Page 7 of Just About a Rake (Ladies Who Dare #5)

T he wind swept through Leonora’s hair as she tilted her head back to soak up the soft rays of the sun filtering through the gray clouds overhead. All around the bank of the lake, couples and families had spread blankets and were soaking up the rare rays before the weather turned on them, as it was wont to do this time of the year. A few sweethearts were on boats on the lake.

The duchess sat a few blankets away, one of the reasons why Leonora had gone against her brother’s advice to stay away—or should she say orders. The man had returned from a midmorning outing with all the hallmarks an enraged bear, and all of a sudden, she had been commanded to stay home.

Sorry, Heart. It’s a sister’s duty to rebel against her brother.

The other reason was that she truly did believe that only if she acted ruined, would she actually be ruined.

She’d purposely chosen a spot not so far away from the duchess, and every now and then, she would peek in the woman’s direction. She didn’t know if she was imagining it, but every so often, it seemed that the duchess would look in her direction, too, but Leonora didn’t hold herself in such high esteem to think the duchess was looking at her .

She glanced to where Harriet and her husband were strolling near the tree line over yonder. Leonora shook her head. She wouldn’t be surprised if they disappeared for an hour or two.

A hulking figure plopped down beside her.

“I didn’t think you would join,” Leonora murmured with a smile.

“Your ability to be subtle is truly atrocious,” Dare said. “You might as well have chosen a spot on her blanket.”

Leonora chuckled, shooting him a raised brow. “Yours isn’t much better. You did sit on my blanket.”

He leaned back against his elbow, a lazy grin tugging his lips. “I prefer to be direct, as you know. Although, after the headlines this morning, I’m surprised you are here at all.”

Leonora groaned. “Not you too.”

“Ah, your brother has been breathing down your neck about the newspaper articles, too?”

Her eyes widened. “ Too ? Don’t tell me he confronted you?”

“He did.”

So that was where he’d gone. Leonora turned her body to Dare. “Well, what happened? What did he say?”

Dare’s eyes glinted. “He warned me away from you.”

That Heart . . . “So, nothing new.”

“For most, it would be enough.”

Leonora snorted. “Well, we are not most, or we wouldn’t be sitting with each other at a picnic in the park after those headlines.”

He chuckled. “Right you are. A bold move, certainly. However, some might say that it’s even more concerning.”

“For you, perhaps. Not me.”

“Why me and not you?”

“ You are the rake, I am not. Me being here is normal. Don’t you rakes only venture out at night?” Plus, the two of them sitting together should prove they had nothing to hide.

He leaned onto his other elbow as well. “I’ve never met a woman who played the rake thing as thick as you.”

“I daresay you did that all by yourself.”

He chuckled and rose to shrug out of his jacket, drawing her eyes to his chest. “Can’t argue that.” He tossed the garment aside and resumed his former position, the picture of a handsome lord relaxing in the sun.

“What are you doing? Undressing in public now?” Leonora’s pulse fluttered a tiny bit.

“Shall I scandalize a few mamas?”

“Why not? You are the subject of many a warning to debutantes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they study you in finishing school. Perhaps a lecture entitled ‘How To Spot a Rogue With One Glance.’”

He laughed. “You might benefit from that teaching. Why aren’t you heeding your brother’s warning about me?”

“Listen to him? Dear lord, where would the fun be in that?” She might as well retire from society and live an uneventful life.

“It’s not all about fun.”

“I beg to differ.” Very much so.

He looked over to her. “How so?”

“We only ever have the moment we are living in now, don’t you agree?” Her gaze turned toward the lake. “Tomorrow, we might have nothing.”

“True, but does that mean you must engage with me? Am I that fun?”

She glanced at him. “You don’t think so?”

“I have no denial about who and what I am.”

Which was why she enjoyed his company so much. “But you do know how to have fun,” Leonora said. “That is all that matters.”

“You’re the first woman who has ever called me fun.”

“Then we make quite the pair, for I’m the first woman not seduced by your charms.”

“Ah come, now, not even a little bit?” He waggled his brows at her.

Rogue.

“I’ve thought this for a while,” he went on, “but you’re quite the outspoken chit. You shouldn’t be telling rakes about rake things.”

