Read Online Sins of a Duke by Suzanne Enoch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Enoch
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that.”
“Tell me, Melbourne,” Josefina began, mostly to give her parents a few moments to prepare for their largest public outing as the leaders of a country, “how many waltzes will be played tonight?”
“Most likely two—one at the beginning of the evening and one near the end. We will have missed the first. You’re permitted to join all the other dances. It’s only the waltz that requires the patronesses’ permission.”
“It seems silly. Who are these women?”
“Old frumps, mostly,” Deverill drawled. “Stiff and cranky. Their only amusement is looking down their noses at everyone else, and the only way they could manage that was to settle in as hostesses of the most boring soirees in London.”
Josefina grinned. At least someone seemed willing to give straight answers. “Why does anyone attend, if it’s so dull?”
“Because everyone worries that they’ll be the only ones not attending if they don’t appear. It’s quite complex, and avery sad happenstance.” He sighed. “And extremely prudish. No alcohol allowed.”
She started to ask why he was attending, but changed her mind. He didn’t seem to worry over anyone else’s opinion, so obviously Melbourne had asked him along. Why, though? Did the duke dislike her? Not according to that kiss. Perhaps he was afraid of her, though given his standing and reputation that didn’t seem likely, either. Hm. A puzzle. And the thing she liked best about puzzles was solving them.
Though she had several questions for Melbourne, answers weren’t likely to be forthcoming with her parents and his brother-in-law present. She would save them for a dance. And he would dance with her; she would make certain of that.
They arrived at the assembly rooms, and once again it was Deverill who offered a hand to assist her. She wondered briefly whether the handsome marquis might be infatuated with her, but dismissed the notion just as quickly. He looked at her with nothing more than the same slightly amused curiosity as he did her parents and everyone else around them.
“Excuse me,” she said, freeing her hand from his arm and stepping over to where Melbourne chatted with her father. At least the duke had left the prospectus behind in the coach. “If you will,” she said, offering her hand to him.
“Of course.” He took her fingers and placed them over his dark sleeve.
“That’s good,” she returned in a lower voice as he led their group to the entrance, “because otherwise I would think you were slighting me, and I would be insulted again.”
“Ah,” he breathed, keeping his profile to her. “If you slap me here tonight, I will reciprocate in kind.” Finally he glanced down at her. “Consider that you’ve been warned.”
“If you want to frighten me, why don’t you threaten to kiss me again?” she returned.
“Because you want me to kiss you again,” he murmured.
A slow smile curved his mouth, and heat spun through her. How could anyone who portrayed himself as so stern and aloof have a smile that…heart-stopping?
“I do not,” she stated belatedly.
“Then stop arguing with everything I say.”
“I do not argue with everything you say.”
His smile deepening, he pulled out his pocket watch with his free hand. “Nine seconds,” he said, snapping it closed again.
Her cheeks heated, and she dug her fingers into his sleeve to retaliate. “So you think you have me figured out, do you? I daresay you have no idea.”
“Enlighten me then, Princess.”
She sniffed. “First present me to these absurd women.”
“Say that any louder, and you’ll be asked to leave before I have time to check my watch again.”
Blast it all. She wanted to slap the smug expression off his face. At the same time she absolutely believed that he hadn’t been bluffing, that he would slap her right back, and in the middle of the room. She’d already seen how he reacted to her arguing, but there was a time and a place for making her annoyance known.
“Tell me, Melbourne,” Josefina began, mostly to give her parents a few moments to prepare for their largest public outing as the leaders of a country, “how many waltzes will be played tonight?”
“Most likely two—one at the beginning of the evening and one near the end. We will have missed the first. You’re permitted to join all the other dances. It’s only the waltz that requires the patronesses’ permission.”
“It seems silly. Who are these women?”
“Old frumps, mostly,” Deverill drawled. “Stiff and cranky. Their only amusement is looking down their noses at everyone else, and the only way they could manage that was to settle in as hostesses of the most boring soirees in London.”
Josefina grinned. At least someone seemed willing to give straight answers. “Why does anyone attend, if it’s so dull?”
“Because everyone worries that they’ll be the only ones not attending if they don’t appear. It’s quite complex, and avery sad happenstance.” He sighed. “And extremely prudish. No alcohol allowed.”
She started to ask why he was attending, but changed her mind. He didn’t seem to worry over anyone else’s opinion, so obviously Melbourne had asked him along. Why, though? Did the duke dislike her? Not according to that kiss. Perhaps he was afraid of her, though given his standing and reputation that didn’t seem likely, either. Hm. A puzzle. And the thing she liked best about puzzles was solving them.
Though she had several questions for Melbourne, answers weren’t likely to be forthcoming with her parents and his brother-in-law present. She would save them for a dance. And he would dance with her; she would make certain of that.
They arrived at the assembly rooms, and once again it was Deverill who offered a hand to assist her. She wondered briefly whether the handsome marquis might be infatuated with her, but dismissed the notion just as quickly. He looked at her with nothing more than the same slightly amused curiosity as he did her parents and everyone else around them.
“Excuse me,” she said, freeing her hand from his arm and stepping over to where Melbourne chatted with her father. At least the duke had left the prospectus behind in the coach. “If you will,” she said, offering her hand to him.
“Of course.” He took her fingers and placed them over his dark sleeve.
“That’s good,” she returned in a lower voice as he led their group to the entrance, “because otherwise I would think you were slighting me, and I would be insulted again.”
“Ah,” he breathed, keeping his profile to her. “If you slap me here tonight, I will reciprocate in kind.” Finally he glanced down at her. “Consider that you’ve been warned.”
“If you want to frighten me, why don’t you threaten to kiss me again?” she returned.
“Because you want me to kiss you again,” he murmured.
A slow smile curved his mouth, and heat spun through her. How could anyone who portrayed himself as so stern and aloof have a smile that…heart-stopping?
“I do not,” she stated belatedly.
“Then stop arguing with everything I say.”
“I do not argue with everything you say.”
His smile deepening, he pulled out his pocket watch with his free hand. “Nine seconds,” he said, snapping it closed again.
Her cheeks heated, and she dug her fingers into his sleeve to retaliate. “So you think you have me figured out, do you? I daresay you have no idea.”
“Enlighten me then, Princess.”
She sniffed. “First present me to these absurd women.”
“Say that any louder, and you’ll be asked to leave before I have time to check my watch again.”
Blast it all. She wanted to slap the smug expression off his face. At the same time she absolutely believed that he hadn’t been bluffing, that he would slap her right back, and in the middle of the room. She’d already seen how he reacted to her arguing, but there was a time and a place for making her annoyance known.
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