Read Online A Lady Dares by Bronwyn Scott - Free Book Online Page A

you?’
    Dorian gave a harsh laugh. ‘Hardly. My father is a horse man and my brother, too.My father is always quick to remind me that horse racing—the sport of kings, mind you—didn’t have such plebian beginnings as yachting. He is also quick to point out that the black sheep of the royal family, Cumberland, was the one who went slumming in the first place.’ There was a naughty glimmer of mischief in Dorian’s blue eyes. ‘To which I say, “My hero”.’
    She could well believe it. Dorian and the previous Duke of Cumberland likely held many traits in common. The latter had been known in his lifetime as a ‘loose fish’, a scandalous womaniser who had taken his mistress riding in Hyde Park, and the former was no doubt following down a similar path.
    ‘Your family is not close,’ Elise ventured, feeling a little sorry for him even if he didn’t feel sorry for himself. He was alone, too. ‘Does your father know you’re…?’ What were the words she was looking for—‘working on the docks’, ‘running questionable cargos for the dockside underworld’, ‘overseeing a shipyard shirtless’, ‘threatening workers with knives to their throats’?
    He seemed to divine her dilemma and saved her the indelicacy. ‘Maybe. He’s theDuke of Ashdon, he knows everything he has a desire to know. I stopped caring about what he thought a long time ago.’
    Elise could hear the hint of resentment behind the words. She should probably leave it at that, but curiosity propelled her forwards. ‘When you became the Scourge of Gibraltar?’
    ‘Something like that.’
    ‘Will you tell me?’ The late hour, the fire, the warmth of the tea were all conspiring to create intimacies, pushing her to take chances with the blond stranger who’d fallen into her life a few days ago.
    Dorian gave a slight shake of his head, a scold, a warning. ‘No, I will not. You’re better off not knowing.’
    ‘And the
Queen Maeve?
Will you tell me about your ship one day? She was a legend even up here for those of us who appreciate such things.’ Stories of his ship had circulated throughout polite society: how fast it was, how fearless the captain, how the
Queen
had outrun French pirates by manoeuvring them up on to a reef and sheering off in the nick of time to save herself from the same fate.
    Elise wondered if she mentioned that tale would it provoke him to reminisce? But she’dleft it too late. He rose and set down his tea cup, a prelude to farewell. She felt deflated. She’d pushed too far, pried too much and now He was leaving. Never mind that leaving was the right thing to do. It was late and they were alone. He had no business being here.
    Elise rose and helped him roll up the plans. ‘I hope my descriptions have been of assistance?’ she asked, stacking the books they’d used as corner weights. ‘Perhaps it would be best if I came down to the shipyard. I could be there if more questions arose.’ She hadn’t the foggiest idea what she’d do with herself if she didn’t go into work.
    ‘No, it would not be best. We don’t need any more incidents like the one earlier. I will keep you informed of every little detail.’ Dorian paused. ‘I enjoyed our evening, Elise. It is not often I encounter a woman of your rare intelligence. I can show myself out, you needn’t go to the bother.’ He gave her a short little bow. ‘Until next time.’
    Elise waited until she heard the front door shut and the sound of Evans shooting the bolt before she left the library and headed upstairs to bed. She undressed on her own and sat down to brush out her hair, replayingthe events of the night in her head. The evening should have been a success. Dorian had reported to her. He’d asked her opinion. He’d come dressed the part. He had argued with her, but respectfully so and had acceded to her wishes. He hadn’t blinked an eye when she’d told him the plans were hers.
    What more could she have asked for? She doubted any other master