Leonora leaned back on her elbows, too, lifting her face toward the sky. “My brother was one, if the rumors about him are to be believed.” She suddenly laughed. “Had I been born a man, I probably would have been one as well.” She caught his stare from the corner of her eye. “What? You find that so hard to believe?”

He shook his head. “Just... I have no words.”

“See. I must have beyond-average charm to leave you without words.”

“You aren’t wrong about that.” He rolled onto his side to study her. “Will you tell me this grand family secret of yours?”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“Because I’m growing more curious by the minute even though I know I shouldn’t. And we are friends.”

Friends... “That still doesn’t warrant a tightly kept secret to be revealed.”

His eyes probed hers. “Aren’t you a bit too cavalier with this family secret? If it were that much of a secret, I shouldn’t even know that the secret exists.”

She pursed her lips. “That’s true.”

He fell onto his back, covering one arm over his face. “How bothersome. I never knew curiosity could be this horrible.”

Leonora bit her lip to keep from laughing. His tone had taken on an air of complaint, but it still held a smidgeon of amusement. “In any event, I suppose I should thank you. You were right, she is here.”

“Of course.” He smirked. “I—”

“You are always right?” she finished for him.

“Lord, no. Not always. I have been wrong too many times in my life to claim such a thing.”

She eyed him askance. “Well, it’s good that you aren’t overly confident. What were you going to say then?”

His arm remained in place over his eyes, but a smile played on his lips. “Merely that I have my moments. So, how is your observation going?”

“As well as observation can go. I haven’t gathered the courage to approach her yet. What would I even say? It’s not like I can ask her my questions outright.”

He lifted his arm to look at her. “Why not start by asking your family?”

“Heart?” No, she couldn’t do that.

“Wouldn’t it be easier?”

“You’ve met Heart, haven’t you?”

“I wish I could say that I hadn’t.”

Leonora flicked her gaze to the boats in the lake. “I’m not always even sure I want to ferret out the truth. It was buried for a reason. Yet I still have this burning curiosity within me that’s growing each day.”

“Will it make you happy to know the truth?”

She couldn’t quite say. Would it? “Perhaps, but it is sure to make others unhappy.”

“Don’t worry about them. Just worry about you.”

“That is more easily said than done.” And also, “I’m scared to ruin things.”

“That doesn’t sound like you.” Leonora glanced at him and chuckled at his brow attempting to reach his hairline. “You are the boldest woman I know.”

“You know a lot of women. Are you sure I’m the boldest?”

“There you are wrong,” Dare said slowly. “I don’t know a lot of women. Not in a way that would make us friends. When I say you are the boldest woman I know, I do mean every word.”

A small shiver went through her at his words. “Well, thank you.” But would he still use the term friends if he learned her secret? Dare, the duchess might be my mother. Do you understand what that means?

And her mother might not even be aware of her.

Leonora blinked.

But shouldn’t she be aware, though? The woman had given birth to her, after all. It wasn’t as though she couldn’t be aware of her existence at all.

But then . . .

It had been twenty years. Leonora didn’t know what had happened in the past, so it was best not to jump to conclusions she could not prove. She could only assume the woman thought she was truly Heart’s sister. Otherwise...

Let’s not think about that.

It wasn’t like Leonora had grown up without a mother. She’d grown up being loved. Even Heart, that beast, had always been her pillar supporting her. Well, usually.

A shadow fell over her. Looming. “Leonora.”

She sighed. Why was it that whenever she thought of the devil, he appeared? Leonora looked up to catch sight of Heart staring at her with a gloomy expression. Beside him was the Duke of Calstone with a foolish grin on his face.

What was he smiling about? Whatever the man was thinking was probably grossly exaggerated.

“Heart,” Leonora greeted. “I thought you said you weren’t attending.”

“I thought I told you to stay away from him ,” he shot back.

“Well, it’s too late now.” Her gaze flicked to the lake, the only escape left to her if she wanted to stay a bit longer. She also felt a bit of a rebellion stirring. “Dare and I planned to go on a boat.”

Heart’s gaze dragged between the two.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“ Yes .”

“NO.”

Dare chuckled beside her, and Leonora rose to her feet. She sent him an imploring look. “Shall we?”

