He could be a rake if he fails to detect a young lady’s distress.
MISS HONORA TRUTH’S WORDS OF WISDOM AND WARNING ABOUT RAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, AND LIBERTINES
“Now again,” Justine said. “Step forward, left, left, back on the right, forward on the right, twirl, clap, and curtsy. That’s good. Keep going. Now again, step forward—”
“No, no, Justine,” Marlena said, walking over to the pianoforte, wiping her forehead, though it was chilly in the music room. “Please, I need to rest. You’ve had me dancing for over an hour now.”
Justine kept playing. “Only an hour? And you complain? You’ll be dancing all night, every night during the Season, dear girl, so I don’t want to hear your protest until you can dance for that long. Now back to the center of the room with you and let’s continue.”
“At a ball I won’t be dancing by myself to the same tune over and over again and it won’t be one dance right after the other without a break in between sets. I’ll have time to rest, have a cup of punch, and hopefully a conversation or two.”
Justine took her hands off the keys and leaned an arm on top of the pianoforte as she stared at Marlena with no softening in her determined features. “I would hope not.”
“Really?” Marlena asked, confused by her cousin’s remark.
“If you’re going to be the diamond of the Season, as I was, you must be on the floor for every dance. All the acceptable and eligible bachelors should be lining up to dance with you and trying to gain your favor. Besides, I’ve been sitting here playing the pianoforte for you for over an hour. You don’t hear me complaining that my fingers are tired and need a rest, do you?” She started the melody again. “See. They are still moving, but you are not still dancing.”
“There’s quite a bit of difference between what you are doing and what I’m doing,” Marlena argued, though it wasn’t so much that she minded the dancing. She wasn’t actually tired, either, but she was nervous—again. She’d turned in another scandal sheet that morning, and hoped she’d made it outrageous enough everyone in London would want their own copy. If Mr. Trout saw the sales going up maybe he’d be more inclined to advance the money she’d written to him and asked about. Veronica was talking about Words of Wisdom to her ladies’ groups, but Justine had refused, saying she delighted in telling everyone she hadn’t read it and didn’t intend to. Even the duke had said he’d heard it was selling well.
Marlena didn’t know anything else to do to get enough money to help Eugenia purchase two or three gowns for the Season. Since the duke admitted to carrying the package of smelling salts down the street, it wasn’t a far stretch to assume someone had seen him doing it. Though she didn’t expect he’d be happy Miss Truth had written about it. There was no way Marlena would have if it weren’t necessary for her to help the sisters.
Since she couldn’t stop thinking about the duke, his kisses, or the very revealing scandal sheet she’d turned in yesterday, she’d decided to work on a complicated stitchery that happened to remind her even more of the duke. With a sharpened lead pencil, she’d painstakingly sketched a garden scene on a fine linen fabric suitable for framing.
First, she’d drawn the grass. Tall swaying blades tightly nestled by shorter straight ones and a few wide sprigs, too. Next, she’d added flowers springing up from the grass. Big ones with wide-open petals, tiny ones with little closed blooms, and even a blossom or two that was falling away from the stem. When she had the garden lightly sketched the way she wanted it, she’d added a bee, a wasp, a ladybug, and two butterflies. One in flight over the top of what would be colorful flowers and the other sitting on a petal.
It had taken her almost as long to pick out all the colors of embroidery thread she wanted to use as it had to sketch the entire scene. She was threading her first needle, eager to get started with her stitches and thinking about the duke, when Justine burst into the room and announced Marlena must practice her dancing. There had been no persuading her differently.
Marlena had also wanted to think on her conversation with Eugenia about why she was kissing the duke. To Marlena’s surprise, Eugenia had understood Marlena’s desire to be kissed. It was good to know other young ladies had great curiosity about it. Her friend admitted she’d often wanted Mr. Bramwell to forget propriety and kiss her, too, but it hadn’t happened yet. What Eugenia hadn’t understood was why it was the duke giving Marlena her first kiss. That had been harder to explain. She wasn’t sure Eugenia believed her when she’d told her the truth: Marlena was the one who’d kissed the duke first.
