Page 9 of Only a Duke (Ladies Who Dare #6)

I n the space of an hour, they were back in her father’s study.

Mr. Horace Hall, the butler employed by her stepmother, hadn’t been happy to hear that Louisa had hired a new servant who would serve as her footman, driver, and right-hand man.

She had, of course, omitted the protector part.

That would only come into play if they were caught.

Camilla would undoubtedly learn of this hiring the moment she returned.

But hopefully by then, they would have found the book, the Duke of Mortimer would be long gone, and Louisa could explain away her new servant by claiming they had caught a shadowy pursuer and that she was once again safe from harm.

But how could a book simply vanish into thin air?

She rifled through all the books on the desk once more.

“It’s not here.”

Louisa glanced over at the duke. He was scowling at a pile of books stacked on the windowsill. Even from this angle, where she could only glimpse his side profile, there was no denying the man was handsome. Too handsome.

Especially in livery.

Had a servant ever looked this delightful and dashing?

Stop it, Louisa. You ought not to be admiring his comeliness!

It would be reckless to take note of anything concerning the man.

She was aiding him not out of personal interest, but because it was her duty not to hinder his pursuit of criminals— and out of loyalty to Theodosia, who had entrusted her with the book and sworn the duke could be trusted with its secrets.

She tore her gaze away and swept the room, and her brows furrowed at all her father’s messiness. “I suppose you are right. If the book had been placed here, it would have been atop the rest, but I had to be certain, else the doubt would have plagued me endlessly.”

She stole a glance at him, only to find him staring straight at her, causing her fingers to tingle with an awareness that stole her breath. Goodness! Why did he have to gaze at her as though he could see through to her very soul?

She cleared her throat. “Shall we head to the library?”

He nodded, tapping his finger on one of the books, an accounting ledger of sorts, if she were not mistaken. “It feels rather strange, standing in your father’s study like this, in disguise.”

Dear Lord. “Please don’t use this to act against him.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Why would I make a move against him?”

“Because you are adversaries.”

“Just because we are adversaries doesn’t mean we have to go out of our way to harm each other, or is that the sort of man you believe me to be?”

No, she didn’t. But a simple fact remained.

“I do not know enough about you to believe anything, good or bad. Also, I don’t have any enemies, so I cannot begin to grasp the inner workings of your mind.

” Did Camilla count as an enemy? If she did, well, perhaps Louisa might have the faintest inkling, but certainly not on the scale of mortal foe. Not yet.

“I cannot argue against that, Lady Louisa.”

Indeed! She could hardly imagine how he and her father could attempt to undermine each other. Such matters were certainly not her forte, and she had no desire to delve into the reasons behind this feud. Leave it to the men.

But she was curious about something else. “How did you even learn of this club if they are so secret?”

He propped a hip against the windowsill. “A person can learn many things when they observe and listen.”

Right. “Like a phantom.”

“Exactly like a phantom.”

She leaned back against the desk, both hands curling around its edges. “So you heard something about something and became curious?”

“Became suspicious,” he clarified. “Bow Street already had their suspicions about a secret organization and their dealings, but because it involves the gentry, everyone had to tread carefully.”

“And you help Bow Street with their cases? You? A duke?”

“A man must have his hobbies.”

Of course, but, “It seems like an odd hobby for a duke.”

“On the contrary, it’s rather stimulating.”

“And dangerous,” she appraised him from head to foot. “But I suspect you enjoy the thrill of the chase.”

“The thrill of the catch,” he corrected. “The stimulation of the chase.”

How supremely male. “I shall take your word for it. It all sounds rather tiring to me.”

He mirrored her personal assessment, dragging his gaze from her head to her heel and back up again. “Then what would you consider a hobby? Reading in trees?”

“Just so.” She scrunched her brows. “Also, gossiping with servants, looking after Leo, and trying my hand in the kitchen.” Plus, keeping Leo away from the direct influence of Camilla... but she couldn’t tell the duke that .

“Interesting that your brother is your hobby,” he answered, then gave a slow nod. “But strangely, it aligns with my perception of you.”

“Yes, well,” her cheeks heated a bit, “why should he not be?”

“No reason at all. But what happens when he grows up?”

