Before she could sort out what he might have meant by that question, Lady Barrowe’s voice rang through the air.
“Your Grace! Lady Guinevere!” She came into view with Kilgore strolling behind her at a leisurely pace. They stopped, looking quite the odd pair. Guinevere bit her lip to keep from smiling as Kilgore shot her a pleading look and cut his eyes at the countess. She still could not believe that Lilias had talked her mother into pairing with Kilgore, but that was exactly what her friend had done. Guinevere half suspected that Lilias had taken seriously Vivian’s mutterings about the two of them needing to keep an eye on Guinevere. As if she, the founder of the Society of Ladies Against Rogues, needed her own members watching her!
“Why have the two of you not begun?” the countess asked at the edge of the garden, the official starting point of the scavenger hunt.
“Trouble getting on?” Kilgore suggested with a smirk.
Beside Guinevere, Asher stiffened. “We were formulating a plan,” he replied. “We’re off now.”
Before Guinevere could agree or disagree, he grabbed her by the elbow and started tugging her toward the pebbled path that led to the wooden door to a series of walled gardens, where the guests could search. Lilias’s family had renowned gardens, as well as succession houses, and as Asher led Guinevere away from the center of the largest formal garden and into the rose garden, the tantalizing scent of the blooming roses swirled around them.
“Carrington, release me,” she demanded several times, but it was not until they were both through the next wooden door that Asher did as she had asked. Then he turned from her, offering her a fine view of his broad back, and something gave a very distinct click.
Her jaw dropped open as he faced her once more, looking as tempting as that blasted apple had no doubt looked to Eve. Guinevere snapped her jaw shut when amusement danced in his eyes. “Did you just lock the door?” she asked.
“I did, and if ye will pardon me.”
He did not wait for her answer, the blasted man. He used his long legs to close the distance to the other side of the garden in astonishing speed, and he closed the only other door that led into the rose garden. And with the soft click of yet another lock, one that meant no one could get in or out without his allowing it, her pulse spiked.
Not in fear. No, that would have been too reasonable a reaction for her. Her pulse increased in anticipation. Yearning. Remembrance. Her lips could feel the press of his upon hers already, and her toes curled in response. Memories rose to the surface. His heat washing over her. His firm hand upon her low back. “Why did you just lock us in here?”
His gaze caressed her, making her breath catch. “I wish to talk to ye.”
“Asher.” She gave her muddled head a shake. “I mean, Carrington, you must unlock the door. If anyone happens upon the entrances, finds them locked, and discovers us in here, alone, I will be ruined.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I assure ye that is not my plan.”
And yet his ravenous look belied his words. She gasped. Not at him but at herself and the thrill his desirous gaze shot through her. She had to get control of herself. He could play at whatever game he wanted. He was a duke, aman. He would be forgiven nearly anything. They always were. But she was a woman and forgiven nothing. Expected to live above reproach always, never to falter, never to succumb to passion. In fact, women were never to have such great passion that they were carried away. It was an unfair fact, but the wrongness of it made it no less true.
“I do not know what you are about,” she said, trying to move around him to go to the door. He stepped neatly in front of her path and tilted his head down to look at her. His closeness was almost more than she could bear. She felt faint, so she locked her knees firmly in place. “Move please.”
“After we talk.”
“I will not speak another word to you until you unlock that door.” She leveled him with her most practiced withering stare.
He sighed, not looking worried in the least, but he turned, made his way to the door, and unlocked it. Then facing her once more, he leaned against it.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, striding to him to open the door.
He wagged his finger in denial. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked with an adorable, devil-may-care grin she had quite forgotten. It was a rare look for him, carefree as a lad in the summer sneaking back into his home after a night of forbidden carousing. She’d seen that look on her brother a number of times, though not lately. “I have unlocked the door as ye requested, but I’ll not be allowing anyone to enter quite yet.”
“Carrington!” she cried out, frustrated and intrigued, so help her.
He shrugged. “If someone comes scratching, I’ll open it immediately and say it was stuck, blown shut by the wind.”
She frowned. “There is no wind today.”
“I say there is, and I’m the Duke of Carrington. Who would dare contradict me?”
“And you said you needed guidance on the rules of theton…” She pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I think not, Your Grace. You seem to have it well in hand, except of course, I should educate you—though I would think you would already know—thatKilgorewould dare.”
The carefree look was replaced by a dark thunderstorm of an expression that made her want to take a step back, but she stood her ground even as regret at her words pierced her. Why must she be so prideful? Asher’s eyes narrowed. “Would ye want him to contradict me?”
She sighed. “Of course not! That would set me in the middle of a scandal, and that is a place I have no wish to be again.” The man was fraying her nerves, and she preferred them smooth. “I am beginning to think you are trying to confuse me.”
“I have had the same thought about ye, lass,” he said, now sounding as annoyed as she felt.
She stomped her foot. She didn’t even care that it made her appear like a spoiled child. “Why do you seem to be pursuing me? Is it because you think Kilgore desires me and you are a child in a man’s body? Am I simply the prize you don’t want him to have because you want all the toys for your own pleasure?”