“Did you hear me?” Justine asked.
“No, I’m sorry,” Marlena said, honestly. “I was thinking about the embroidery sample I was working on when you interrupted me for a dance. What did you say?”
Justine continued playing the practice tune. “If you’d had the good sense to agree to move into the duke’s home in Mayfair we both would have—”
“Thank you, Justine,” Marlena said, interrupting her. She would rather dance than hear her cousin complain once again about not getting to move to Mayfair. Marlena turned and walked back over to the center of the room to wait for her cousin to give her the prompt to start.
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Perhaps you will marry well. A man who has a home there and he’ll allow me to move in with you.”
“Would you really want to do that? Give up your home here?”
“That, or if it were possible, to continue to have a coach like the duke has provided for us so I could visit with my friends there anytime I wanted.”
“You could walk. It’s really not that far.”
Justine sighed heavily. “Still so much to teach you. I can’t be seen walking around Mayfair with all my friends now that I have the duke’s coach. Appearances are so important to Society. I’ve received so many invitations since the duke has become your guardian, I feel as if I’m the diamond of the Season again.”
That Marlena did know.
After playing a few more moments Justine said, “One. Two. Three. Begin. Step forward, left, left, back on the right, forward on the left, twirl, clap, and curtsy. That’s right. And again. Step—”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Abernathy.”
“What is it, Mrs. Doddle?” Justine asked, but she didn’t stop playing or turn to face the housekeeper.
“Begging your pardon, but the Duke of Rathburne is here to see you and Miss Fast.”
All ten of Justine’s fingers landed on the keys at the same time, making a dreadful sound.
Eager anticipation gripped Marlena. She rose very slowly from her curtsy, suddenly more out of breath than she should be. The duke was here. Every sensation she’d felt when he held and kissed her came rushing back to excite her.
“Oh, how absolutely wonderful!” Justine jumped up from the stool and walked away from the pianoforte. “I must have been playing so loud I didn’t hear the door. He was just here a few days ago. I thought for certain it’d be weeks before we’d see him again. He’s such a rogue.” She lifted her breasts to make sure an ample amount of flesh showed from beneath the neckline of her silk dress, and then pressed her hands down the front of her skirt. She looked over at Marlena and said, “How does my hair look? Is any of it out of place?” She touched the sides, top, and the back of it. “Are there any wrinkles in my clothing?”
“You are very presentable,” Marlena said, having no doubt how she must look after an hour of skipping, twirling, and bowing from one end of the room to the other.
“Good. You may show him in, Mrs. Doddle, and then please make tea for us.”
Justine turned to Marlena. “Some of your hair has fallen out of your chignon but I suppose there’s nothing for us to do about that now. You’ve not time to completely redo it. Quickly brush it behind your ears and we’ll hope it will stay.”
Marlena was far more worried about how her insides were jumping than about her unruly locks. It wasn’t the first time the duke had seen her with tangles in her hair, as he’d reminded her. She doubted it had been combed at all the morning she’d first seen him all those years ago. Now she was older and should be able to keep her hair under control, but some days it was as if it had a mind of its own. She tucked the loose strands behind her ears and moistened her lips.
Seeing the duke again shouldn’t make her feel this happy. Thrilled even. But it did.
The Duke of Rathburne strode into the drawing room as if with a purpose in mind. His gaze settled immediately on Marlena and she felt as if her heart melted in her chest and slowly flowed all the way down to her toes. The way looking at him made her feel couldn’t be explained by words. It was more comforting than a blazing-hot fire on the coldest of nights. There was a rich and lush appeal to him. He was devilishly handsome dressed in his coat of deep-ocean blue, boots that covered his knees, and an expression that told her he was pleased to see her, too.
After greetings were appropriately taken care of, the duke said, “I heard a melody when I came into the house. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“No, not at all,” Justine said, walking closer to him. “I was playing for Marlena so she could work on her dance steps. The Season isn’t far away now and she still has much to learn.”
Marlena had known the steps to every dance since she was sixteen. She opened her mouth to contradict her cousin but the duke spoke first.
