Page 4 of Duke of Bronze

CHAPTER 4

D earest Aunt Petunia,

Come at once. I am in dire need of rescue.

I shall spare you the pleasantries and instead tell you plainly that I have found myself in a most lamentable predicament. Through no fault of my own—though I imagine you may find that difficult to believe—I am now obligated to bestow five entire afternoons upon none other than the Duke of Copperton.

Yes. The same Copperton we have so often spoken of with equal measures of exasperation and disbelief.

Please, do come. I require your sound advice, your wit, and, most importantly, your skill in devising elaborate and perfectly reasonable escape plans.

With all my love and desperation,

Anna

Anna folded the letter and sealed it with more force than was necessary before handing it to the butler. "See that this reaches Comtesse de Beaumont without delay."

The butler, accustomed to Anna's theatrics, merely inclined his head before retreating with the missive. With a sigh, she rose and made her way to the breakfast room, bracing herself for what she knew awaited her.

"I cannot believe you never mentioned the auction prize to me, Papa," she said as she walked into the room.

Across from her, Sebastian regarded her with far too much amusement for her liking. "Oh, darling, I thought your friends would have mentioned it to you."

Anna narrowed her eyes, reaching for a slice of toast. "They said the exact same thing. They believed we had discussed it beforehand."

"Well," her father said, lifting his coffee cup with an infuriating lack of concern, "there appears to have been a minor lapse in communication. Either way, all has turned out rather well, has it not?"

Anna nearly choked on her tea. "For whom?"

"The Duke made a very generous contribution, the charity benefited handsomely, and you—well, you have the pleasure of the finest company in all of England for five afternoons." Sebastian shrugged.

Anna gaped at him. Pleasure ? She could hardly bring herself to say the word aloud. "Papa, you do recall that we are speaking of Copperton?"

Her father smiled into his coffee. "A rather eligible bachelor, is he not?"

Anna groaned, setting her toast down with a sigh. Her father still looked hopeful, and it made her stomach twist unpleasantly.

She had made her stance on marriage clear—on that, there had never been any ambiguity. And yet, here he was, wearing an expression she could not bear to see, because she knew with certainty that in a matter of weeks she would dash whatever hope he had foolishly allowed himself to nurture.

I have no intention of marrying anyone. Least of all Copperton. Before she could dwell too much on the thought, a bright voice cut through her musings. "Oh, I seem to have arrived at precisely the right moment."

Anna looked up as Petunia De Neve walked into the breakfast room. "Aunt Petunia!" Anna exclaimed, some of her earlier ire fading at the sight of her father's cousin—whom they called ‘aunt' out of love and respect.

Petunia, once a widow, had lived with them for years. She had been there to guide Elizabeth and Margaret through their seasons, and once they were both married, she had gone and done the most scandalous thing imaginable—married a Belgian Count. That had done little to change her, though. She still made frequent visits to London, and still possessed the unnerving ability to know precisely when she was needed most.

She plucked a berry from the fruit platter and popped it into her mouth. "Nothing is quite like breakfast, hmm?"

"Does your husband starve you, dear?" Sebastian chuckled.

"Hardly." Petunia grinned. "Though he does have a rather alarming tendency to finish two plates while I am still on my first. I suspect he believes the food may vanish if he does not claim it swiftly."

Anna laughed, grateful for the lighthearted diversion. "What would he think if he knew you spoke of him in such a manner?"

"Oh, he wouldn't know," Petunia said airily. "Not unless you tell him."

Anna arched a brow. "That is an idea"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Would I not?" Anna countered.

Her father chuckled into his coffee while Petunia leaned forward, eyes sparkling with delight. "Very well, then. You win this round. But I suspect you did not summon me here for idle chatter. What mischief have you gotten yourself into this time, dearest?"

"I do believe I require your expertise." Anna groaned, pushing her plate away.

"Excellent. That is precisely what I came for." Petunia's smile widened.

"Now, tell me everything. I was at King's Theatre last night and missed the auction entirely," Petunia declared, her eyes alight with curiosity as she reached for another berry.

Before Anna could so much as part her lips, Sebastian leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he began, "It was quite the spectacle, Petunia. A most generous bid—one thousand guineas, if you can believe it—secured by none other than the Duke of Copperton."

Petunia's brows lifted. "A thousand guineas? My word."

"Indeed. And Anna," Sebastian cast his daughter a knowing look, "was most delighted by the turn of events."

Anna nearly dropped her spoon. "I was ambushed !"

Sebastian chuckled. "Yes, yes. Ambushed, of course. But Copperton seemed quite pleased with his prize."

"Prize," Anna muttered, stabbing at her breakfast with unnecessary force. "I shall never forgive any of you."

"Of course, Anna remains rather skeptical about the whole arrangement," he finished with an amused glance at his daughter.

"Perhaps that is because I was kept wholly in the dark about it," Anna interjected, her voice tinged with exasperation.

"Oh, that is all in the past now, dear," Petunia dismissed her objection with a wave of her hand, as if the entire ordeal were a minor inconvenience rather than an affront to Anna's very dignity. "What truly matters is ensuring you make the most of your time with the Duke."

Anna nearly choked. "Oh, not you too, Aunt Petunia," she groaned, catching the unmistakable gleam of hope in her aunt's eyes.

