Page 17 of Her Heartless Duke
“I shall see you again in two days, I suppose?” she asked him softly, hoping to break the tension between them.
He only nodded wordlessly in reply.
Olivia sighed inwardly and turned towards the house. Perhaps it was better that no words were said between them right now.
What is one supposed to say in this situation, anyway?
But then, she stopped and glanced at him from over her shoulder.
“Oh, lest I forget—perhaps you should choose a different venue for our next lesson, Your Grace. Good night.”
Before she turned to sneak back into Bennet House, she thought she saw the tiniest smile on his lips.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Isaac poured himself some brandy, before filling another glass and handing it over to Daniel. It was rather seldom for his old friend to join him for some drinks, but apparently, being the Earl of Lancashire had its own set of problems that made the occasional indulgence almost a necessity.
Daniel accepted his brandy gratefully and sniffed it before taking a sip, while Isaac watched with a raised eyebrow.
“Your invitation came to me so suddenly. Am I to fear that you will be frequenting the clubs more often?” Isaac asked his old friend.
“Good heavens, no!” Daniel made a face as he set his half-empty glass on the wooden table before them. “Once every now and then is well and good, but I would need to keep my wits about me if I do not wish to have Olivia pushing me to insanity!”
Isaac stilled for a moment at the mention of Olivia, his mind immediately going back to the night before, when she had burst upon him and Miles at White’s, demanding an explanation as to why she had been kept waiting for over half an hour.
She had looked absolutely glorious—her neatly coiffed locks gleaming a pale gold and her eyes shooting blue fire as she took him to task in the presence of a good number of his friends and acquaintances.
To his chagrin, he was not the only one who found himself in admiration of her… physical assets, and he had had to drag her out of the bloody club before he was tempted to plant his fist into the face of any man who looked at her far longer than he should. And there were a good number of them last night.
If he had been so affected and she had only solicited his help to teach her to dance better, he could only wonder how Daniel hung on to his sanity for so long, considering the mischief his sister was predisposed to wreaking.
And then, there was that matter of what transpired in his loft…
He inwardly shook his head as if to chase those wayward thoughts away. This was Olivia Bennet they were talking about—Daniel’s younger sister. If his friend ever found out that he had been lusting after her, Isaac had no doubt that he would have no qualms ending him right where he stood.
He rubbed his hand over his face.Perhaps it was just the wine.
But then, he and Miles had barely started on their bottle when Olivia strode in, demanding an explanation for his tardiness.
Isaac threw his head back and downed the rest of his brandy while Daniel watched in horror and amusement.
“If you think it is hard being an earl, you should try being a duke,” he grumbled.
“Can’t say I do not envy being the object of every young lady’s matrimonial desire.”
“Yes, but only for my title and little else.”
Daniel clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Well, you had better get used to it, my friend. Ever since your courtship with Lady Vivian fell through, Society’s mamas will be renewing and redoubling their efforts to get you to marry their precious, impressionable young daughters.”
“Heaven forbid!” Isaac shuddered. “I have enough problems as it is.”
His friend looked pointedly at him as he poured himself some more brandy. “Speaking of Lady Vivian, I heard that that matter with the Viscount of Wolverton did not amount to much.”
Isaac paused. “It did not?”
“I know that you do not trust me after the Townsend ball, but I have it on good authority—”
“Good God, man—that is the favorite line of every gossip in London! There is never a credible enough source, but everyone claims to have it on good authority.”