“Not all hobbies last forever.” She hadn’t thought that far. Didn’t want to think that far ahead.

The corner of his lips lifted at this. “You are remarkably insightful. And it seems you have a great affection for your brother.”

“Is that strange as well? He is my brother, after all.”

“It’s not strange to care, no. I am quite envious, in fact.”

She started. He was? Why did that make her heart feel all warm? “Well, if there is anything that rivals your passion for solving cases with Bow Street, it is my devotion to ensuring my brother receives the upbringing and guidance he merits.”

A line formed between his brows. “It sounds as if you are worried about that.”

Louisa’s senses went on alert. If he’d managed to guess that from her tone, then she had already revealed too much about her family situation to a family enemy. The man was too perceptive for his own good. He would most likely weigh each and every word spoken and draw conclusions from them.

Accurate conclusions, no doubt.

“Worry is only natural,” Louisa said. “He is a boy who still requires love and guidance.”

“What about your father? School? You can’t be with him all the time.”

“I am aware I cannot be with him at all times, and I’m not worried about my father or school. In any event, once he is all grown up, I shall be at peace.” She paused.

Fabulous, Louisa. What happened to being careful with your words?

His arms folded across his chest as he studied her. “You have no intention to marry then? Or will you simply steal him from your father if you do?”

Louisa almost choked. Marry? The question stung on numerous scores.

Perhaps she had wanted to marry when she was a little girl.

Mayhap she had harbored childlike hope for a grand love that transcended time.

But that dream had slowly been buried after her kidnapping, and furthermore, once her father married Camilla, she had begun to view a different side to love. A darker side.

Not the love for a person.

But the love of whatever could be gained, a greedy version of love.

However, steal Leo from her father? A grin spread at the thought. What a marvelous idea! “If I do marry, I might just do that, yes. Thank you for the advice.”

He stiffened. “It wasn’t advice.”

“Are you sure?” Louisa teased the duke. “It sounded like advice to me.”

“You spoil him.”

The note of objection rang clear in his tone, but her brain refused to allow that note to enter. “You seem awfully interested in my brother.”

He shrugged. “I am merely trying to understand you.”

“And you believe you can understand me by questioning my care for Leo?”

“Is there a better way than this?” He averted his gaze to the garden beyond the window. “How else can we truly understand a person, if not by what lies in their heart?”

“Do you not gain this with reciprocity?”

His gaze returned to her. “In other words, you’re asking what there is in my heart?”

Her pulse stuttered. She couldn’t deny that she was curious. “Quite so.”

“Intention.”

Louisa scrunched her brow. Intention? Did all hearts not harbor this?

What else would there be in a person’s heart if not their intentions?

Wasn’t this the very foundation of every single action ever taken?

Her own intentions were born of a desire to protect her brother from the darker intentions in another person’s heart—Camilla’s.

As vague answers went, this one was unsettlingly evasive. Also, very much in line with the man before her. Elusive. Mysterious. Entirely questionable. Yet every line of his posture was indeed imbued with a sense of intention , of purpose. But what purpose was it?

“If you didn’t want to answer,” she said, her tone dry, “you need only have said so.”

“That would have been rude.”

Louisa bit back a retort, deciding for the sake of her sanity, to let it go. “Well, let us take our intentions to the library.” Speaking on matters of the heart with the Duke of Mortimer was anything but heartening. It was terrifying.

She must not forget that while they were allies at the moment, in the grander scheme of their lives, their families were at odds with each other. Most importantly, she had to remember that whatever she revealed in these moments together could very well be used against her in the future.

“Very well.” A rare smile touched his lips.

She froze, caught off guard by the blinding sight. “Why are you smiling? My suggestion couldn’t have been that amusing.”

The corner of his mouth inched upward further. “Am I smiling? It must be because I find you fascinating in this moment.”

Was this a tease from the duke ? Surely not! Her fingers gripped the edge of the desk. “It’s as if you’re laughing at me.”

To think she had found him handsome in that livery. Urgh. Deny, deny, deny! From the very start, he was a vexing man. There was no way she would ever think of him as anything more than the Duke of Mortimer, enemy to her family.

She glared at him, and he chuckled before his face resumed his usual cold mask.

That was better.

That was familiar.

*