What had gotten into her? Surely, a smile should not be able to have an effect that large?
CHAPTERTWELVE
Deborah felt on edge the next morning. No matter what she did, she could not get the Duke off her mind.
“He is insufferable,” she reminded herself, but their conversation from the night before played in her head, and she once again found herself thinking about the kiss they had shared.
Deborah wondered to herself if the only reason she remembered the kiss so well was that he was the only man she had ever kissed. But it was not a convincing enough argument.
There was something about the Duke that attracted her to him like a moth to a flame, but she did not like him at all. It was a complex conundrum, and it was driving her insane.
She thought to herself that she should avoid him for the rest of the day. At least until she gets her emotions in check.
And for the most part of the day, Deborah was successful in avoiding him. But when it was time for dinner, she wasn’t sure if she could prevent them from crossing paths any longer.
Entering the dining hall, Deborah spotted the Duke from a distance and decided to take a seat far away from him. But even so, she could not help herself from stealing glances in his direction every so often.
She noticed that he appeared to be slightly on edge as well. His usually composed self was showing signs of awkward unease. A few times, she noticed his eyes wandering around the room, and curiosity bubbled inside of her.
Was it because he was thinking of her as well?
“I am famished.” Nicholas took a seat next to her. “Peter and I walked a great deal today, and I’m excited to dig into the feast.”
“Behave yourself,” Deborah said in a hushed whisper to her brother. “If Grandmother sees you talking like this about food at the table, she will admonish you for your manners.”
“My manners?” Nicholas chuckled light-heartedly. “I was unaware that speaking about food while at a dinner table is considered a crime.”
“It is not a crime,” Deborah replied. “But perhaps not the most elegant gesture.”
“Since when are you concerned about propriety?” Nicholas challenged.
“Since you decided to be seated next to me,” Deborah said, irked.
Like clockwork, she glanced back to where the Duke was seated, and for a brief moment, he happened to look her way at the same exact time. She felt her heart skip a beat as their gaze locked together, her pulse quickening and an excitement electrifying the air around her.
But their moment was interrupted when the Dowager Duchess walked into the dining hall, followed by a face that Deborah did not recognize.
A strikingly beautiful young woman gracefully took her place at the table beside the Duke, her brown curls bouncing and a timid smile playing at the corner of her lips.
“Joanna, please make yourself comfortable,” Modesty said. “This will be your home, after all.”
Lady Joanna did not speak but instead nodded politely. Her eyes were trained on the napkin in front of her, and she tucked one of her curls behind her ear.
“Who is that?” Nicholas whispered to his sister, examining the newcomer from a distance. “I do not think I have seen her around before.”
Deborah’s face fell. “I believe she is the woman the Duke is set to marry soon.”
“Oh, more wedding bells,” Nicholas remarked dryly. “The more, the merrier. Though, I was not aware that he was spoken for.”
“Me neither,” Deborah said, her thoughts again drifting back to the kiss she and the Duke had shared. “But the news is true. Emma told me herself.”
At the other side of the table, the Duke straightened up his back as dinner was served. He was painfully aware of the woman by his side, and the fact that he was meant to engage her in conversation, as per his mother’s instructions.
He had met her only once briefly before dinner, when she had arrived at the estate, but they had merely exchanged pleasantries before his mother had hauled her away to meet some of the other guests.
As far as appearances went, Lady Joanna seemed to be the perfect woman for him. She was timid and kept to herself, creating an air of mystery around her.
It is how a proper woman should behave. Not laugh loudly at the table, attracting attention from everyone around her.
