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“ A h, Your Grace! I’m so glad you could join us this afternoon. My dear Edwin said you wouldn’t be caught dead at garden party.” Lady Ellsworth flitted her fan in front of her face to hide her cheeky grin.

Ezra pushed out a breath. Her dearest Edwin was normally right.

But he had gotten word that Stoleton would be here today and he had business to finish up with the man.

It was of no consequence to him that the Duke’s sister-in-law was a certain lady with whom he decided to stop seeing. Although, he had yet to tell her that.

“It’s my honor and pleasure to be here today, Lady Ellsworth. Please give my condolences to your husband for being wrong.”

Ezra jolted when the woman’s obnoxiously high-pitched laugh rang out and she swatted him with her fan. “Oh, how funny! I shall do that. Don’t think I won’t!”

He nodded his head and cast his eyes out over the garden for any sign of Stoleton so he could excuse himself from this dreaded small talk. Unfortunately for his escape, he could feel the woman’s eyes still on him.

“Its, um, a lovely day for the party.” He grounded out. He absolutely loathed small talk.

Overly flamboyant hosts aside, it was a nice day out. Not too hot to be sweltering under the hot summer sun, yet it wasn’t too cold to chase everyone inside. He assumed the topic would occupy his host while allowing him to further scan for Stoleton.

Lady Ellsworth preened like she had any say in the outcome of the day. “It truly is, isn’t it? Say,” she took a step closer. “I heard you have your sights set on the ton ’s newest diamond. Is that true?”

The direct change in conversation caused him to rock back on his heels. The heavy weight of scandal loomed over him causing him to crack his neck. “I don’t know what you heard, Lady Ellsworth, but I have no intention of courting or marrying anyone.”

Ezra caught movement towards the floral arch that welcomed the guests. Stoleton and his wife stood next to Beatrice and her mother.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend, Your Gr-”

“I suggest you stick to your garden parties, Lady Ellsworth, and leave the gossiping to the professionals like your husband.” Ezra ignored the gasp that came from the old wench as he walked down the steps and towards the arch.

His body propelled him forward as if on order from some higher power.

Ezra convinced himself it was out of necessity to speak with Stoleton.

However, there was a little voice that considered it had more to the do to the young woman standing next to Stoleton’s wife than any business he, himself, deemed important.

“Stoleton, good to see you.” Ezra extended his hand inwardly cringing. It was rare for him to seek out conversation, stranger still that he offered his hand first.

His reputation preceded him based off the wide-eyed look Stoleton gave him as he shook his hand, almost in disbelief.

“Graham. Likewise. You know my wife, Sarah and her mother, and sister?” Stoleton gestured to each woman as he mentioned them.

Ezra quickly nodded at Sarah and Charlotte, and even though he knew he shouldn’t, he let his eyes linger on Beatrice a beat longer than appropriate.

Her brown hair was swept up and pinned, accentuating her long, slender neck. Ezra swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

Beatrice’s eyes dipped before returning to look up at him. “Good to see, Your Grace.”

Ezra didn’t realize that they were still staring at each other when he heard a gentle cough from her mother.

“Your Grace, I hear you are to do business with our dearest Charles.” Charlotte’s words had a sense of warning in them. Ezra pulled his eyes away from Beatrice to find Charlotte staring at him with her eye brow raised.

Ezra cleared his throat. “Yes. I actually came over here to see if we could iron out some of the last details”

Stoleton exchanged a look with his wife before his face broke out in a wide grin.

He stepped forward and clapped his hand on Ezra’s back.

“Come now, this is a party. There will be plenty of time for business. Eat, drink, be merry!” Stoleton laughed as he took his wife’s hand and lead her towards the refreshment table and away from Ezra.

Charlotte cast a doubtful look over Ezra before following her daughter and son-in-law.

Ezra stood watching them walk away. When he turned to Beatrice he found her owlish eyes staring up at him in earnest.

Ezra pursed his lips. “It is good to see you, Lady Beatrice.”

A small smile danced across her lips. “Thank you, Your Grace. I hope you are faring well. I know the ominous Duke of Graham is not one for parties, let alone of the garden variety.”

Ezra lifted a corner of his mouth, conceding a smirk.

Do it now, man. Do it now, then leave. Tell her it should end for her sake and be done with it.

