Chapter 3

ELOISA HAD ALWAYS BEEN fond of rising early in the morning, preferably just before dawn. Even if she had just gone to bed a few hours before, she couldn't sleep through the sunrise. As always, she got dressed and sneaked through the hallways. She had gotten into the habit of walking through Hyde Park in these early hours when no one else was there. It gave her some much-needed solitude.  

Her mind kept going over what had happened the night before. It was her own behavior that shocked her the most. Never before had she been as bold with a man as she had been with him. Thomas brought out either the best or the worst in her. Then to see him struggle and fail with her cousin was a surprise. He had found nothing but success with women before. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost ran into another woman out for a stroll.

Lady Harris stood on the path, clutching a limp-looking ball of fur in her arms. "Excuse me for bothering to walk on the same path. Clearly there’s not room for two." Her nose was tilted up so high Eloisa could almost see up it.

"Pardon me, Lady Harris." said Eloisa, moving to allow her plenty of room to pass. "I'm afraid I am in such good spirits today that I wasn't paying attention. You remember what that feels like, don't you?"

Apparently she didn't. The lady's black eyes narrowed at Eloisa until her skin crawled. The way Lady Harris’s lips pursed together reminded Eloisa of someone eating a lemon. There was no one around to admire her clothes, but the unpleasant woman was dressed in high fashion. Eloisa felt uncomfortable in the simple blue walking dress she wore that was two years out of fashion. Even her hat was an old one that had belonged to Sarah. She forced her chin up while Lady Harris scrutinized her.

"Such displays of joy are indecent." The woman's voice pitched upward. "I expected more from a proper young woman, especially one who is supposed to be a chaperon. You have proven to be a bad influence on your charge and that won't recommend you for future positions."

Eloisa's eyebrows arched. "Future positions?"

"Surely you have given some thought to what you will do after Lady Sarah is married." Lady Harris ignored the ball of fur as it wiggled. "You can't hope to live off of her generosity for the rest of your life. If you plan to continue as a chaperone, you must display the proper behavior."

Setting her shoulders straight, Eloisa addressed Lady Harris in a sweet voice. "I have no desire to continue as a chaperone after my cousin is married, nor do I plan on being her dependent. Once she is happily settled I have every intention of returning to my own pursuits."

The absurd little flowers on Lady Harris' hat bounced as she shook her head. "A woman only has one pursuit and that is to marry a man. You have failed miserably at that."

Eloisa gave a little shrug. "I suppose I did, but there is nothing to be done to change it now. I guess I will have to find something else to pursue."

The truth was, Eloisa hadn't given much thought to her future after Sarah was married. Her family didn't have money, which would make it difficult to remain independent once her father was gone. The idea of relying on Sarah and her new husband for a home made her uncomfortable.

"I assume you’re referring to your ridiculous adventures abroad. I've heard rumors about that, but didn't want to think so poorly of you and your father."

Speaking badly of her father was not something Eloisa would tolerate. She marched right up to Lady Harris so that they were standing only inches apart, keeping her hands clenched at her sides for fear of what might happen if she didn't.

Though her voice was calm, she allowed her tone to convey the threat. "My father is not to be judged by you or anyone else." She waited while the lady gasped. "If you find fault with me and my pursuit of freedom, you can address me directly about it. He has nothing to do with it."

Lady Harris tried to look down her nose at Eloisa, but it was impossible when they stood this close and Eloisa was so much taller. For once she was grateful not to be a petite woman.

"He shouldn't have encouraged you by taking you with him. It was disgraceful."

"Leaving a beloved daughter behind would have been worse."

"Not if it might have kept you decent. No man is going to want to marry you now that you are so long in the tooth."

"If anyone knows about old age, it would be you."

Watching the old woman's lips flutter silently gave Eloisa a deep sense of satisfaction. She began to wonder why she hadn't been so bold before. She didn't need this woman pointing out how uncertain her future was and gloating about it.

"You would be properly behaved if your mother were still alive." Lady Harris let one corner of her lips curl into a distorted smile.

That knocked all the steam out of Eloisa and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of that spiteful woman. It would only prove that Lady Harris was right about her. Clenching her jaw, Eloisa tried to push past the lady and her maid. When Lady Harris tried to block her path Eloisa stumbled into her. That gave the tiny spaniel she carried the chance to make an escape.

Lady Harris screamed and waved her hands in the air, but made no attempt to chase after the little dog. Her maid looked unable to decide which matter needed tending first. In only a few minutes the dog had gone far enough to disappear out of sight.

