Tall, Duke, and Dangerous (Hazards of Dukes #2) - Megan Frampton Page 0,100

would seem to fit your requirements.” He cleared his throat. “I believe the books are of a certain type?”

Thaddeus frowned in confusion. “A certain—oh!” he exclaimed, realizing Melmsford’s usual discretion was even more discreet. At least the reading would not be boring. Or disciplined, for that matter. “In that case, I will attend the Raddlestons’ party.”

“Excellent, Your Grace.”

And if he was fortunate, he would meet a lady of excellent birth, a quiet demeanor, of a pleasing appearance, who was also sexually adventurous.

And while he was at it, he might try to find a black cat in a coal cellar, a needle in a haystack, and a duke who both did his job well and wasn’t entirely dull.

“Vinnie, how can you possibly get away with it?” Jane’s expression was horrified, her lovely eyes wide, her perfect mouth making a perfect O.

Lavinia nodded toward Percy, who sat in the corner of the drawing room, one lock of dark brown hair falling elegantly over his brow. He was the epitome of the tortured author—a pen in his hand, smudges of ink on his strong chin, papers scattered all over the table at which he sat.

It would be perfect if the papers he was working on was a novel of torrid prose and not the household’s budget.

“He’s the one who’s going to have to get away with it.” Lavinia shrugged. “I just write the books. I don’t have to read them aloud.”

Percy looked up, his remarkably handsome face marred by the frown creasing his brow. Although, Lavinia had to admit, that wasn’t necessarily true, since Percy looked remarkably handsome no matter what. He got all of their father’s looks, whereas Lavinia had inherited her mother’s height (short), her figure (exceedingly curvaceous), and her ability to focus (her father had none, except when it came to his work).

“Are you trying to undermine my confidence, Jane?” Percy asked, getting to his feet.

The three siblings—or more correctly half siblings, since Percy was their father’s child by his mistress—were in the drawing room before dinner, Lavinia choosing the passage of her work that Percy would read that evening, Percy reviewing the budget, and Jane observing, her expression anxious.

Jane’s face fell at Percy’s question, and Lavinia immediately rushed to her sister, sitting down beside her on the sofa and wrapping her arms around her. She glared at Percy, who rolled his eyes in reply.

“I’m sorry, dear.” Jane was the most sensitive of the siblings, even including five-year-old Christina, who would sulk for hours if she were denied anything, even something she did not actually want. The last enormous sulk had been because she was denied a serving of oatmeal, which she didn’t even like. She’d received toast sprinkled with cinnamon sugar—one of her favorites—but since her siblings were having oatmeal, she took umbrage.

Jane, Lavinia, and Christina were their family’s legitimate offspring; Percy and Caroline were the illegitimate offspring, with Percy their father’s mistake, and Caroline their late aunt’s child, born out of wedlock to Adelia, their father’s sister, and a minor European prince, Lavinia always forgot which one. Her father had taken both Percy and Caroline in when they were mere children.

The entire family, along with their parents and a few of their parents’ older distant relatives, lived in an enormous mansion in Mayfair, any potential for being shunned by virtue of their family’s various scandals offset by their father’s incredible wealth, and connections—his financial acumen meant he was a financial adviser to Queen Victoria, who overlooked their family scandal. Their father frequently forgot his various children’s names, but he could recall to a penny what the queen had spent on bric-a-brac in a particular month. And that was usually quite a large sum.

Their mother more than made up for her husband’s lassitude with her ambition for her family’s status.

“I wanted to be here to support you,” Jane replied, her words muffled. She raised her head and looked at Lavinia, then over her head at Percy. “Both of you. And I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t reveal the secret, and I thought I would be less likely to if I wasn’t surprised this evening.” She returned her gaze to Lavinia. “You’re not going to choose anything too scandalous, are you?” she added in a hesitant tone.

Sometimes Lavinia wondered if Jane had been switched with another child at birth. Unlike her siblings, half siblings, and cousins, she was quiet, well-mannered, and very gentle. If it weren’t for the strong resemblance to their parents, Lavinia would be concerned there was