“I believe that is the Duchess of Crane,” he whispered back, nodding toward the uncloaked rider.
The duchess! What were the odds?
“Are you sure that is the duchess?” Leonora asked softly.
“No doubt in my mind.”
Leonora turned her head to look at him and started when her lips grazed his upper cheekbone.
Slowly, his head turned to meet her gaze.
“I mean... that...”Dear Lord. “That was an accident.” So awkward! She quickly changed to topic. “I’ve heard she hasn’t been in town for years. Have you met her by any chance?”
His eyes probed her before once again peeking through the spot. “Yes. Fleetingly, right before the duke’s death.”
Really? Leonora swallowed her heartbeats and glanced at the duo again. What a brilliant coincidence. Both people she’d thought about this morning had now appeared before her. “Who is the person with her, do you think?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s most certainly a woman. These woods seem to attract a lot of those.”
Leonora smiled at his mocking tone. From this distance, while she could see the duchess, so many nuances were lost to her. But she could tell by her posture that she was tall and slender, poised, and she should be about Heart’s age, or perhaps a few years younger. Her dark hair, the exact opposite color as Leonora’s, was swept up in a delicate twist, and her riding habit—a rich green—blended with the trees of the parklands. She couldn’t help a small grin, recalling Dare’s comment about the color the night before.
She wished she could get a closer look. And a listen. “I wonder what they are talking about.”
“Why are you so interested in the duchess?” Dare asked.
“I have my reasons,” she said softly.
“Areyouby chance acquainted with her?”
Leonora glanced at him. Something in his tone struck her as odd. “No. Why?”
Dare arched a brow. “I have some interest.”
That surprised her. “In what? The duchess? Whatever for?” What was this pinch in her chest? “Or perhaps I shouldn’t ask. A rake showing interest in a woman can’t mean too many things.”
He arched that smoldering brow at her. “Tell me your interest and I’ll tell you mine.”
She might be my mother.
But Leonora couldn’t reveal such a shocking thing. That would expose her family’s secrets and open them up for scandal and scrutiny. Neither did she have any other explanation that Dare might find plausible. But perhaps a half-truth would do. So, she answered in a faint voice, “She has knowledge about a family member I’m curious about.”
“A family member?” He nodded thoughtfully. “So it’s information you are after?”
Leonora nodded.
“Well, then, our interests are the aligned.”
“You want information, too?” Her curiosity bloomed.
“Yes. Well, not precisely. The duchess is in possession of something that an... acquaintance of mine wants.”
Fascinating. What did the duchess have that someone Dare knew could want? “And you are helping them retrieve this something?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Mmm. “Is it rightfully your friend’s?”
“My friend believes so.”
