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Authors: Claudia Dain
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you taking applications?”
To which Sophia laughed outright, and right merrily, too. It
was hardly to the point, the point being to get Edenham to fall
in love with her, but it was also in horrid taste. Perfectly obvi
ously so.
“Mr. Prestwick,” Sophia said, still grinning, “I can teach you
nothing. But your father has done marvelously well by you. You
are, indeed, entirely obliging. I am certain some woman some
day will cherish you for it.”
“As it is not to be today, I find I have little interest,” George
said, “and indeed, no impatience.”
“An entire year, Mr. Prestwick?” Edenham said. “At what age
were you sent down to school?”
“I was a mere boy of thirteen years, your grace,” George said,
“and from what I can remember, barely able to manage spoon to
mouth.”
“You must forgive my brother, your grace,” Penelope said. “I
fear he makes himself sound quite backward, but he, spoon or
otherwise, has always been amiable. Perhaps to a fault.”
The lighthearted quality, indeed the smirks enjoyed by all
present, excluding her, died upon the utterance of her words.
Unfortunately, this sort of thing happened to her quite often. She
could not think why. She was only trying to be precise and
logical. Of course, it was this trait of hers that had sent the Duke
of Calbourne nearly running from her, which was why he was
not remotely a possible candidate, not that Sophia had to be in
formed of the peculiar details.
She had reviewed their single encounter and it had been
peculiar, though she could think of no way to either unmake his
initial bad impression of her or understand why she had made a
54 CLAUDIA DAIN
bad impression. Calbourne clearly disliked logical, educated
females, and had said so to her face, at her own ball. If he were
not a duke, his behavior would have been nearly inexcusable.
As he was a duke, his behavior became a trifle eccentric, but
nothing more.
Being a duchess was going to be such a nice change. She
could say whatever she wanted and no one would be able to fi nd
fault with it. At least not to her face, and that was all that mat
tered in any regard.
“If we are to list our faults, certainly amiability is the one to
possess,” Sophia said.
“If we are to list our faults,” Iveston said, “perhaps we should
list the faults we see in others.”
He’d said that to her , she could just feel it.
“If we are to list our faults,” Edenham said, “then I am certain
to think of a pressing appointment for which I am a quarter hour
late already.”
Penelope looked at Edenham and felt her heart sink. She
hadn’t made the slightest impression upon him yet! He couldn’t
leave.
“If we are to list our faults,” George said, “then I think they
should be listed alphabetically, which would put my fault of ami
ability at the top of the list, and hence out of play. I shall watch,
amiably, free of all anxiety.”
“If we are to list our faults,” Sophia said with a smile, “then
mine is surely in being accommodating, which puts me quite at
the top of the list, Mr. Prestwick. Being amiable, you would not,
I am convinced, seek to supplant me.”
George bowed his head at Sophia and smiled in acqui
escence.
Acquiescence . . . was there not some way she could turn acqui
escence into a fault and enter this odd game near the top? She
How to Daz zle a Duke
55
was abysmal at games and hated these turn of phrase ones. Oh!
Abysmal. Perhaps she could claim that as her fault.
“Your turn, Cranleigh,” Iveston said softly. It was obvious that
Lord Cranleigh hated games of this sort as well, which was
simply lovely of him.
“If we are to list our faults,” Cranleigh said, looking askance
at his brother, “then mine must be an aversion to being instructed
when to speak and what to do.”
“What word is that?” Iveston said.
“I leave you to determine it, though if the word is aversion , that
puts me third,” Cranleigh
To which Sophia laughed outright, and right merrily, too. It
was hardly to the point, the point being to get Edenham to fall
in love with her, but it was also in horrid taste. Perfectly obvi
ously so.
“Mr. Prestwick,” Sophia said, still grinning, “I can teach you
nothing. But your father has done marvelously well by you. You
are, indeed, entirely obliging. I am certain some woman some
day will cherish you for it.”
“As it is not to be today, I find I have little interest,” George
said, “and indeed, no impatience.”
“An entire year, Mr. Prestwick?” Edenham said. “At what age
were you sent down to school?”
“I was a mere boy of thirteen years, your grace,” George said,
“and from what I can remember, barely able to manage spoon to
mouth.”
“You must forgive my brother, your grace,” Penelope said. “I
fear he makes himself sound quite backward, but he, spoon or
otherwise, has always been amiable. Perhaps to a fault.”
The lighthearted quality, indeed the smirks enjoyed by all
present, excluding her, died upon the utterance of her words.
Unfortunately, this sort of thing happened to her quite often. She
could not think why. She was only trying to be precise and
logical. Of course, it was this trait of hers that had sent the Duke
of Calbourne nearly running from her, which was why he was
not remotely a possible candidate, not that Sophia had to be in
formed of the peculiar details.
She had reviewed their single encounter and it had been
peculiar, though she could think of no way to either unmake his
initial bad impression of her or understand why she had made a
54 CLAUDIA DAIN
bad impression. Calbourne clearly disliked logical, educated
females, and had said so to her face, at her own ball. If he were
not a duke, his behavior would have been nearly inexcusable.
As he was a duke, his behavior became a trifle eccentric, but
nothing more.
Being a duchess was going to be such a nice change. She
could say whatever she wanted and no one would be able to fi nd
fault with it. At least not to her face, and that was all that mat
tered in any regard.
“If we are to list our faults, certainly amiability is the one to
possess,” Sophia said.
“If we are to list our faults,” Iveston said, “perhaps we should
list the faults we see in others.”
He’d said that to her , she could just feel it.
“If we are to list our faults,” Edenham said, “then I am certain
to think of a pressing appointment for which I am a quarter hour
late already.”
Penelope looked at Edenham and felt her heart sink. She
hadn’t made the slightest impression upon him yet! He couldn’t
leave.
“If we are to list our faults,” George said, “then I think they
should be listed alphabetically, which would put my fault of ami
ability at the top of the list, and hence out of play. I shall watch,
amiably, free of all anxiety.”
“If we are to list our faults,” Sophia said with a smile, “then
mine is surely in being accommodating, which puts me quite at
the top of the list, Mr. Prestwick. Being amiable, you would not,
I am convinced, seek to supplant me.”
George bowed his head at Sophia and smiled in acqui
escence.
Acquiescence . . . was there not some way she could turn acqui
escence into a fault and enter this odd game near the top? She
How to Daz zle a Duke
55
was abysmal at games and hated these turn of phrase ones. Oh!
Abysmal. Perhaps she could claim that as her fault.
“Your turn, Cranleigh,” Iveston said softly. It was obvious that
Lord Cranleigh hated games of this sort as well, which was
simply lovely of him.
“If we are to list our faults,” Cranleigh said, looking askance
at his brother, “then mine must be an aversion to being instructed
when to speak and what to do.”
“What word is that?” Iveston said.
“I leave you to determine it, though if the word is aversion , that
puts me third,” Cranleigh
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