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Authors: Sue London
Tags: Romance
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a frustrated breath. "He's not my lover."
"Really? Then why have you been at his house for three nights? The house where his father planned all his trysts?"
"Trysts? I find that hard to believe. There was a veritable shrine to the former duchess there."
"Be that as it may, why were you there? If you hadn't come out soon I was going to come in after you."
"I wanted to... to help him. How did you figure out where I was?"
"I always know where you are, Sabrina."
Sabre felt her eyes widen. "You knew about the duel?"
After a short pause, one too brief for anyone who didn't know him to notice, he said, "Of course." She knew her brother well enough to know that his pause and lack of reaction was an indication that in fact he hadn't known, but had decided to gamble on appearing omniscient. She was glad that her riding habit hid the healing scar she still carried from where the duke's sword had sliced her arm.
Knowing that she had gone down a path that needed a story before he decided to dig and find the real one she said, "I know it was foolish of Jack and me to duel, especially while in London, but she had made me so angry. And, well, once a challenge is issued..."
"It cannot be withdrawn," he answered.
She nodded.
"However, you still haven't answered my question."
"Yes, I did. I want to help him."
Robert sighed. "Don't play games with me, Sabrina, I know you're not obtuse. Why do you want to help him?"
"Perhaps I like him ."
"Not good enough."
"Fine," she said, tossing her chin up in the air. "I plan to marry him."
Her brother stared at her and she could tell that his mind had engaged the possibilities. "Does he plan to marry you?"
She smiled. "He's made no mention of it as of yet, but you know I can be very convincing."
He sat up and continued staring at her. "There are complications," he finally said.
"Like what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"We won't discuss them as yet. How do you rate your chances?"
"Good." She mused a bit and smiled. "Very good."
Now it was Robert's turn to narrow his eyes. "This is a dangerous game you're playing, Sabrina. What makes you think you will win?"
"I always win."
That made him smile in return. "Always?"
"Almost always," she corrected.
He shook his head. "Sabre, although I know you would adore being a duchess, I'm not sure I can recommend that you marry the first duke you can talk into the idea. You will need more challenge than that."
Putting her nose in the air she said, "Once I'm a duchess I will outrank you and you won't be able to say such hateful things to me."
Robert laughed. "In your dreams."
Sabre chuckled as well. After a moment she sobered and said, "Robert, I really do care for him quite a bit."
"You mean you care for Quincy Telford, not just the fact that he's the Duke of Beloin?"
She looked down at the floor, furrowing her brow, and nodded.
"Well," her brother finally said. "Will wonders never cease?"
She looked back up at him with a questioning look.
He shook his head. "Never mind. If I let you go back to Beloin-"
"Let?" she asked acidly.
"Indeed, if I let you. Note that I ensured you were well secured before we had this conversation. If I let you then you must promise me two things."
"Perhaps."
"First, if anything seems dangerous you will leave."
"Why would things be dangerous?"
"Just promise me."
Sabre blew out a frustrated breath. "Very well."
"Second, if anything interesting happens you will tell me about it."
She looked at her brother for a long moment and realized that although the Duke of Beloin thought that he had engaged Robert's help, there was something else afoot entirely. "Of course," she finally said.
In her own mind she reassured herself that she was to determine what rated as dangerous or interesting. It might not be the things that Robert would hope for.
Chapter Twelve
Late in the afternoon the house began to buzz again. Quince set aside the correspondence he was essentially ignoring anyway and went out to
"Really? Then why have you been at his house for three nights? The house where his father planned all his trysts?"
"Trysts? I find that hard to believe. There was a veritable shrine to the former duchess there."
"Be that as it may, why were you there? If you hadn't come out soon I was going to come in after you."
"I wanted to... to help him. How did you figure out where I was?"
"I always know where you are, Sabrina."
Sabre felt her eyes widen. "You knew about the duel?"
After a short pause, one too brief for anyone who didn't know him to notice, he said, "Of course." She knew her brother well enough to know that his pause and lack of reaction was an indication that in fact he hadn't known, but had decided to gamble on appearing omniscient. She was glad that her riding habit hid the healing scar she still carried from where the duke's sword had sliced her arm.
Knowing that she had gone down a path that needed a story before he decided to dig and find the real one she said, "I know it was foolish of Jack and me to duel, especially while in London, but she had made me so angry. And, well, once a challenge is issued..."
"It cannot be withdrawn," he answered.
She nodded.
"However, you still haven't answered my question."
"Yes, I did. I want to help him."
Robert sighed. "Don't play games with me, Sabrina, I know you're not obtuse. Why do you want to help him?"
"Perhaps I like him ."
"Not good enough."
"Fine," she said, tossing her chin up in the air. "I plan to marry him."
Her brother stared at her and she could tell that his mind had engaged the possibilities. "Does he plan to marry you?"
She smiled. "He's made no mention of it as of yet, but you know I can be very convincing."
He sat up and continued staring at her. "There are complications," he finally said.
"Like what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"We won't discuss them as yet. How do you rate your chances?"
"Good." She mused a bit and smiled. "Very good."
Now it was Robert's turn to narrow his eyes. "This is a dangerous game you're playing, Sabrina. What makes you think you will win?"
"I always win."
That made him smile in return. "Always?"
"Almost always," she corrected.
He shook his head. "Sabre, although I know you would adore being a duchess, I'm not sure I can recommend that you marry the first duke you can talk into the idea. You will need more challenge than that."
Putting her nose in the air she said, "Once I'm a duchess I will outrank you and you won't be able to say such hateful things to me."
Robert laughed. "In your dreams."
Sabre chuckled as well. After a moment she sobered and said, "Robert, I really do care for him quite a bit."
"You mean you care for Quincy Telford, not just the fact that he's the Duke of Beloin?"
She looked down at the floor, furrowing her brow, and nodded.
"Well," her brother finally said. "Will wonders never cease?"
She looked back up at him with a questioning look.
He shook his head. "Never mind. If I let you go back to Beloin-"
"Let?" she asked acidly.
"Indeed, if I let you. Note that I ensured you were well secured before we had this conversation. If I let you then you must promise me two things."
"Perhaps."
"First, if anything seems dangerous you will leave."
"Why would things be dangerous?"
"Just promise me."
Sabre blew out a frustrated breath. "Very well."
"Second, if anything interesting happens you will tell me about it."
She looked at her brother for a long moment and realized that although the Duke of Beloin thought that he had engaged Robert's help, there was something else afoot entirely. "Of course," she finally said.
In her own mind she reassured herself that she was to determine what rated as dangerous or interesting. It might not be the things that Robert would hope for.
Chapter Twelve
Late in the afternoon the house began to buzz again. Quince set aside the correspondence he was essentially ignoring anyway and went out to
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