The Duke Effect (The Rogue Files #7) - Sophie Jordan Page 0,70
features into impassivity. Bea could not know all of those things. Her maid did not know anything for a fact. She could have her suspicions, but that was all they were.
“Oh, it’s not official yet,” the duchess said. “But His Grace has spoken with Constantine. It is coming. There will be an announcement soon.”
She nodded. Good. Hopefully it would happen very soon. The sooner the better. Truly.
The better for everyone.
Chapter 24
She looked beautiful.
Constantine could not take his gaze off Nora over the dining table. She glowed like a jewel. Like flame. He could blame it on the gown. It was stunning and revealed Nora’s most tempting shoulders and décolletage—her peaches and cream skin that was more peaches than cream. She was so sweet he ached for a taste.
Except the gown would not account for the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed at something Vernon bloody Prentiss said to her. Vernon Prentiss. She could do so much better than that sod.
Constantine’s fingers clenched around the stem of his wineglass as she tossed back her head, arching that lovely throat. Candlelight caught in the lovely arrangement of her hair, gilding it like fire.
Prentiss could not be funny. Impossible. He had never been amsuing as a lad. He’d been a fussy sort, never one to play games or run about outside with the rest of the children. He also had a penchant for snitching on all their activities, right or wrong, to the headmaster. It had never been originated from any moral sense of justice either. He was merely about currying favor with those in authority.
Constantine did not trust Prentiss then and he did not trust him now. Especially not with the way he was looking at Nora.
The man drank deeply from his glass of wine as Nora talked. He licked the red from his fleshy lips, staring at Nora’s much-displayed cleavage like that was the meal he preferred to be devouring.
Nora was moving her hands a great deal in that way she always did when she talked. It was particularly mesmerizing tonight—her flashing hands in front of the generous swells of her breasts.
He wished to grab her hands and hold them in place—or gouge Prentiss’s eyes so he would cease to ogle her.
No. More than that.
He wanted to grab her and haul her from the room. He longed to strip her gown off her body and bury his face in those breasts, to find and taste her nipples, to discover their look and texture, to watch her writhe under him as he buried his cock deep inside her sweet quim.
It was a wholly animal reaction. Perhaps the tonic had not dispelled entirely? Except he knew that to be only a weak excuse. He’d taken it long ago. It’s power over him had long faded.
Her power over him, however, had not. He wondered if it ever would.
“Mr. Sinclair? Constantine?”
He tore his attention from Nora where she sat down the length of table. Lady Elise stared at him patiently, a kindly smile on her lips.
“Yes?”
“I was asking if you do not care for the fish?” She nodded to his untouched plate. He’d forgotten even placing the wedge of fish on his plate.
“I . . . no.” He picked up his neglected fork. “I quite enjoy it.” Then, unable to help himself, his gaze strayed to Nora again.
“Miss Langley looks lovely tonight, does she not?”
He snapped his gaze back to the woman to whom he should be devoting all his attention. “Ah. I had not noticed.”
She laughed softly, almost inaudibly, and reached for her glass with a shake of her head. Just before she brought the edge of her glass to her lips, he thought he heard her whisper.
Liar.
He looked at her sharply, studying her. He’d always judged Lady Elise to be intelligent, but he had not realized just how perceptive she was. She saw too much. Too much of him right now, at any rate.
He inhaled deeply and fixed a smile to his face. He needed to stop gawking at Nora and focus all his attention and energy on Lady Elise. She would make a fine wife. He had no doubt of that. She might have been intended for his cousin, and old Birchwood might be forcing her down his throat, but she truly was a lovely human being.
For the rest of dinner he managed to keep his attention where it should be. His gaze did not stray to Nora. Not even when he heard the lovely trill of her laughter.