Before she could mount a proper defense, a knock echoed through the breakfast room.

"The Duke of Copperton, Your Grace," the butler announced.

Anna did not miss the delighted squeal Petunia attempted—and failed—to stifle. She schooled her features into one of polite surprise, for unexpected calls such as these had become an unavoidable aspect of her new predicament.

Sebastian, already gathering his papers in preparation for the House of Lords, greeted Copperton with a polite bow before making his exit. Petunia, meanwhile, was far less subtle in her matchmaking attempts.

"Oh, do excuse me, Your Grace," she said with a falsely innocent smile. "I should very much like to peruse the library."

Anna stared after her, incredulous. Her aunt had never cared for books. Not once in all her years had she expressed any desire to peruse so much as a pamphlet; and yet here she was, abandoning her to the mercy of the insufferable duke.

"You must remind me to commend your aunt on her blatant deception," Copperton drawled as he followed Anna to the drawing room.

Anna turned to him with a narrowed gaze. "Do you make it a habit of intruding on people's lives so early in the morning?"

Copperton leaned casually against the doorway, the faintest smirk playing on his lips. "Only when the intrusion promises to be particularly entertaining."

Anna huffed, resisting the urge to glance at him too closely. It was unfair, truly, how effortlessly handsome he looked—especially when he was being infuriating. The morning light cast quite the flattering glow upon his chiseled features, the sharp cut of his jaw, his deep blue morning coat. It was positively maddening. Worse still, he knew it.

"Hardly the welcome I anticipated," Copperton remarked, his voice rich with amusement as he stepped further into the room.

"If it is warmth you seek, Your Grace, then I fear you have arrived at the wrong address," Anna returned smoothly, lowering herself onto a sofa with practiced ease. She gestured toward a nearby chair with the air of a queen bestowing a great favor. "Do be seated, if you must."

"I hardly think it an unseemly hour for a call," he countered, entirely ignoring her retort as he sank into the chair opposite her.

"We were just finishing breakfast!" Anna shot back, as though this alone should admonish him for his appalling lack of decorum.

" Finishing , you say."

Drat. He was right.

Anna resisted the urge to scowl. They had lingered over breakfast, conversation drifting from idle gossip to the unavoidable topic of the auction. And in truth, his arrival was not the least bit improper.

She hated that he was right. More than that, she hated that he seemed to know it.

"To what, then, do I owe this early intrusion?" she persisted, though she suspected he already knew she was simply being contrary.

Indeed, the slight curl of his lips suggested precisely that. "I thought it only proper that we negotiate the terms of our outings," Copperton responded, settling back into his chair with the ease of a man who was entirely too comfortable in any setting. "I should like to know how you might wish to spend your time as well."

Anna parted her lips to answer, but after a moment of consideration, she instead tilted her head in mock contemplation. "Why, sharing my wants and desires would rather ruin the very essence of surprise and adventure, would it not, Your Grace?"

His brows lifted, but his gaze gleamed with unmistakable amusement. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," she said, feigning innocence. "Surely, as this was your arrangement, it is only fitting that you should bear the responsibility of ensuring it is not an unmitigated disaster."

Copperton let out a short laugh, the sound more genuine than she anticipated. "You mean to make me work for my own diversion?”

Anna's lips twitched. "I could hardly make this too easy for you. Surprise me, Your Grace?"

Their gazes locked, lingering for a beat longer than necessary. Anna was the first to look away, smoothing an invisible crease in her skirt. Her perturbation growing, Anna rose and walked toward the window that overlooked the garden, seeking anything to distract her from Colin.

"Well, in that case, prepare yourself to be romanced, Anna," Copperton murmured, sounding closer.

Anna stiffened, and when she turned, he was standing behind her. "I do not recall granting you leave to address me so informally, Your Grace." She despised the way her pulse fluttered at his nearness. Then, to her utter dismay, he stepped closer, bridging the distance between them.

"I took that liberty the moment I purchased your time." His fingers found a loose curl near her temple, twisting it lazily between his thumb and forefinger. "Surely, after a thousand guineas, a bit of familiarity is owed."

The sheer audacity of him! She ought to slap his hand away. But instead, she remained still, forcing herself to appear unaffected. She would not betray her fluster. Not to him.

Where was Titan when she needed him? Had her beloved hound been present, he would have made a most excellent distraction. But alas, the dogs were still on their morning walk with the footman, leaving her utterly abandoned to her fate.

"And one more thing, Anna," Copperton continued, deliberately stressing her name once again, his voice a silk-smooth drawl that only added to her vexation.

"What? Do you wish to renegotiate the terms of your impending display of romance?"

An amused snort escaped him. "Just this—" He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her temple as his fingers ghosted over a stray curl resting on her shoulder. "Try not to fall in love by the end of it all."

Anna swallowed hard, willing herself not to shiver at the contact. He released the strand of hair and stepped back, but the air between them was already excessively warm.

Colin smiled, then turned and departed with arrogance that left her speechless. Anna stared after him, her thoughts a riot of indignation. The nerve of the man. The sheer, unmitigated gall.

And how she loathed the treacherous flutter in her stomach even more than she loathed him .