Page 25 of The Duke’s Return (Dukes of the Compass Rose #2)

“ A nd when I leapt out to collect my bounty, you can imagine my astonishment to find it was only the lost stable lad,” Julian finished his story with a chuckle.

Everyone in his circle began to laugh, one of the women even hiding behind her fan to wipe away a stray tear. This jest always garnered fresh amusement. He grinned proudly, nodding over the compliments and follow up remarks.

“We’ll have to go hunting together someday,” Lord Penbury said cheerfully. “And I’ll send away the stable lads if I have to.”

Grinning, Julian nodded. “That will be the way of it. Every stable boy now lives in fear of me. But no need to worry as they have never been harmed.”

Lady Penbury shook her head. “You are too much for us, Your Grace. But what a blessing it is to have you among us in the country. Surely you are here to stay a while, might I presume?”

He might have done more than smile, but his hands were filled with goblets for him and his wife to drink.

Though he’d nearly finished his off now.

That wasn’t meant to have happened. Only everyone kept calling for his attention on his journey back to his wife, and he couldn’t bear to disappoint anyone.

Besides, the more they see and hear of me from me alone, the more likely I’ll have voices protecting me should any more rumors come about. I’m only fortunate no one has brought them here as of yet.

“I’m afraid I cannot guarantee,” he said with an aggrieved air. “I do live to please, as you all know. To please my people, my wife, and my country.”

One of the men’s eyes widened. “You are not to go back to war, are you?”

His friend tsk ed. “You make us look devilishly foolish, not being out amongst the trouble ourselves. How a duke managed to join the navy, we haven’t a clue.”

Complicated emotions arose for Julian. He kept on the smile, remembering how excited he had been to make his escape from London. The curiosity driving him to see the world, to take up his conscription. How hopeful he had been. How blind he had been.

That’s hardly the stuff of conversations to be had at a ball.

“Is it as exciting as they all make it out to be?” The first man inquired.

Nodding, Lady Penbury clasped her hands together. “Oh, we should like very much to hear about your travels.”

He gave a rough chuckle. “I should like to very much regale you with every tall tale I know, but…”

And then he heard the sweetest sound. Better than the rushing of the sea at night. Better than the nightingale. He heard his wife’s laughter not half across the room from him, readily stringing him along.

“My wife beckons,” Julian announced and lifted his glasses as a reminder. “I must see to her. Perhaps another time, my friends.”

Everyone’s expectant smiles faded slightly as he took his leave. They would surely forget him in the next moment, of course. All he hoped was they would remember his jests and how normal he was as a duke. How he was not mad or irresponsible.

The latter, however, came into question when Julian spotted his wife.

Laughter was one matter. But laughing alongside a fair-looking youth who most likely didn’t even shave yet was another matter, and one he did not care to see.

His grip tightened on the filled glasses, and he started toward the two of them, wondering what his wife was doing alone with another man and what could have made her laugh for even a second.

I don’t think I’ve seen her smile that wide in some time. How did he do it?

Something snapped within him when he saw that on Genevieve.

The smile complimented her radiant looks.

Tonight she wore a pale blue gown that accented her soft light skin and thick dark hair.

She was indeed dressed better than anyone else here, and he found he liked that.

He wanted her to stand out just as she deserved to be seen and admired.

Except something about this wasn’t right. Julian didn’t like it. As she stood a few inches taller than the young man, she appeared at ease and calm. What had the young man done to her?

She shouldn’t look at him like that; people will make assumptions. They’ll start fresh gossip we cannot have. I cannot have it. Besides, I’ve made her laugh, and she hasn’t looked at me like that before, has she?

It took every bit of Julian’s strength not to tear across the distance, but to move languidly as though he had not a care in the world. As though he didn’t imagine a dozen ways to do away with the young man who was too witty and too charming for his own good.

“You are too kind,” Genevieve was saying when he was near enough to hear their quiet conversation. He wondered if it appeared as intimate to him as to everyone else. “But the countryside is an entirely other world here.”

“Don’t we all have years of learning when we are in the city? Give it another week and you’ll reign here like you never did before. There is less competition out here in the country, after all,” the young man added cheerfully.

“A week? I think I should need two years at least!”

“Absolutely unnecessary. Your gown is proof enough you know exactly what you are doing. You’ll outshine us all by tomorrow morning.”

Julian couldn’t stand this for another minute.

