She picked at a leaf. “Oh? Heart says the same thing, so my mother always scolds him, saying thatinconvenienceis just another word men use to justify skirting their duties.”
Well, what could he say to that?
Duty had always been a double-edged sword for him. It conflicted with his desire for freedom—freedom from the past. But he’d rather not give history the chance to repeat itself in any way or form. Just look at his father. He had been optimistic about breaking the cycle of rakish forefathers, but he had failed over and over again.
And who was Dare if not his father’s son?
Being as self-aware as he was, he would never deny this. Denying it would mean countless tears and heartbreak in the future. It wasn’t that he was against duty or marriage. No, he was against love. The best sort of marriage for him would be an arrangement where neither expected anything from the other beyond producing an heir and then moving on with their lives however they wished.
Dare had yet to meet a woman with those expectations.
“Your brother must smart from such scolding.”
She gave a tiny snort. “Oh, no, he’s got quite the thick head.”
On that, they agreed. “I would still like to argue that an inconvenience is inconvenient.”
“And what a stellar argument, if a bit dull.”
Well, hell. “No woman has ever called me dull.”
“How fortunate that I am the first.” She paused. “Look. The cloaked woman is leaving...”
“Dare peered through the bush at the same time the cloaked woman turned in their direction. The breeze caused her hood to flutter, offering them a glimpse of her face.
“Lord above, is that your mother?” He glanced at Leonora, who had gone still beside him, her gaze fixed on the marchioness. And the plot thickened. “I suppose whatever you wish to discover, you are on the right path.”
“I... this... she is supposed to be in Wales with my father. Did she return, or did she lie?”
His brow inched upward. “She hasn’t been home?”
“No . . .”
What an interesting turn of events, then. “Why don’t you ask your mother for the information you seek?”
“She doesn’t know that I am seeking it, and for now, I’d like to keep it that way.”
So complex. There must be more to the secret that he didn’t know. Didn’tneedto know. He watched as both figures trotted off, remaining silent at Leonora’s side until they were well out of sight and he could no longer hear any echo of hooves.
“We should leave, too,” she finally whispered.
Dare caught the note of disbelief still lacing her voice and glanced at her. The little temptress had not expected the other woman to be her mother, and he couldn’t tell if she believed it a good thing or a bad thing or if she was just stunned.
“You know,” he said after a moment, “I find it quite interesting.”
Her eyes met his. “What?”
“The duchess hasn’t frequented the circles of London for years. Now she suddenly appears, all stealth and intrigue, with multiple people showing interest in her. What a mystifying woman, don’t you agree? So many secrets.”
Her lips quirked.
Ah, there is that smile.“Lady Leonora, all mixed up in mystery, and here I thought you were just a simple lady.”
Her smile widened. “I am the very epitome of simple.”
I don’t believe you, minx.Leaves crunched, and Dare went on alert. His gaze tracked his surroundings, but he couldn’t find anything suspicious.
He reached out to adjust Leonora’s hood, drawing it down farther over her head. He placed a finger over her lips, wishing he hadn’t worn gloves so that he could selfishly indulge in their softness. He cursed in his mind. Another rustle of leaves, this time closer to them.
