Page 5 of The Duke’s Indecent Scandal (Indecent Dukes #1)

Chapter Four

G regory

A duke in need of a wife was a precarious position to be in, Gregory had quickly discovered after arriving at the ball. He should have come with some of his friends instead of alone, but he’d had the grand idea of arriving unfashionably early so he could see more of the guests arriving. Instead, he’d made himself a target as the highest-ranking and earliest-arriving nobleman. He also quickly realized that such an unusual move for a man such as himself signaled to the mamas that he was in search of a wife this Season.

They’d practically trampled each other in a bid to shove their daughters in front of him.

All of them smiling, all of them staring at him with hopeful stars in their eyes, all of them ready to do whatever he asked in order to win the desired proposal.

Drake’s appearance at the ball had not given them any pause. It was well known that the Duke of Ormonde was betrothed to Lady Astrid Blackwood. Thankfully, he’d brought Nathanial with him. About half of the young ladies—all with very large dowries—peeled away from the group that had cornered Gregory. Hereford was an easier target for them, as his need of funds made him more desperate to marry faster, whereas Gregory did not have such a pressing deadline. He’d done a good job of shining himself up, but when next to the others, it was clear that his clothing was a touch shabbier, and his dusky rose waistcoat was at least two Seasons out of fashion in style.

The slight lessening of the crowd had allowed Gregory to make an escape to the library, where he’d stubbornly stayed for the past hour and a quarter. Venturing back to the ballroom held no appeal, even though plenty of other guests were here now. He would likely blend in better.

And yet…

Gregory had always been the hunter when it came to the pursuit of ladies. He enjoyed the chase. While he’d occasionally allowed himself to be caught by a particularly eager potential lover, it was the challenge he’d relished the most.

There was no challenge to this. It was like going on a hunt only to be mobbed by the prey—how could a man get a shot off when he could not see? Yes, he would hit something if he did, but who knew what… and Gregory was not willing to take the risk.

Clearly, he was going to need to come up with another plan of attack for his mission. One that never again involved arriving early at a ball.

The door to the library opened a crack, and Gregory froze, hunching down in the large armchair he’d seated himself in. Had the mamas found him? The armchair was currently tucked away in the shadows, so even if someone was looking for him, hopefully, they would not see him.

But it was not a mama and debutante, nor was it a couple looking for a spot of privacy, but a young woman. The light in the room came from the moonlight trickling in from the windows, so he did not get a very good look at her until she stepped past the first set of shelves and into the light.

Very pretty , was his first thought.

Her dress was a trifle old-fashioned, though it might just be that her figure was naturally boxy, and this was the most flattering style for her. She did not have the same silhouette as the other women. That did not detract from how pretty she was, though. Her hair was pulled back in a fashionable coiffure, tendrils curling against her face and the sides of her neck. The lighting made it hard to see the particular color, though it appeared to be more dark than light.

She appeared sad by her expression.

With a soft sigh, she walked over to the shelves and began to run her fingers over the spines of the books. Gregory watched with interest, sitting up. He still did not make his presence known. He was not sure what she was doing in here or where her chaperone was.

Who let a pretty young debutante wander alone at a ball?

Whoever her guardian was, they were not properly watching over her.

That or someone does know I am in here, and this is a trap.

That thought nearly made him stand to flee or perhaps find a good hiding spot, but she did not seem to be looking for anyone. Instead, she leaned her forehead against the books and sighed again, fingers clinging to the bookshelf like it was the only thing holding her upright.

Her first ball must not be going very well.

Sympathy welled up inside him as neither was his. Still, comforting her was out of the question. If someone did come in and found them here together, her reputation would be ruined, and he would be obliged to marry her. The thought appealed momentarily, as she truly was rather pretty, and that would mean his hunt for a bride was over, but then common sense reasserted herself.

He did not know her, did not know why she had come into the library, and so had no idea if she’d be suitable as a bride, much less whether or not she fit his personal criteria. Besides, he was still pondering the merits of a plain wife, and she was far too pretty.

However, he was curious about what she was doing, so he watched as she took several deep breaths, then lifted her head again. Running her fingers over the spines of the books seemed to soothe her as she walked back and forth along the shelves of the same row.

Gregory was so intrigued watching her, he jumped when the door opened again.

