How to Fool a Duke (The Husband Dilemma #1) - Lancaster, Mary Page 0,21
women that way in Italy, but here, we refrain from such talk when a lady is present.” He dragged the teacher from the music room and to the entryway of the assembly rooms. “If you require an escort home, I will be happy to accommodate you.”
“You are a bastard,” Arcadi spat at him before letting out a huff of rage and stalking away.
Leonard watched him walk down the deserted street, happy he had…
“Your Grace…”
He turned to find a teary-eyed Sarah standing behind him.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Only my pride.”
“Well.” He offered his arm and she reluctantly took it. “I think a glass of port might benefit you greatly.”
“Port?”
“Yes.”
“What if someone sees me?”
Leonard looked about the room. “Only staff remain, and from what I am told, they would never gossip about anyone. They have their own secrets to keep hidden. Lady Whitmore is enjoying a comfortable gossip with Miss Hammy. I believe they will wait for you.”
She nodded and let him escort her to the comfortable library he had been shown earlier. It boasted leather chairs, shelves filled with leather-bound books, a billiard table, and a private balcony through a set of French doors. She waited by a window while the duke searched for glasses and the much-needed wine. He found it in a cabinet and poured two equal portions and then went to her.
“Come,” he said, pressing the crystal glass into her hands, then opening the doors for her. “Fresh air will clear your mind.”
“Signor Arcadi says the nighttime air can cause lasting damage to my vocal cords.”
“Your teacher is no longer here, Miss Sarah. It is your choice alone now.”
She hesitated, as he expected she would, then braved a step outside, pleasing him very much.
She took several small sips of the port, stunned at first by the strong taste. “This is a-a…”
“An acquired taste, perhaps?” He smiled at her.
“Yes. But after taking a few sips, I can feel it warming me to the core.”
“Liquid courage has driven many a man to do things he never would have considered while sober.”
“Liquid courage?” She giggled sweetly at that. “And a few women, I am sure.”
“That, too,” he agreed.
“Thank you,” she said, turning away to stare down at the garden below. “You defended my honor.”
“No gratitude is necessary,” he said. “I would come to the aid of any woman.”
“Would you?” She turned back to him, the glass in her hand empty.
“Yes,” he reassured her, blood boiling for her again. “But especially for you, Lady Sarah.”
Jolted by his words, she dropped the glass, and it shattered.
He set his glass on a nearby table and rushed to her, holding her by the arms. “Why did you hide yourself from me?” He gave her a gentle shake.
She met his gaze, the fathomless depths of her dark eyes pulling him in, inviting him to get lost in the windows to her soul. “You rejected me, Your Grace.”
“No,” he said firmly. “I simply put you off. You needed time to mature, to become who you are now.”
“You are the inspiration for whom I have become, sir!”
To her credit, she had the spirit of a warrior, never backing down though he towered over her. “Me? How so?”
“You did not wish to ally yourself with a child, according to what my mother told me. You found me lacking in the qualities a future duchess should possess.”
A knot formed in his stomach, for he had never said those things, though he had thought them, and rightly so. “I found you charming and sweet, if not overly mischievous, but very likable, Sarah. I am twenty-eight, and you, if I am correct, are soon to be nineteen. What kind of beast would marry and bed a girl still full of the wonder and energy of a child? I preferred to give you time to grow up.”
“No.” She shook free of his grasp.
“Yes,” he countered. “I would never lie to you.”
She hugged herself protectively, glancing up at him. “You climbed that blasted tree, sat next to me, and threw an apple or two, if I recall properly.”
“Three,” he said.
“Three,” she repeated. “You kissed my cheek before you climbed down.”
“I did, and still do not regret it, for it has led me here, to this moment.”
“What moment?” she inquired.
“This.” He pulled her into his arms, slanted his mouth over hers, his arms enveloping her in a strong yet gentle embrace, his lips tracing the curves of her own, his soul breathing in her scent, her warmth, her very essence.
She sighed, leaning into him, her