Rosilee’s heart gave a restless beat. “You look rather dashing, Your Grace,” Rosilee murmured.
Their eyes met.
“Yes, well, I would hate to embarrass you. You look...” He paused, and Rosilee waited breathlessly. “Beyond compare,” he finally finished.
Beyond compare.
There wasn’t anything particularly special about the two words, but to her, they were magical. They wrapped around her like a warm embrace, settling deep into her breast where they left a curious flutter.
Beyond compare.
She turned the phrase over in her mind, again and again, as though it were a priceless treasure she’d unearthed from this man. She should say something, anything. It was unlike her to be caught speechless, but words wouldn’t form as she stared at the duke.
A throat cleared, and with a start, Rosilee watched as Mrs. Prune, Mr. Wiggins, and Ben expertly cleared from the chamber. What must they not think of her! It must seem as though she was ogling the duke.
But then . . .
A hint of something dangerous and thrilling sparked between them, something she wasn’t entirely sure she could resist.
Blake gazed overthe crowd of people dressed at the height of fashion, the sounds of the orchestra filling the room along with the buzz of all the titters. And their eyes. This bothered him the most. They kept flicking in his direction like he was an exotic circus animal that had just arrived at their event.
Why on God’s earth had he decided to attend this ball?
You did it for her.
Yes, but he could just have sent Bishop. Or Mrs. Prune. Or anyone elsebuthimself. But then again, this world didn’t work like that, did it? He’d already made one blunder by kissing her, he couldn’t afford to make another. But Christ, he’d only kissed her because he would have perished if he hadn’t seized the one chance he might ever get in this life to capture her lips with his.
Right, well, now he had to live with knowing her taste. Everything had changed with that kiss. At least, for him. He would no longer be sketching pictures of her youthful face, but her current lips, all the while remembering that one moment.
Longing for it over and over.
Damnation.
Only this woman had the power to render him a pitiable mess. Now that he’d had a taste of her sweet lips, he feared he was utterly ruined. But that wasn’t all. He could feel the budding spark of greediness threatening to sprout in his heart.
They needed to get this matter of Baston settled as soon as possible.
“You are quite popular, Your Grace,” Lady Rosilee murmured beside him. “Everyone is staring at you.”
He shook his head. “They’re staring at you.”
She shook her head, but a slight blush still stained her cheeks. “No, they are not.”
Blake’s gaze swept over the crowd again. She wasn’t wrong about people blatantly staring at him, but still, there were plenty of men ogling her. He scowled at those men, clenching his jaw. “Yes, well, not all of them. And as for those staring at me, they must be wondering why a beauty is at the side of a—”
“If you say anything like ‘beast’ or ‘monster,’ I shall kick you,” Lady Rosilee cut him off, directing her narrowed eyes at him even while keeping a smile on her face. Blake shivered. “However,” she went on. “Your title does seem to have captured many people’s attention.”
What a tactful usage of words. “I inherited that skin. Donned long enough...” he trailed off, sending her a sidelong glance.
She suddenly laughed, a bright, unexpected sound that cut through the bit of tightness in the air. “Donned long enough?It’s just a title, Your Grace. A string of words. A fancy way to be addressed. A few syllables tacked on for effect.”
“Indeed, and those few syllables carry a monstrous weight.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Of course, I don’t mean to disparage titles. They are, after all, also a currency of power, but it seems to me that in your case, you are the one giving those few syllables all the weight.”
Blake furrowed his brows.
“I don’t mean to make light of you or any burdens you carry,” Rosilee said softly. “I just hope for you to perhaps see it all in a different light. After all, a title does have its advantages.”