Sagging backwards against the unfortunate maid, Lady Harris called out to her pet. "Reginald, don't go!"

It would be only fair for the old lady to lose her only companion, but Eloisa was afraid it would be the dog that suffered. A pampered house pet wouldn’t be able to survive on its own. The maid's hands were full trying to keep Lady Harris from landing in the dirt, so Eloisa could see she was the only one who was able to go after poor Reginald and return him to his owner. Holding up the edges of her skirt, she walked briskly in the direction she had seen the dog disappear. The path turned a corner near a large tree, and what Eloisa saw after that was wildly funny.

Sprawled out on the grass with the tiny ball of fluff on his chest, was the Duke of Ashford. He remained motionless as the dog bounced around, licking his face. As she approached Eloisa could see his irritated expression, which was too much for her to keep from laughing. The sound must have startled Reginald, because the dog bounced away back in the direction of its owner.

Thomas sat up and turned toward her, while one hand searched the ground until it found his cane. "Does that beast belong to you, Miss Noble?"

"No, but he escaped from his owner so I came to retrieve him." She wondered how he knew it was her.

He smirked as if reading her thoughts. "It was the sound of your laughter that gave you away. No one else sounds like that."

She wasn't sure if she was flattered or insulted, so she chose no response at all. He wore the same evening clothes he had been in the night before, only they were wrinkled beyond repair now. His tie and waistcoat were open and his jacket lay next to him. Thick blond hair stuck out on the sides of his head without a hat in sight. The man looked like he hadn't even been home, which begged her to ask him how he had gotten there, but she was certain it wasn't her place.

In the stretching moments of silence Eloisa tried to form a polite good-bye but was interrupted by the arrival of Lady Harris and her maid. Both were chattering wildly about the poor suffering Reginald, who was in the maid’s arms. 

Thomas looked both shocked and embarrassed at being caught in this state by so many ladies. A bright red color spread up his high cheek bones. As he started to get up from the grass she noticed that the top buttons of his shirt were undone and color appeared there as well. The man was positively indecent and about to be seen in Hyde Park by London's biggest gossip. It made Eloisa think her own dilemma wasn’t so bad.

Lady Harris, who had been fanning her face with her hand, froze instantly at the sight of him brushing grass from his pants. "Good heavens, what are you doing here?" She was so shocked she had forgotten the formality of addressing him.

"Enjoying some fresh air," he snapped. "Same as everybody else."

Lady Harris almost toppled backwards at his angry response. One hand fluttered against her chest. Eloisa understood Thomas was uncomfortable, but he didn't need to act like a tyrant.

"I believe you are the only one who is dressed in the same clothes they were wearing last night, Your Grace," she said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Perhaps you got lost on your way home."

"Sarcasm is not attractive on a lady."

He ran his hands through his hair, trying to force it to lay down in a more civilized fashion. He was only mildly successful. Then he put his coat back on, but left both his shirt and waistcoat unbuttoned. His grumpy expression reminded her of a sleepy child. She decided he was in no mood to be polite, so it was best to save Lady Harris from his company.

"I think Reginald might be needing a little rest now, don't you?" she suggested. "I'm certain he will feel much better once you get him home."

Lady Harris blinked her wrinkled eyes, but managed a hurried good-bye before following her maid along the path. Finding a duke sleeping in the park had flustered her and now Reginald wasn't the only one who needed to go home to recover. That poor, unfortunate maid had a long day ahead of her.

"Shouldn't you be running away as well?" Thomas said, leaning casually against his cane.

The truth was she should be leaving before the park became crowded and they were discovered by someone else. Something made her want to stay and be certain he would be fine. Aside from the grumpy expression on his face, the man didn't look any worse for his night in the park.

"Afraid to leave me alone?" Thomas was the one to break the silence. 

"You won't be alone for long. The more people who find you like this the faster the word will spread. I'm sure it will be in the papers by tomorrow." It wasn't her concern but she felt bad about leaving him to the vultures.

"How kind of you to worry about my reputation."

The man had bitterness pouring off him. Eloisa remembered the way people had watched him the night before, waiting for something to happen that they might find amusing. It must be difficult to live under such scrutiny.

"I enjoy rescuing drunken gentleman. This was the shining moment in my day." She wasn't going to be intimidated by his bad mood.

"I'm not drunk this morning. I was drunk last night."

"I'm sorry I was so late."

His chest vibrated where the shirt hung open as he laughed. At least he was no longer in a sour mood. Such a handsome face shouldn't be frowning so much.

