace," the valet announced with entirely too much relish.

Colin merely arched a brow. "Be more specific, Fisher. Society is always doing something again."

"A fresh issue of The Mayfair Gazette has been released," Fisher declared, his eyes alight with mischief. "And you, Your Grace, are once again the subject of its finest work. Yesterday's promenade with Lady Anna is the headline."

Colin was unimpressed. "You appear far too pleased about this, Fisher. I ought to dismiss you on grounds of excessive enthusiasm."

"Perish the thought, Your Grace. It is my solemn duty to ensure you remain apprised of all notable events—especially when they concern your esteemed self."

Colin let out a short laugh despite himself. "A pity your loyalty is wasted on mere gossip sheets."

"No shame in serving one's master with the latest intelligence from society," Fisher countered, puffing his chest in a pantomime of exaggerated pride.

Colin shook his head, amusement warring with exasperation. "Your unflagging dedication to the art of eavesdropping is duly noted."

Fisher grinned but said nothing.

Colin leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers absently against the armrest. "Speaking of outings, I may already have an idea for our second one."

Fisher's posture straightened in evident anticipation. "Oh? Have you settled upon a grand gesture, then?"

"Something close to it," Colin said, steepling his fingers. "I believe I shall take her to the lake."

Fisher nodded approvingly. "A fine choice, Your Grace. The scenery alone shall be enough to charm her."

Colin scoffed, though his lips twitched. "You seem rather assured of the outcome."

"One must always approach an endeavor with confidence," Fisher declared sagely. "Particularly when one intends to win."

Colin eyed him. "You speak as though I am entering into battle."

"Are you not?" Fisher's expression was all innocence, but the glint in his eye betrayed him. "If I may say so, Your Grace, Lady Anna does not seem the sort to be easily won."

Colin chuckled lowly. "No, she is not."

And damn him if that was not half the appeal.

Fisher, looking thoroughly pleased with the discussion, gave a slight bow. "I shall begin the preparations at once, then."

And with that, he disappeared, leaving behind the latest Gazette , as if deliberately tempting Colin to peruse its contents.

He did not.

Instead, he stared at the doorway for a moment longer than necessary, his thoughts still lingering on her.

No sooner had Fisher exited than the butler reappeared with a fresh announcement.

"His Grace, the Duke of Giltford, to see you, Your Grace."

Colin leaned back in his chair, one brow arching in faint amusement. "Send him in, then."

Colin barely glanced up from his desk when Giltford walked in, already weary of whatever mischief his friend had undoubtedly come to deliver.

"I heard you had a most diverting time with Lady Anna at Regent's Park yesterday," Morgan remarked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Colin barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Tell me you are not reading the gossip sheets, as well."

Morgan smirked. "Hardly. My wife was perusing them over breakfast, and I confess, I could not help but overhear a word or two."

"Ah, so you are now a passive consumer of gossip," Colin muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Morgan's gaze drifted to the abandoned Mayfair Gazette on the table. Without hesitation, he reached for it, flipping the pages as though the matter concerned him greatly. "I see you are keeping abreast of the latest on-dits as well."

Colin scoffed. "I was unaware you had developed such an interest in the idle musings of society."

"Perhaps I should pay it more mind now." Morgan scanned the page with far too much amusement.

Colin narrowed his gaze. "Why? Because I have suddenly become the object of society's speculation?"

Morgan lifted a brow, his grin nothing short of insufferable. "Hardly any speculation, I would say. Though I daresay it would be remiss of me not to join the rest of the ton in contemplating my dear friend's matrimonial prospects."

Colin let out a long-suffering sigh. "You are intolerable."

Morgan set the paper aside with an exaggerated shake of his head. "Society does have an undeniable talent for gossip-mongering," he mused.

Colin smirked. "Which you appear to have acquired now as well."

The two shared a laugh, the easy camaraderie of years of friendship settling between them.

"Whatever my talents may be," Morgan continued, "they are nothing compared to your undeniable skill in keeping the ladies entertained. If one were to believe these gossip sheets, you had the most marvelous time with Lady Anna."

Colin shrugged, forcing his features into a mask of nonchalance. "A bit of amusement and adventure—are those not the ultimate goals?"

In truth, he had enjoyed himself far more than he had anticipated. Until, of course, he had very nearly succumbed to temptation. The memory of Anna's face so close to his, of that almost-kiss, lurked in the recesses of his mind, refusing to be dismissed.

Morgan's eyes gleamed. "Ah, but I was under the impression the ultimate goal was to find oneself in the Parson's mousetrap."

Colin leveled a glare at his friend. "Shall I have the butler escort you out now?"

Morgan chuckled. "That would be terribly inhospitable of you."

Colin sighed but could not keep the smirk from his lips. Their laughter faded, and the room settled into a momentary hush. Then Morgan leaned forward, his expression shifting into something far more serious.

"But on a more pressing note, my friend," he said without his usual levity.

Colin stilled. He had known where this conversation was headed the moment Morgan had walked through his door, yet he had hoped, however foolishly, to avoid it.

"You must take care not to let yourself be carried away by these… adventures," Morgan continued. "Society will talk, of course, but at the end of it all, you have a duty to see fulfilled. You must find a duchess, Colin. She will not simply appear before you."

Colin rubbed a hand along his jaw. "I am well aware."

"Then act like it."

A beat passed before Colin lifted his head, forcing his easy smile back into place. "And who is to say I cannot do both at the same time?" He gave his friend a roguish wink, but beneath his sprightly facade, a vague sense of dread lurked.

But he supposed duty was duty. And he owed it to the Copperton title to seek a duchess.