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the magnificence of the entrance and was already halfway up the grand staircase leading to the guest rooms.
    Aunt Ellie was shown to her chambers first, and then the servant led Kat into her quarters. Kat stood aghast for a second, taking in the picturesque room. It looked exactly like the inside of a jewelry box. Sunlight streamed through yellow silk curtains onto pale yellow braided rugs. The bed, which was large enough for four of Kat, was covered in amber flowered linens and pillows spun from gold. Two gilded chairs faced each other, as if they were engaged in a private conversation, in front of a towering fireplace etched with scrolling gold leaves.
    This was no regular guest room, but a tiny guest palace. A Scheherazade in the middle of the English countryside. Was it possible to fall madly in love with a room? Perhaps love was an overstatement, but Kat could confidently say she was smitten.
    She couldn’t help but wonder if Jessica Grier’s bedchamber was as grand, or worse, grander. Not that she cared. Geoff was interested in Jessica, even if she was a vicious take-no-prisoners gossip who didn’t have a true or loyal bone in her body. Then again, Geoff’s joyride with Jessica on that morning, after he practically took Kat’s womanhood on the library floor, proved he wasn’t particularly loyal either. They were two of a kind. Jessica and the duke would probably be perfect for each other. She could picture them now, standing in a church promising to be faithful to one another and then slinking off to their paramours the same night.
    However, if Kat played her cards right, she would be Geoff’s midnight excursion. Paramour. Amante. Lover. Shaking her head at the thought, she still couldn’t believe she was considering giving herself to Geoff. The thought took root and then crept up her body like a fast-growing vine, tickling her senses aware.
    Geoff was going to make love to her. His warm lips on her mouth… hands on her waist, pulling her nearer. The sensation of his muscled torso pushed against her breasts. A tingling of anticipation of more to come. She knew there was more and wanted it. All of it.
    Kat just had to be careful to keep her heart out of it this time.

Chapter Eleven
    ‡
    “Y our rose gardens are absolutely charming,” Jessica gushed to Geoff as they walked around the perimeter, still in view of her mother, for propriety’s sake. “Of course, they could benefit from several more Queen Anne varieties. It’s no wonder though, without a lady of the manor to guide the gardener’s hand… well, you can’t expect he would get it all perfect.”
    “I’m quite fond of roses,” Geoff responded cryptically, not wanting to acknowledge her obvious implications that she become the lady of the manor.
    “I could speak to your gardener while I’m here if you like, Your Grace. I would be very gentle, but I could have a word with him to ensure your comfort.”
    “Very kind of you,” Geoff said.
    “I could also talk with the housekeeper, with your permission. The guest rooms are lovely, but wouldn’t it be charming if they had lavender soap? I have the most wonderful scent shipped from the Americas and I would be happy to share my source with her.”
    “As you wish, Ms. Grier,” Geoff replied.
    “Another little woman’s touch,” she said, lifting her free hand and turning over his. She ran a long fingernail along the inside of his palm in swirly patterns. He glanced down and then up at her face, her chin tilted downwards and her eyes coyly peeking out from the bottom of her lashes.
    This mission was too easy. Jessica’s outrageous flirtation was taking all the fun out of his pretend seduction. No proper hunter wanted the pheasant to lie down and die in front of him. Too bad . Keeping up the ruse, Geoff lifted her hand and kissed the back of it slowly. Jessica shuddered. He locked onto her gaze and leaned in for a kiss. Before their lips touched, he pretended to remember that her mother was