"You should be more worried about your reputation than mine." said Thomas. "Being left alone with a man like me could be dangerous."

"How are you dangerous?"

"I might try to seduce you."

Eloisa laughed at the man's arrogance. He was disheveled and dirty, but still believed he could seduce a girl in broad daylight.

"I said I would try." He allowed his lips to turn up in the corners. "I might not have succeeded."

As they spoke, Thomas moved forward and was soon standing only a few inches away from her. She became aware that beneath the smell of spirits clinging to him, there was another more pleasant scent. It was warm and masculine. It matched the man himself and she was embarrassed to have such thoughts.

“Let me help you find your way home." Eloisa tried to take his arm to lead him through the park.

"I don't need your help." Thomas pulled his arm away so sharply she stumbled forward. "I can find my way fine on my own."

"If you don't need any help, how did you come to be here last night?

"I like to sleep in fresh air."

Eloisa didn't bother to hide her snort. "I don't believe for a minute you chose to sleep in the park."

"That shows how little you know me."

Thomas was a popular topic in gossip pages, but that didn't mean he was well known. Eloisa had no idea how much of that was true. The notorious rake didn't match the irritable man she saw standing there now. There were a lot of details the paper neglected to mention about him.

"Would you mind buttoning your shirt at least?" she asked. "Might draw a little less attention to us. I wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea."

She was relieved when he complied and she no longer had his muscled chest to draw her eye. There was a reason civilized men wore so many layers.

"So how did you end up under that tree?" she asked.

"I went out with a friend last night and he chose to leave me there."

"A friend wouldn't do that." Not that Eloisa had many friends to use as an example.

"They would if it was late and they were tired from a long night of discussion."

She coughed.

"Fine, we were getting foxed, but with the utmost dignity."

Judging by the rumpled state of his clothes she doubted that. He couldn't have done that much damage to them simply by sleeping in the grass. One sleeve of his jacket was even torn at the seams.

"I hope your friend has turned out better than you this morning." She slipped her finger in to the ripped seam and wiggled it.

"He's the type to always land on his feet." Thomas grinned with genuine warmth.

She had assumed his friend was a woman. Now she couldn’t imagine which gentleman had been his partner in revelry last night. Based on Thomas’s expression, it must have been someone he genuinely liked.

"I'm surprised you would allow him to escape without you," Eloisa said.

"I honestly can't remember all the details." He reached with one hand to rub the side of his temple. He closed his eyes and groaned. "I'm trying to remember, but everything after drinking in his study is a blur."

Eloisa tried not to laugh but a few giggles escaped. He scowled in her direction.

"How long do you intend on standing there?" he asked.

Thomas rubbed his temples with one hand while leaning on his cane with the other. He was no doubt suffering from a headache, which often came the morning after a hard night. She might have felt sympathy if he hadn't brought it on himself. When he opened his eyes again he looked angry.

"I wouldn't have been out with him if I hadn't been dismissed from the party by your cousin," he growled. He had started to walk down the path now and she was forced to decide if she would follow or be left behind. She decided to match his pace.

"She declined your request to dance, that's hardly a dismissal."

"What else is there to do at a ball, but dance?" he walked faster now and she had to hurry to keep up. "I was there to meet prospective brides."

"Perhaps you should hire a matchmaker, if you need help finding a wife."

"I have found a wife, but she doesn't want to cooperate. I wish I could hire someone to fix that." Thomas stopped walking and tilted his head to the side to look at her. "Someone who knows her well and could help guide me in my courtship."

She knew exactly what he was thinking and she was shocked. "I'm not going to help you."

"Why not? You know her better than any other and would be able to get me closer than I can get on my own." Thomas leaned on his cane, talking to her in calm tones, ignoring the ridiculousness of the topic. "You could act as a matchmaker for her. Help steer her in my direction."

"I'm a chaperone, not a cupid."

"The second one pays better."

He acted as if marriage was a matter of business, that they could shake hands over. There wasn't a hint of romance in his proposition.

"I will not sell my cousin to the highest bidder." Eloisa wished he could see the glare she gave him.

"Don't think of it like that. You would be helping her make the best match of the season, which is the main goal."

"What makes you the best match?"

Thomas barked out laughter. "My title, my wealth, or my good looks. Any of those alone would be admirable, but I have all three."

"As well as a bad reputation with women."

That wiped the humor from his expression. "Meaning?"

"You have no regard for affection or love. A woman is just an adornment for you."

"I'm not the same man I was before." There was a sharp chill to the tone of his voice. "I can win her affection."