“Where are your friends?” Heart demanded. “I thought you were attending with Leeds and his wife.”

She shrugged. “They have gone to take a stroll.”

“That’s too bad,” Calstone, Leeds’s closest friend, said. “I had hoped for some much-needed distraction. How can they tell me to meet them here and then run off?”

“Well, I assure you, my brother is a prime conversationalist. I’m sure in his company, you shall never be bored.”

“Let’s go,” Heart said, not giving up.

Dare rose to his feet. “But the lady promised me a ride on the lake.”

Leonora sent the man a heartfelt grin and clapped her hands. “Fabulous!”

She wouldn’t be hauled off today without a fight.

*

Fabulous?

Dare’s gaze flicked between Lady Leonora, Heart, and Calstone. How the hell had they ended up in the same rowboat? Heart he could understand. But did the duke really have to join them? Could he not have excused himself? Or was he interested in courting Lady Leonora?

Dare didn’t think so.

Or perhaps there was a possibility that Calstone, like the duchess staring at them with a burning gaze from her blanket at the edge of the lake, was part of this mystery Lady Leonora was trying to solve.

However, he didn’t really think that either.

In which case, it was mostly likely that the man was truly just bored and was now entertaining himself with this drama. But he could have entertained himself from the bank. Dare sent him a sour look. Why cramp himself in this small boat with them?

Time and time again, he found himself entangled in Heart affairs. Part of him couldn’t rightly help himself, but the other part, the times-like-this part, he must be bloody insane. He was like a defenseless child in the face of her beseeching looks.

Dare gritted his teeth. His father would roll in his grave if he saw him now. Perhaps that was a good thing. However, every brooding glance from the man across from him was a damn warning. If he weren’t more careful, he might end up in a park, pistol in hand, second at his back, defending his honor when he hadn’t even seduced the chit!

His eyes met Lady Leonora’s, seated next to her brother, and she winked at him. Winked! Daring minx. Her entire demeanor was the exact opposite of her gloomy sibling. She practically brimmed with delight, except for the occasional annoyed glances she directed at their chaperones.

“Well, this certainly is relaxing,” Calstone remarked.

Relaxing my arse. This was about as relaxing as falling arse first into a bed of thorns. Although, who needed thorns with Heart’s cold, glowing eyes stabbing steel at him? It was all he could do to sit still and not wiggle about in discomfort.

“Was this really necessary?” Lady Leonora asked, mimicking his thoughts with that one question.

“Yes.” Heart didn’t back down an inch. “I warned you.”

“And me,” Dare murmured.

“Yes! About that, Heart,” Lady Leonora said with a narrowed look to her brother. “How could you confront the earl when he has done nothing wrong?”

“Done nothing ?”

Dare stared at the man. Boldness certainly ran in the family. Given Lady Leonora’s comment earlier, it was plain he hadn’t informed his sister about his little visit to Dare’s home. Or about his other visitor. Perhaps it was time she found out. “I did do nothing. However, I do applaud the concern of you and your lady friend.”

Heart’s face fell.

Lady Leonora glanced at him. “Lady friend?”

“It’s nothing.” Heart sent him a warning look.

Dare smirked. “If you say so. The Duchess of Crane was quite startled when you left so abruptly.”

Lady Leonora’s eyes stretched wide before they narrowed to slits, unfortunately aimed at him. “The duchess came to see you?”

“Yes.”

“ Why ?”

“I’d like to know that as well,” Heart muttered.

Lady Leonora’s gaze whipped from him to her brother, her eyes taking on a different glow, as though she were a baby shark who had just got her first whiff of blood. “Why would you like to know that as well?”

“I . . .”

She arched a brow.

“That . . .”

It lifted a notch.

“I . . . That . . .”

Dare grimaced. He almost for sorry for the man. He had turned into a tongue-tied boy right before their eyes. Surprising. He’d thought Heart would shut his sister down, not flounder to this extent.

“Well?” Leonora demanded.

“What? Can’t a man be curious?” Heart finally tossed back. A glare jabbed his way. “Why are you turning it on me when she called on Dare?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Heart. Her call was merely a matter of family business, that’s all,” Dare said. It was the truth, after all.