Good lord, the library was turning into a bloody meeting room.

He hunched in his chair again and watched as the young lady tucked herself back against a curtain. Not that either of them needed to worry about hiding away with each other. The couple who came stumbling into the room were far too wrapped up to notice their surroundings.

They closed the door and kissed passionately, the man’s hands sliding over the woman’s body. When they turned and the man lifted his head, Gregory did not recognize either of them. They were very young. He wondered why they had snuck away for their rendezvous.

“David, David… you must lock the door,” the young woman whispered.

The young man frowned down at her. “If the door is locked, people will wonder why, and if they discover us on the other side, they will think I have ruined you.”

“We have already snuck away without a chaperone. I am as good as ruined whether we do anything or not,” she retorted.

Gregory admired her brazenness. He wondered what her name was. Once she married and gave her husband an heir, she was the type to be ripe for the plucking.

And therefore not the wife for me, but perhaps David feels differently.

David stiffened, seeming displeased.

“Is that why you begged me to sneak away for a kiss? So you could trap me into marriage?” He shook his head. “I told you, Penelope, I am not ready for marriage yet.”

“I told you, I have to marry this Season, or I will not have another!”

Gregory did not know who he felt sorrier for, David or Penelope. David was quickly realizing the danger he was in with his manipulative minx, and Penelope was clearly in dire straits. He wondered why she was having trouble bringing a husband up to scratch… unless, of course, there were too many gentlemen who did not appreciate her boldness.

That seemed very likely.

“This is not well done, Penelope.” David stepped away and quickly opened the door, walking out with Penelope scurrying after him, calling his name.

Unable to help himself, watching the drama of the pair, Gregory chuckled.

“Who is there?” The low, feminine voice made him curse inwardly. He’d gotten so caught up in the couple, he’d forgotten the other young woman was there.

Sighing, he unfolded himself from the chair and stood, looking over to where she was still standing by the curtain she’d been ready to hide behind.

“My lady, my apologies for startling you,” he said. “I was looking for some peace, and when you entered, I did not say anything because… well, I did not wish to be disturbed.”

Her eyes had gone very wide, but she stared silently at him. She did not jump forward. Did not immediately curtsy or ‘Your Grace’ him. Was it possible she did not know who he was? That she did not recognize him?

She must have arrived after he’d retreated from the ballroom, or surely her mama would have pointed him out to her.

As Gregory moved toward her, his sense of relief that she was not excited to find herself ensconced by herself with a duke was accompanied by another emotion, though he could not quite put his finger on what it was. Her lack of excitement over his person had stirred a kind of unexpected interest in him. Eventually, she would discover his identity, but for now, the ability to flirt with her rather than having her throw herself at him was too appealing to ignore.

“Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?” he asked, coming to a halt in front of her, standing closer than was perhaps polite. It gave him a much better view of her face.

Her hair was caught somewhere between brown and blonde, and her eyes were a dark brown that looked nearly black in the dim light. The perfect bow of her pink lips looked ripe for kissing—if only she was not a debutante, but she was too young to be anything else. The dress she was wearing had a rather high neckline, higher than was fashionable, covering her boxy frame very modestly.

Despite knowing she was an innocent, he had the oddest desire to tug the front of her dress down and reveal more of her body to him. Definitely not his usual reaction to debutantes.

“I… I was also looking for peace,” she said after a long moment, still staring up at him in wonderment. Perhaps she was overwhelmed at the idea of speaking to any gentleman. “It is a crush, and, well, I do not believe I was comporting myself very well.”

He smiled rakishly at her, enjoying being able to relax into his preferred manner of interacting with ladies. Staring up at him, she appeared almost entranced by his attention on her.

“I am sure you were doing much better than you think. Did you receive any offers to dance?”

“Several, but… I believe they were doing so out of pity.”

“Pity?” He raised his eyebrow at her, and she stared back at him.

“Yes… I am no great beauty, after all. Especially compared to some of the other debutantes.”

Ah, poor girl. Someone must have said something nasty to her. Society could be cruel. That dress, as unflattering as it was, would garner some looks and remarks, he was sure.

“There are some very beautiful debutantes,” he agreed. “But you are very pretty. Certainly too pretty to only receive offers out of pity.” Some gentlemen might be put off by her bluntness, but not all of them. Some, like himself, would enjoy it.