“The Season is why I’m here. But first”—he extended a box to Justine—“I brought you some sweets.”
Justine’s face lit up as if a thousand candles were shining on it. Marlena couldn’t help but think her cousin’s heart was melting, too.
“For me?” Justine took the box with one hand while the other flattened on her ample bosom. Her lashes fluttered. “How lovely. Thank you, Your Grace. Look, Marlena. Something sweet for us to enjoy.”
Marlena watched Justine tear into the package and murmured, “Lovely indeed,” though his gift to her cousin irritated Marlena beyond sensible reason.
How dare he. She had received very inappropriate, expensively bottled smelling salts from the duke and Justine was given confections. Confections that were properly wrapped in brown paper and tied with a common string. Not expensive lace and pretty blue ribbons. And to bring Justine sweets after he’d kissed Marlena. Kissed her so thoroughly she would never forget his touch.
What nerve he had! Not that Marlena cared, of course. He could bring Justine all the sweets he wanted to.
The more the better.
What he did or didn’t give Justine, or how he chose to present it to her, meant nothing to Marlena. She’d told him she wanted him to give her her first kiss and he had. The mystery of what a kiss would be like was solved. That was the end of it, and that was the way she wanted it.
But her mind reminded her she hadn’t expected the kiss to be so powerful, so delicious that she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of the duke kissing her again.
“Oh, my, so tempting,” Justine said as she looked at the bounty nestled in the box. “Small apricot tarts glazed with sugar. You must have remembered they’re my favorite from my first Season. They’ll be divine.”
The duke acknowledged her gratitude and then gave his attention to Marlena. “Back to the reason I’m here, Miss Fast,” he said. “I told you a friend was helping me find someone to guide and provide you with the things I couldn’t do for you during the Season.”
“Of course we remember,” Justine answered for Marlena with another generous smile to the duke. “We’ve been patiently waiting to hear from you about this.”
He nodded to Justine and then gave his attention back to Marlena. “I had a note from her this morning telling me she’d found someone and asked that I meet her here at your house this afternoon. She’s bringing the person to meet you.”
“Splendid.” Justine beamed. “We are most appreciative, Your Grace. Perhaps it’s Mrs. Seagrove. She’s the best, I’m told. Or Miss Provost. Though she never married, I’ve heard outstanding things about her as well. Either would be perfect.”
“Who is she?” Marlena asked him, suddenly feeling wary.
“I don’t know who the Duchess of Griffin has found. She didn’t say, but I trust Esmeralda. You’d have no reason to know this, but Her Grace once worked with an employment agency. She’s very familiar with most of the women who know what to do.”
The Duchess of Griffin was coming to her house? Marlena knew very well about the duchess. She had written about her in Miss Honora Truth’s Scandal Sheet for a Season. And now Her Grace was on her way to meet Marlena. Face-to-face. Marlena’s stomach quaked at the thought, but she managed to mumble, “It was kind of the duchess to take the time to find someone.”
When Marlena continued the scandal sheet after the first Season she should have known it would come back to haunt her in some way, but at the time she was only thinking she had to continue to help Eugenia and Veronica.
At the back of her mind, Marlena was furiously trying to remember exactly what she’d written about the duchess when she was the chaperone for the Duke of Griffin’s twin sisters. It was impossible to recall it all. It was more than two years ago and she’d written many columns since then.
Yet, some of the sentences she’d written came back to her. Perhaps the most scintillating gossip from the first ball of the Season wasn’t about the Duke of Griffin or his sisters. It centered on their intriguing young chaperone, Miss Esmeralda Swift.
That wasn’t a bad thing to say. It was actually nice. Marlena remembered she’d commented on the announcement of the duchess’ engagement, too:
The Duke of Griffin has made his intentions known, and the maiden who made the prized catch of the Season is none other than the chaperone for his twin sisters, Miss Esmeralda Swift.
Marlena couldn’t remember saying anything unkind about the duchess. Thankfully, her rebukes were usually reserved for the Rakes of St. James and not others she mentioned in her scandal sheet.
