“Well, I’m a Scottish pauper by birth,” he said a little tartly. “I am nay gentleman.”
She turned to face him as they reached a bridge over the stream. As she was on the hump of the bridge, she was a little taller than usual, allowing him to observe in detail the flecks within her rich blue eyes. There was curiosity in her gaze now.
“You are a gentleman, now,” she reminded him.
“Hmm.” He did not comment. What did and didn’t make someone a gentleman he would heartily argue about, but that was not why he was here. “I have a proposal for ye, lass. That is why I have come to see ye today.”
“A proposal?” She stepped back in alarm.
“Nae that kind of proposal.” Though he couldn’t help the twisting of his gut when he noticed she had backed away. Clearly whatever warmth he felt for her was not returned, even if she was one of the few women in thetonwho did not seem to be afraid of him. “Ye are in need of money, and I am in need of instruction. I need to ken how to act in theton. How to be thisideaof a gentleman that thetonholds onto. Ye could be me teacher, and I could pay ye for yer trouble. What do ye say?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Charlotte stared at Gerard in outrage, uncertain what argument to make first. Slowly, he took a step forward. It was his nearness that shocked her into action. His austere handsomeness wasn’t helping the confusion of her thoughts, and the excitement of her mother and father that morning for her to have a gentleman caller who also happened to be a duke was still making her blood simmer with anger.
“You ask me to teach you like some common tutor? Pah!” She turned and walked away across the bridge, marching so fast down the river path that she thought he may run to keep up with her, but she was wrong. He was so tall, he managed to catch up with ease. Her maid, on the other hand, had more difficulty. “You want a teacher, find yourself an etiquette coach.”
“And we both ken the moment I did so, the rumor would be around town within a day that I needed one.”
“I cannot argue with that.”
“Then ye see me predicament.” He cut in front of her. She came to such a sudden halt that she was in danger of tipping off the path and falling in the river. He reached out a hand to steady her, but she thrust it away at once. “I was merely helping ye.”
“A gentleman should not touch a lady as much as you seem to touch me.”
“We’ll call that lesson two then, aye?” He smiled a little.
Frustrated, she groaned aloud and walked around him to continue the walk, then realized what she was doing. She never used to groan where others could hear her. She never used to be in danger of falling into rivers. The Duke of Rodstone was upsetting her usual calm and proper appearance.
“Look, lass. Ye have a habit of telling me what to do anyway. Why nae make some money from it?”
“I do not tell you what to do.” She glanced back at the duke, realizing that it sounded like one of the arguments she had so often heard between her mother and father. Outraged, she walked on again, trying to fight holding her face in her hands in case someone recognized her in this park.
“Aye, ye do a little.” He chuckled. “I hardly mind. I am here asking ye to do more.” He caught up with her and this time, jumped up onto a fallen log to block her path and get her attention.
The display of athleticism shocked her. She stood there, gaping at him in alarm.
“A gentleman should not…” She broke off, balling her hands into fists at her side as she realized what she had done.
“See? Ye cannae help yourself.” He smiled warmly. He shrugged off his jacket, for it was so warm on this May day. She tried not to get distracted looking at the tight-fitting waistcoat.
In her anger at being attracted to him, she reached for another conversation instead.
“You dress as no other duke does, you know that? You dress as if you are still a merchant.”
He dropped down off the log, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he walked toward her. She willed herself to step away, but she could not. Much like the first time she had laid eyes upon him, her feet were riveted to the ground.
“See? Who else would give me the right instruction as ye do, lass.” He winked at her.
“Stop winking.”
“That’s lesson three then.”
“Your Grace!”
“And another thing.” He held up his hand. “I cannae stand being addressed by this title all the time. Call me by me name instead.”
“What? No!” She shook her head madly. “Consider it lesson four that a duke should always be addressed by his title.”