“Would you like to walk with me to the refreshment table? Lady Ellsworth’s cook is friends with Sarah’s so you know the food and drinks will be good.” She said with a wink.

Ezra stepped to the side and offered his hand.

What are you doing?

“It would be my honor. But, we should be careful. Lady Ellsworth has heard word of me courting you.” He whispered as they walked.

Beatrice looked up to him before eyeing those around them. “Does that mean you wish to stop? I know you strongly dislike gossip and the problems that inevitably rise from it.”

Ezra stewed over her words. This was his chance. He opened his mouth to tell her it was over. Instead he found his mouth had other plans.

“No worries. I set her straight. Although, I guess I could pull a page from one of your sister’s scandalous books and flirt with someone else in front of her.”

Beatrice gasp was followed by some giggles. “You wouldn’t do me the dishonor of promenading with me one moment and flirting with another the next? That feels highly inappropriate and unfitting of a Duke.” She said artfully.

Graham couldn’t help himself, he smiled wolfishly as he leaned down to whisper directly into her ear. “I assure you, little mouse, a Duke has no such restraints on his actions.”

Beatrice’s steps stuttered under her dress causing Ezra to fill with pride. He loved how easy it was to get a reaction from her.

The thought gave him pause.

Beatrice looked up to him. “Everything well, Your Grace?”

Ezra looked down at her, then back to the arch where he met her. What was he doing? He was supposed to be telling her their arrangement was over, but here he was promenading around a garden with her on his arm. He needed to leave.

He quickly scanned the area. Some couples had taken an interest in their walk, with some women hiding their faces behind their fans, while their eyes washed over Ezra and Beatrice.

His heart began to race as he noted every pair of eyes that set upon them.

“I need to go, Lady Beatrice.”

Beatrice cocked her head to the side in confusion. “What? I don’t understand. Did something happen?”

“Yes. I mean, no.” Blasted, he needed to get out of this damned garden. “Everything is fine. I just realized I had a meeting that I needed to get to. Please excuse me.”

He untangled her arm from his, ignoring the tingly sensation that raced up his hand as he moved her arm.

“My apologies, Lady Beatrice. I’ll reach out soon.”

He winced when he said the words. Looking around he hoped others were far enough way not to hear and assume something more between them.

Ezra nearly tripped over himself trying to get away from her. When he got to his carriage he leaned up against the coach, catching his breath.

What was it about this woman? The minute she stepped within his space he completely lost his mind. He needed his wits about him.

But more importantly, he needed to figure out a way to end things between them without losing sight of what’s important. He promised himself, and his sister, he would never be the cause of such scandal in a family.

Even if he was capable of loving her, he couldn’t give her the life she deserved. It was those words he repeated to himself on the carriage ride home from the garden party. The words replayed in his mind over dinner and while he tossed and turned during the night.

Those same words became his daily mantra. The more he said them, the more he hoped they’d become believable.

Beatrice’s hands hovered over the piano keys. Her eyes stared at the fingers, her mind completely blank of the tune she was just playing.

“Beatrice?” Her mother called to her. “Is everything all right, dear? You just stopped playing all of a sudden.”

Beatrice blinked her eyes a few times as her mind caught up with reality. She looked up to find her mother peering at her over her tea cup.

“I’m fine, Mama.” She lied. “My mind just wandered for a moment.”

“If I may say so, you’ve been increasingly forgetful these last few days.

Ever since Lady Ellsworth’s garden party last week.

” Charlotte set down her tea and came to sit next to Beatrice on the bench.

Charlotte absently plucked a few keys with her finger.

“You almost seem to be preoccupied with something… or someone?”

Charlotte’s hopeful eyes glanced towards her daughter.

Beatrice’s heart squeezed.

Her mother wasn’t wrong. She had been thinking of someone, but that someone seemingly no longer wanted anything to do with her with no explanation.

Ever since he left the garden party Beatrice’s mind kept replaying their last interaction in hopes to discover what caused his abrupt change of demeanor.

She was ashamed to admit she had seen his eagerness to speak with Charles as a ploy just to see her, but apparently she was wrong.

Which did nothing for her self-esteem. Their conversation was light and flirtatious during their walk towards the refreshments, nothing that would cause such a quick retreat.

In fact, she barely said anything to him. He couldn’t possibly have taken offense to her jest about allowances awarded to a Duke? They’ve had far more abrasive, and intimate, conversations than that.