She frowned at him. Gregory shook his head at her obvious disbelief, wondering if he should be insulted that she clearly thought him dishonest.

“I can honestly say that I am not flirting with you out of pity,” he told her, just to see her reaction.

Her dark eyes widened.

“You are flirting with me?”

Damn. He must be losing his touch if she had to ask the question. Or perhaps she had so little experience with Society, she did not know a flirtation when she tripped over it. Well, he was happy to educate her. This private moment was turning into the most enjoyable part of his evening.

“I am flirting with you,” he confirmed with his best rakish grin. It did his heart good to see her quick intake of breath and the change in her expression as she reacted to him. Less than an hour with debutantes who cared for nothing but his title and his need for a wife made her reactions to him particularly satisfying.

Eventually, once she returned to the ballroom or perhaps at another event, she would discover his identity. Perhaps he should give her a fond memory to take with her through the Season and a thrill for when she did realize who he was. There was no danger of her spreading the word about; it would only damage her reputation if anyone even believed her.

He was not known for dallying with debutantes.

But something about her was irresistible. Perhaps the novelty. Perhaps because she did not know who he was.

Yes, he should definitely give her something pleasurable to remember him by.

“I am flirting with you,” he repeated. “And now I’m going to kiss you.”

Her eyes widened, but she did not move away as he lowered his head.

When their lips touched, an unexpected thrill went through him, then she shifted, kissing him back, and Gregory put his arms around her. He had not meant to; it just happened. He had not realized she would kiss him back, and he had not anticipated it would affect him so much. That he would want to deepen the kiss, to hold her closer, and his cock start to rise.

Tiffany

He does not know who I am.

At first, she had not quite believed that her brother’s friend, now the Duke of Clarence, did not recognize her. Thought the light in here was not good. The dark navy blue he was wearing helped him blend into the shadows, even with his starched white shirt. But she had recognized him the moment he’d revealed himself. How could she not? He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, with his dark wavy hair, dark eyes, and charming smile.

She’d thought he was jesting with her, mocking her even.

She still remembered the last time she’d seen him, when she’d been still in the schoolroom and he’d visited. Not that she had seen very much of him. He and Sebastian had spent most of their time together, away from the house, and even when they’d been there, she had been too shy to approach. And the one night they had eaten with her family, her mother had sent Tiffany to bed without supper for reading when she was supposed to be practicing her needlepoint.

So, she should not have expected him to recognize her, yet part of her had wanted him to.

But if he had, he might not have flirted with her.

If he had, he might not have bent his head to kiss her.

She felt like she was dreaming, but his lips pressing against hers were so very real. Her first kiss. From the most handsome man she’d ever met. From a duke, the very kind of man her mother had told her to have no expectations of. From a man who did not know who she was and was not kissing her because she was a duke’s sister.

From a man who was kissing her for no other reason than she was pretty.

So, she kissed him back, knowing she would likely never have this again.

She did not expect him to marry her, of course. This was a secret kiss in the dark, something to hold on to. He would marry some other debutante. One far more beautiful, more accomplished than her.

But this moment, this one moment, was hers and all hers to remember for the rest of her life.

A loud bang interrupted her moment, and she jumped in shock, causing the duke’s arms to tighten around her. They both went toppling over, falling away from where they’d been nearly invisible against the shelves. The duke twisted so he did not land atop her—she landed atop him, cushioned against him—onto the floor right in front of the group streaming into the room from the door that had just been thrown open.

She did not recognize any of them.

“That’s not Penelope,” the woman in front said, frowning down at them.

“And that is not David,” the woman beside her said triumphantly.

“No, that is the Duke of Clarence!” Lady Jersey pushed her way through the two women, staring down at Tiffany, who looked back up at her with absolute horror. Of all the people to come into the room. Lady Jersey put her hand to her bosom. “Oh my goodness… and the Lady Tiffany! She’s been ruined!”

“Lady Tiffany?” Clarence whispered, sounding just as horrified as Lady Jersey.

“Tiffany!” Her brother shouted her name from behind the ever-growing crowd of people as he elbowed his way through them.

Tiffany closed her eyes and wished with all her might to completely disappear.