“What do you think of my house, Miss Alwyn?” He now gestured toward the magnificent structure built of gray stone that Heather expected would stand for another thousand years.
“It is splendid,” she said, following his gaze. “The roses and ivy along the walls soften it. The shutters are the deep blue of the sea and connect this house to its surroundings. I understandit has recently been restored to its former grandeur. Did you have a hand in that renovation, other than merely supplying the massive funds required?”
“Yes.” He smiled again, a smile capable of melting her heart if she ever trusted him enough to be caught off her guard.
“It feels like it has your touch, a mix of power and perfection.” She could not help smiling back at him. “Will you tell me more? The interior is decorated with impeccable taste. I have been in some beautiful homes, but none to match yours. The exterior is elegant, too. Every bit of its construction shows exquisite thought and attention to detail.”
His expression quickly changed, and he now frowned at her. “I do not need your flattery.”
“I was merely stating it as fact, Your Grace. You asked my opinion and I gave it. I would have been much less effusive if I did not like it.” This man was as changeable as the wind, yet she seemed to be warming to him. She did not understand why. He still looked quite forbidding and was obviously irritated with her.
He grunted. “Follow me. We’ll stay out here.”
“We? Where are you taking me?”
His dark eyes swallowed her up again. “Do you not trust me, Miss Alwyn?”
She met his gaze, unwilling to lie or flatter him, for she was never one to speak falsely. “No, Your Grace. I do not trust you in the least.”
Chapter Two
“Your candor isrefreshing, Miss Alwyn,” the Duke of Arran said with a hearty burst of laughter. He tucked a finger under her chin, tipping her face up so that she could not avoid his stare. “I suppose I do have a bad reputation.”
Heather was not certain what he would do next, but he gave a shrug and led her to a shady grove not far from the cliff where she had been standing. He stretched his big body under one of the trees, his gaze remaining on her, as he obviously expected her to join him.
“Has anyone ever told you that you look like an elf?” he said, apparently amused by her appearance as she sank onto the grass beside him. “Especially with those big, fey eyes and pointy little ears of yours. But I think you are not as delicate as you look.”
How wrong he was.
She was a hollow shell inside, quite alone in the world, and scared of what might happen to her if ever she lost her position as companion to his aunt. However, she was not about to confide in him.
Instead, she patted her gown to smooth it, and then shifted slightly so that she was not seated too close to him. Theirs was a comfortable spot, hidden from view. Few people would notice them if they passed by to walk along the cliffs or down to the beach. Nor could the two of them be seen from the terrace whereeveryone was having tea by now, since it was on the other side of the house.
It suddenly struck her how isolated she and the duke were.
She glanced up as a sudden breeze rustled through the silvery leaves of their shade tree. “Your Grace, should you not be getting back? You will be missed by your guests.”
He emitted a light chuckle. “Are you that eager to be rid of me? Most ladies would be in a swoon over my attention.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ve seen how those lovely debutantes hang upon your every word. Miss Barclay in particular.”
He shrugged. “She is merely a neighbor.”
“She is fascinated by you.”
“Aren’t they all?” he said with notable sarcasm. “What about you, Miss Alwyn? Do I fascinate you?”
She brushed a fallen leaf off her lap. “No, Your Grace. I try to avoid you as much as possible.”
He grinned at her. “Yes, I have noticed.”
After a moment of silence between them, he plucked a blade of grass and began to twirl it in his roughened fingers. “They think I am going to offer for one of them.”
“Are you not?” She regarded him in surprise. “Then what is the purpose of inviting these young ladies and their families here? It is cruel to give them false hope.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Are you admonishing me?”
“I…do not mean to meddle in your affairs.”
