Page 58 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke

He felt even guiltier airing his suspicions now.

"And Lady Cecilia." He smiled, turning to the girl. "Might I say you are a lovely vision this evening."

She lowered her eyes, skin flushing at his comment.

"Thank you, Your Grace."

She lifted her head and tried to meet his eyes but he turned quickly to the other man.

"Hickling," he greeted. "You look rather dashing yourself."

"You seem rather familiar with him, Emerton." Magnus commented with a raised brow.

"His Grace and I have made prior acquaintance with each other," Hector answered with a smile.

"Oh?" Magnus looked intrigued. "How? I didn't get the impression you two were acquainted before."

Theo shot the man a look and noted the hint of smug mischief in the man's gaze. Perhaps he had figured out Magnus was not aware of his hobby.

"We met by chance at an event," Hector answered before he could say anything. "The duke proved himself a most proficient opponent in sports."

Theo placed an unaffected look on his face at the man's words but he saw the dangerous hint in the man's smile then as his foreboding words returned.

"My intuition tells me that you and I will become very good friends and I am yet to be led astray. I believe you and I will be seeing more of each other very soon, Your Grace. Until then, I look forward to your future fights."

"Indeed?" Magnus asked, visibly surprised.

"Indeed and Hickling proved most adept at games as well," he retorted, playing the man's game as well.

He hadn't meant to reveal his prior acquaintance with the man but seeing him so smug and so welcome beside Cecilia had pushed him into forgetting.

The man's smile sharpened even further, incensing Theo further. He wanted to know terribly what would make this man lose his façade even for a moment but it seemed it wouldn't be here.

"I truly must ask what games you two played to have made you so well acquainted with…"

"Dinner will be served now, Your Grace,” a footman announced stepping into the drawing room, interrupting whatever Magnus had been about to say.

"Excellent." Magnus announced, rising to his feet. "Do add an extra place for my friend, the Duke of Emerton."

The footman bowed and left.

"You will join us, will you not, Emerton?" Magnus asked rising.

Cecilia and Hector were quick to do the same with him rising last.

"How could I decline an invitation to dine in your home?" he answered with a smug smile. "After all, I have missed your chef's creations."

It was better that Magnus had invited him to join them rather than him inserting himself into their meal. While he wished to share his suspicions with his friend, he knew it would be better to wait till he had more solid proof and what better way than to catch the man in his act.

He would use this dinner as a good opportunity to find out all he wanted from the man. After all, he had been the one to breach territories first.

He would know that Theo wasn't a man to forgive or forget things so easily.

"Excellent," Magnus said with a smile. "We shall adjourn then."

CHAPTER 21

"So Hickling…" Theo began once the meal had been served. "Tell us more about yourself. We didn't get a chance to be more acquainted when we played games previously."