Page 18 of Her Rogue of a Duke
“No, no! Don’t let it shut!” he exclaimed, but it was too late. The door clicked shut behind her.
Spinning around, Francesca grabbed the doorknob and tried to pull the door open, but it did not budge.
The Duke released a long sigh behind her. “The door gets stuck,” he added with a note of exasperation in his voice.
“We can’t open it?” she gasped, looking back at him.
He shook his head. “No, not from the inside at least.” Looking to the grandfather clock, he continued, “…and it is unlikely that anyone will come by until morning.”
Francesca stared at him, baffled. “Morning?! So, we are locked in here until morning?”
“Yes,” the Duke confirmed, folding his arms across his chest, revealing a touch more of his body than what she felt comfortable seeing. “That is exactly right.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
In the dim light, Francesca's form was silhouetted against the door, her expression one of utter disbelief. Remembering the pages of notes and correspondence surrounding him on the window seat, Joshua began to hastily gather them, stuffing some into his pockets and the rest, subtly behind his back. He had been neck-deep in his work, or rather,research,in trying to figure out the identity of his mysterious woman. He had spent years hunting for her, and had conjured several theories as to who she might be, but had yet to confirm her identity. Every time he felt he was on the right track and close to figuring out who she was, she managed to elude him again and remain just out of reach.
“Why are you sneaking about at this hour?” he asked with a frown, buttoning back up his shirt.
“I was notsneakingabout,” Francesca asserted, her voice a sultry murmur as she stepped forward and into the stream of warm, orange candlelight.
Joshua’s breath hitched at the sight of her. She was soaked through. Her clothing was nearly translucent, the fabric clinging to every curve of her body in a tantalizing display. The contours of her figure were accentuated, leaving very little to the imagination. His gaze involuntarily traced the curve of her waist, the gentle swell of her breasts, and the graceful line of her hips.
His body tightened at the sight and he felt a stirring of his arousal. Crushing his hands into fists, he tried to push down his growing lust, but presently, it felt akin to setting a feast in front of a starving man.
She noticed him blatantly staring at her and crossed her arms over her chest with an embarrassed squeak. Cheeks burning bright red, she spun away from him.
“Your Grace!” she exclaimed. “Do not gawk at me in such an indecent manner! Do you have no sense of decorum?”
Despite the situation, Joshua found himself fighting back a grin, her reaction amusing him. He restrained from laughing, however, not wanting to anger her further.
“I apologize,” he responded, his tone softening. “If you have been out in the rain, however, you really should change out of those wet clothes to avoid catching a chill.”
“And how do you propose I do that, Your Grace?” she retorted with a hint of irritation. “If we are locked in this room for the night as you say, I can hardly fetch a new dress. It is not as though I have a wardrobe stashed away in here.”
“I am aware,” he murmured, casting his eyes around to try and find anything that might help their situation. There were several blankets folded on a settee near the fireplace. Rising, he crossed the room to retrieve them. “Here, you can use these for now. I’ll turn my back while you change.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. Her gaze was suspicious, and she regarded him for several moments before slowly nodding.
“Fine, but you mustn’t peek,” she warned.
She extended one arm to receive the blankets while her other continued to cover her chest. Joshua checked his smirk as he handed them over and then made a show of giving her his back.
When he turned from her, however, he quickly realized he could see her reflection in a mirror that was hanging on the wall by the fireplace. He swallowed and averted his eyes, but curiosity kept drawing his gaze back to the mirror. In the reflection, he watched as she delicately slipped the dress off her shoulders. His breath hitched at the sight of her smooth, creamy skin and the graceful fall of her gown, revealing the gentle curves of her back, hips, and then plump derriere. The sight left him momentarily breathless, captivated by her unintended display.
Swallowing, he forced himself to look away and give her the privacy to finish dressing.
After a few minutes, her voice broke the silence, “All right. I am decent enough I suppose.”
Inhaling deeply, Joshua turned around as his eyes swept over her figure instinctively. She had, rather ingeniously, wrapped one blanket around her body, tucking it in at the top to secure it in place. A second blanket hung around her shoulders like a shawl.
“Do you feel better?” he asked. His voice was gravelly and he coughed to try and clear his throat.
She nodded, her gaze lowering as a hint of shyness slipped into her demeanor.
Joshua watched as she wandered innocently toward the window seat. Suddenly, his heart raced when he realized one of the papers he had attempted to conceal had accidentally been forgotten. Worse, it included most of the details rather matter-of-factly. She picked it up, scanning its contents. He watched anxiously, hoping she wouldn't judge him as others might have.
Her eyes lifted to meet his, filled with newfound curiosity. “Who are you looking for?”