"You're not going to succeed with her being the man you were last night."

She gasped when he reached out to wrap one large hand around the sleeve of her jacket. He took a deep breath with his eye closed and she could feel the tension in his body.

"This is the only way I know how to be."  When he opened his eyes the emotional struggle behind their blue depths was visible. "Seducing women is one of the few things I was accomplished at; or so I thought."

"Perhaps you need to practice more. I hear that can greatly improve your skills in the bedroom."

Bright red spread across his cheeks as he swallowed visibly. The hand that had been holding her fell away. She never would have suspected he could be so embarrassed. For a notorious rake, Thomas was a bit of a prude. She couldn't help but giggle at his discomfort.

"Where did you get such an idea?" he said.

"In a book I found in Venice." She sighed, remembering the warm afternoon spent in the booksellers shop there. "It was written by a wealthy aristocrat years ago, giving advice about overindulgence."

"That doesn't sound like proper reading for a lady."

"The least proper things tend to be the most interesting."

She expected him to argue the point, as most men did, but he didn't say anything. The way his eyebrows were drawn together, he was thinking about something.

"You have learned many things while you were away from London," Thomas said.

"I enjoyed the new experiences. There is more freedom abroad than there is here."

"Yet you returned."

"My cousin's season wasn't something I could neglect. Once she finds a husband I can leave again." Eloisa felt uncomfortable sharing so much with him.

The way he smiled at her made her heart race. She felt as if she were being chased, but they hadn't moved an inch. He wanted something and he wanted it from her.

"So you prefer she find a husband as soon as possible?"

"Yes, as long as he were the right man."

"I'm certainly not the wrong man."

That was a statement she couldn’t agree with. A notorious rake in the past and an arrogant seducer now were hardly positive attributes. Still, he had the kind of good looks that made a woman want to forget those things. He had that unsettling effect on Eloisa, but Sarah appeared immune to him last night.

"She likes to challenge men, but she wouldn't be impossible to win over. You just need to find a better approach," she said.

"Once again you know everything. You are making me more convinced that you would be the perfect ally."

"No, but I do know my cousin." His offer could be the only chance she had to leave London, if she could use it to her cousin's advantage. "I do know what she is hoping to find in a husband. I suppose I could encourage you to develop those attributes. If you both formed an attachment, then it might turn out well for all involved."

For just a heartbeat his face changed and she knew his mind was working behind those eyes. The slow, arrogant smile he had worn before now returned and he was no longer showing any signs of tension. He leaned in closer until they were close enough for her to get the scent of him again.

"Your idea has merit. My personal romance consultant." His voice was low as she watched his lips move. "Turning me into the perfect lover."

"Oh?" She let the word slip out as a whisper.

"What is it going to cost me?"

It felt like ice water had been dumped on her. Of course that's was what he wanted to know first. This would be a business deal and she needed to remember that. Keep things clean and simple, like a handshake. Not like a kiss.

"Nothing you can't afford. Enough money to give me the independence I want."

Thomas laughed. "You provide me with a wife, so you don't need a husband?"

"If you're going to mock me, I take back the offer."

She was about to walk away when she heard him say. "Wait."

"How do I know you can change her mind about me?" His hand was fidgeting with the silver head of his cane. "She was firmly set against me last night."

"You made a bad first impression, but there is always a second chance. You just have to be willing to follow my directions."

"I give you my word, if we agree to do this I will do anything you say."

"That's a great deal of power to give someone." Eloisa would know, since she had been following directions her entire life.

"That is how desperately I want to marry your cousin."

"You lover her that much?"

He didn't answer, but he didn't have to. They both knew what it was he loved. It was the return to his former greatness he desired. Sarah was simply his means to an end. Marriage was nothing but two people joining together to get what they wanted.

"Does she require love?" he asked.

"No, she's not the romantic I am. She wants the status of a good marriage, not the love." The two often discussed the benefits of marriage without passion and Sarah believed it was better that way.

"Becoming my wife would give her that."

It was difficult for a man like him to ask for help, even if it was being bought. Thomas tried not to let his impatience show in the tone of his voice. "Do we have a deal?"

She hesitated. "I don't like to make hasty decisions.”

"Come by later this morning and we can discuss the details until you are convinced." He tipped his head toward her, and then using his cane as a guide, left her standing alone under the tree.

Eloisa realized she had been tempted to say yes. She didn't say no, so at least it was a chance. If she could guide him in his courtship, it could be the answer to everything. Sarah would become a duchess and she wouldn't have to worry about being a poor dependent relative.