He shifted both glasses neatly to one hand, a clever trick that never failed in its usefulness. And in the next step, he made it to them.

To her, specifically. His hand glided around his wife’s waist to bring them close together. With a forced smile, he glanced at her before settling a heavy and pointed gaze on the young miscreant.

“Darling,” Julian said as he moved smoothly to act as casual as possible, “You must introduce me to your new friend. I’m afraid we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, and I find I’m absolutely dying of curiosity here.”

Though he might have hoped that Genevieve might not react much upon his arrival, he was further impressed when she gave no reaction beyond stiffening under his touch.

Her smile twitched but she nodded and neatly obeyed, introducing him to the young Mr. Eston Kantbury. He carried not even an honorary title now but would potentially inherit this very house someday.

“A young man of leisure, are you?” Julian inquired with a raised eyebrow all while the young man glanced between them with a curious gaze.

Mr. Kantbury cleared his throat and gave a sharp nod. “You could say something like that. The country offers me very little, for I spend most of my time since university in London.”

“You are young yet. There is much of the world to see. What keeps you in London? Surely not the women.”

“Julian,” Genevieve hissed quietly in his ear.

The young man didn’t hear her. He blinked several times and focused on Julian. As he straightened his shoulders, he gave a short nod. “I’m afraid you’re right. While I do love my races and balls, most of my time is spent at the Royal Society of London. I’m a mathematician,” he added cheerfully.

“The sciences?”

“Well, yes. Numbers and whatnot.”

Genevieve shifted almost like she wished to step away from Julian. What he was doing now was probably not entirely appropriate. But he didn’t care. He wanted the message perfectly clear, that no one dared come close to his wife. Fortunately, she stayed put and grew soft beside him.

“That sounds very fascinating,” she said, interjecting in a bright tone. “It must keep you very busy.”

“Indeed. Truthfully, that is what I am looking for in every plant and garden and sculpture. Even the ballrooms. Everything uses the maths whether we are creating something useful or beautiful,” Mr. Kantbury carried on.

It sounded like they were bound for a lecture if they weren’t careful. “What a wonder it is you are here spending time with us when you could be counting,” Julian remarked dryly with a smile.

“Yes, well, I do believe in being a man of many talents.” Mr. Kantbury paused as though he expected Julian to say something in return, but he offered nothing.

The young gentleman hesitated and glanced at Genevieve one last time before offering a partial bow.

“And with that, I am afraid it is time I took my leave. Mathematicians are notorious for dull conversation, and I should like to leave you with fonder memories than numbers for now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Grace.” He turned to Julian. “Your Grace.”

Julian nodded. “Good evening.”

And then he was gone, leaving Julian with his wife.

She immediately jabbed an elbow in his waist to gain a foot of freedom. The moment she opened her mouth, he put out the glass to her with an innocent and charming smile.

“Thank you,” she muttered sourly before accepting. She sipped twice before narrowing her eyes at him. “You didn’t like him.”

Whatever weight had sat heavy in his chest a minute ago was deflating at last. He could breathe more easily now. Sipping his wine, he glanced around the ballroom and wondered if there were more threats he would have to address before the evening was out.

Then Julian turned back to her. “I don’t dislike him.”

“No?” she asked tartly. “Because you certainly fooled me. And him.”

He smiled in a way that would endear any woman to him. Or rather, any woman besides his wife to him. Genevieve only rolled her eyes and it was another reminder that she was remarkable in many strange ways. He would have enjoyed flirtations with her when they had been younger and freer, he imagined.

But today was another day.

“It’s not about liking or disliking. It’s simply that I have no interest in watching my wife flirt with someone else when I’m pretending to be madly in love with her.”

A scoff passed her lips in the next moment. “Pretend?” She drained her glass and put it back in his hands. “I wasn’t born yesterday nor the day we wed. We all know, as well as I, that you have done much more than pretend with countless other women. Your Grace,” she added with a hard edge.

She has the right of that, I cannot deny. Once a rake, always a rake. There is no forgetting my past whether I wish to or not. How society deems it appropriate for a man to do as he likes but for women to live in gilded cages is beyond me.

Still, this wasn’t going to be a fight that Genevieve would win. As he accepted her glass, Julian took the chance to lean in so he could smell the punch on her breath.

“Perhaps, but I’m not married to them.” He studied her face for a moment before settling on her eyes. “I’m married to you, darling.”