“What family business could she possibly have with you?” Heart growled.

The scrunch of Lady Leonora’s brow deepened. “Heart! That’s unforgivably rude.”

Calstone picked at his jacket.

Heart had the grace to look sheepish. “He is the unforgivably rude one. Not taking anything I say to heart.”

“And why should I?” Dare responded. I’m not your lapdog.

“Why don’t you keep your mouth shut?” the man snapped back.

“Heart! Why should he shut his mouth when you’re the one spouting nonsense? He has the right to speak just like you have the right to growl.”

“Now, gentlemen,” Calstone interjected. His gaze flicked to Lady Leonora. “And lady. Let’s not get our feathers into a twist. We are all in the same boat. Quite literally.”

“Some of us don’t belong here,” Heart muttered.

Dare arched a brow. “Agreed.”

“I meant you.”

“And I meant you.” Dare glanced at Calstone. “And him.”

“I’m in agreement with Lord Dare.” Leonora folded her arms across her chest. “You are the interlopers. My apologies, Duke.”

“Oddly, I take no offense at being called an interloper.”

That’s because you are a deliberate interloper, you dandy.

“The only interloper I see is the one sitting across from me,” Heart harped.

“You keep harping and harping on the same thing, Heart.” A certain bird came to mind. “Are you Plummington’s parrot?” The moment the words left Dare’s mouth, he knew it was a mistake. A mistake he couldn’t take back.

The man leaped to his feet, fury rolling off him like waves.

“Heart!” Leonora cried out as the boat rocked.

Dare cursed as he reached to grip the edges of the boat before changing his mind and reaching for Lady Leonora, pulling her over to his side. She had been seated opposite him, caged in between Calstone and her brother. Dare didn’t know what Heart might do next, but the boat did not have an even distribution of weight as it was. Rocking the boat might land them all in the damn water, and he couldn’t let that happen.

Well, he would try his best not to let that happen.

However, Calstone, for all his poise, had lurched to the side when Heart leaped up, tilting the boat even more. It was the final straw for Heart losing his footing, and he tumbled into the lake. A great splash sent water spraying in all directions. Dare shielded Leonora from any stray droplets and kept her anchored as the boat rocked back and forth at the disturbance.

Good. You deserve it.

Lady Leonora’s hand clasped his leg, craning her neck to stare at the water. “He won’t drown, will he?”

In this shallow water? A man could only hope.

The next moment, Heart emerged from the water like a sea creature ready to wreak vengeance on whoever had disturbed him, glowing eyes directed at him.

Dare sighed. He should have stayed in bed today.

“Get your hands off my sister!” the creature roared.

This damn man... But they were once more in a bit of a tangle as the boat continued to rock back and forth.

“The boat is still unsteady,” Dare defended himself, slowly retracting his arm. She snatched her hand back, too.

“Well, this is certainly something else.” Calstone carefully rose to help the man.

“Don’t!” Dare called, seeing the man’s bootstep skew, and watching in horror as the duke stumbled for his balance. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened from that moment onward.

The boat capsized, and all of them plunged into the lake. Bloody everlasting hell! At some point, his arms circled Lady Leonora, and he did not let go once as cold water seeped through his clothes. He and Lady Leonora came up sputtering at the same time as the duke.

“Dear God!” Calstone exclaimed. “What horror! I must stay away from water and boats for the rest of my lifetime!”

“Are you all right?” Dare asked Lady Leonora, his gaze roaming over her face for any signs otherwise.

She wiped at her face. “As right as I can be.”

He looked down but shouldn’t have. The water came up to her waist, but the plunge had left her clothes drenched, dripping, and clinging to her like second skin.

Almighty heaven above.

His eyes burned.

I shouldn’t have looked. I shouldn’t have looked.

Calstone cleared his voice. “There is no back door or servants’ entrance, is there? I could use a nice, clean escape right about now.”

Dare glanced toward the man, moving to block the duke’s line of sight of Leonora. “This isn’t a damn house. We are in a lake.”

“I thought so, yet I had hoped that I was dreaming.”

“Why?” But then he followed the duke’s gaze to the shore and promptly cursed.

Every single eye on the embankment was trained at him. Even Heart had gone silent.

Not. Good. Not good at all.