“Come to me tomorrow night,” he whispered. “We have work to do, my dear, dark angel. It shall be an education you will not soon forget.”
He let go of her hand and pulled away, flashing her a wink as he retreated, walking backward up the aisle between the bookcases. She scowled after him, her chest heaving in his abrupt absence, and as he headed back out into the gardens, closing the door behind her, he knew he had her exactly where he wanted her: flustered.
Valeria sagged into the nearest reading chair, struggling to catch her breath in the wake of Duncan’s departure. Even though he was no longer in the library, shefelthis presence like the kiss of the wind as the seasons changed. She felt his intense gaze upon her, felt the phantom caress of his words against her skin, felt the brush of fingertips that hadnevertouched her.
This is ridiculous!
She shook her head, dispelling the sensation. There was a reason that Duncan was such a renowned rake, and this was it; she could not fall for it, as who knew how many women had fallen for it before.Of coursehe made her feel like she was the most exceptional woman in the world—that was what he did to get what he wanted.
Silly girl,she scolded herself, furious that she had not struck him or berated him or chased him off as, like he said, she tended to do with every other gentleman.
Getting up and running her hands over the beading of her gown, in an attempt to sweep away the encounter, she headed for the library doors. Evidently, she was not going to receive her list tonight, if he ever intended to write one for her. As such, the night was over. She needed to be as far away from that ball, and him, as possible.
Why did he glance at my lips like that?Her stomach knotted at the memory, twisting again as her body recalled the pull of his hand, bringing her almost flush against him.
“No, Valery, this is the sport,” she muttered under her breath. “This is how he sneaks in and gets under the skin of women. You must remain impervious. You must be?—”
She let out a stifled gasp as she wrenched open the library door, to find two familiar figures walking past. The women, however, were chattering so loudly between themselves that they did not hear the door opening, nor the words that Valeria had been saying to herself.
“If he has promised, then whereishe?” Iphigenia complained in a whiny voice. “I amdesperateto dance, Mama. Even at my own ball, there are so few gentlemen who wish to partner with me. It ismortifying!But a dance with a duke would make things marginally better.”
Phyllis patted her youngest daughter on the shoulder. “He will dance with you before the night is over.” She paused. “And it is notyourball, darling. It is mine.”
Holding her breath until the danger had passed, Valeria waited a few minutes longer before slipping out into the hallway. She had no doubt that the Croston women had been talking about Duncan, and as she walked off in the opposite direction, she was surprised to find that it bothered her. The idea of Duncan dancing with Iphigenia, it irritated her.
Ruin yourself with him, Iphigenia. I do not care,Valeria told herself as she sought the refreshment room, and Mrs. Mitford.In fact, I hope youdoruin yourself with him, so you never have cause to be so high-and-mighty again.
What business was it of hers who Duncan had a dalliance with? What business was it of hers who he danced with or flirted with or stole away into gardens with, as long as it was not someone innocent? Indeed, as soon as the debt was paid and she was wed, her troubles all resolved, she never intended to see the man again.
Truly, that day could not come quickly enough.
But first, she had to meet with him tomorrow night… and she feared it would be a similar sort of meeting to the one they had just had. A clandestine thing that could get her into a great deal of trouble if she was not careful.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What a treat for my weary eyes!” Duncan cried, opening his arms out as he spotted familiar faces in the Croston’s smoking room. “What the blazes are you all doing here? I assumed you would be asleep in your beds, lamenting your married lives, wishing you would awaken as bachelors. Not you, Vincent—I assumed you would be in your bed because you are an old man in a young man’s body.”
He could not have been gladder to see his good friends, for though he had acquaintances aplenty, he had missed being part of the quartet he used to rely upon. In recent years, it would have been easier to steal the crown jewels than to arrange a gathering with Edmund and Lionel, and Vincent had taken the opportunity to retreat from socializing altogether.
Yet, there they were, at a ball he had almost declined to attend.
Vincent smiled and pulled out an empty chair. “My knees would agree with you, my good man. I suppose I must blame the springsunshine and my sister’s persuasive letters for my reappearance into society.”
“Which sister?” Duncan asked, taking the seat.
“Isolde. I tasked her with escorting Teresa through the Season’s events, but she has insisted that it ought to be me,” Vincent explained. “I mean to journey to London to do just that, as soon as I have finished this brandy.”
Duncan gestured around him. “Is this not a society event?”
“Not one that Teresa wished to attend,” Vincent replied, pulling a face. “I can hardly blame her. The Croston Ball is always so… overcrowded.”
Edmund nodded. “And I agreed to meet Vincent here, to ensure he did not lose courage and venture back to the Grayling Estate.”
“Truthfully, I do not know why I am here, when my wife and son and sister are in the city,” Lionel remarked, stifling a yawn. “Edmund made it sound exciting, but it has been rather… ordinary. We could have done this in London.”
Duncan chuckled to himself. “Well, you will be pleased to know that the entertainment has arrived. It cannot be boring as long as I am here.” He glanced at Lionel. “Although, I do agree, we could do this in London, andshoulddo it, far more often than you allow me to.”
“Why, dear Duncan, it almost sounds as if you have missed us,” Edmund teased, pouring a hearty measure of brandy for his friend.