The front door knocker sounded. Justine’s eyes lit up again. “That must be the duchess. I do hate to bring it to your attention again, Your Grace, but this is a perfect example why we need more servants in the house. Mrs. Doddle is making tea but will have to stop and go answer the door because we don’t have enough servants to fulfill all the duties around here.”
“I’ll help her with the tea,” Marlena said, wanting to prolong meeting the duchess and quite happy to leave the duke’s presence for a few minutes to collect her thoughts.
“Thunderbolts and lightning, Marlena.” Justine placed the box of tarts on a nearby table. “That will never do. Neither of us should have to do it, but it will be better if I take care of this until other arrangements can be made for us. It’s my house. Imagine one of us having to answer the door for a duchess!” She turned to the duke and smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Grace.”
He nodded.
“I’ll take care of the door, Mrs. Doddle,” Justine called as she swept out the room with her tiered skirts billowing behind her. “You continue in the kitchen and add two more cups to the tray.”
The duke walked closer to Marlena. “You are looking quite fetching today, Miss Fast.”
“Am I?” she asked, tilting her chin up and realizing she still felt a little miffed at him about the sweets even though she didn’t want to care enough about him to feel that way.
“I should have said you are fetching every time I see you, but your cheeks are a little more flushed today and your hair is curling beautifully about your face.”
She made a move to swipe her hair behind her ear again.
He softly grabbed her wrist to stop her. “No, don’t change it. There’s something enchanting about it.”
Marlena looked down at his hand on her. It was warm. There was strength in his fingers even though he wasn’t holding her tight. Little pricks of delight were dancing inside her.
When she met his gaze, he said, “I like it the way it is now.”
“And how is that, Your Grace? Untidy? No,” she answered herself. “I believe your word was unruly.”
The duke chuckled huskily, and all the pleasurable feelings swirling inside her multiplied.
“Yes. It reminds me you are innocent, wholesome. Desirable.”
“I suppose Justine is quite desirable, too,” she responded, unable to stop herself from saying it, though she knew she shouldn’t. Why did it bother her so and why was she letting him know?
His eyes narrowed. “Most ladies are, Marlena.”
“So after you kissed me quite thoroughly you bring Justine confections and me smelling salts.”
The amusement he was so obviously experiencing didn’t leave his features. And she was too wrought to do anything about it other than continue her annoyance at him.
“Is that a jealous remark, Marlena?”
“What? Jealous of you favoring Justine? Of course not. I was simply stating a fact.”
“You are piqued at me for bringing her sweets and not you.” His thumb gently rubbed the underside of her wrist.
Marlena was. It was ridiculous. It was horrifying that he knew it. And the duke was enjoying her distress about it. What was wrong with her? Why should it bother her a fig if he brought Justine confections, flowers, or sachets?
It should mean nothing to her.
Yet it did.
He was her guardian, not a beau. Yes, they had kissed. And kissed. Touched, too, but there was a certain amount of curiosity in it. A small amount perhaps but it was there.
“I’m still upset that you brought so many smelling salts,” she said, giving him half of the truth. “Wrapped so lovely. In such beautiful bottles. I will never have to buy more during my lifetime.”
His attractive grin was letting her know she wasn’t fooling him for a moment.
“And I thought a box of confections was the least I could do for Mrs. Abernathy because I didn’t remember our first meeting or the dance she and I had.”
Marlena wanted to tell him that was probably because neither of them had ever happened. Justine not only lived to remember the year of her first Season, but embellished it to suit herself.
He let go of her wrist. “I should have brought some for your young friend Miss Everard, too, for always making her faint. How is she? Did she recover with no aftereffects from the strong smell of the salts or witnessing our kiss?”
“She’s perfectly fine,” she answered truthfully. “We didn’t go into any details about that. It was easier for us to just avoid an in-depth reflection about what she saw.”
“I find that unusual, Marlena, considering the effect it had on her. How was that accomplished? I would think our kiss would be the first thing she wanted you to explain when she was feeling better.”
“She’s very shy. I know she didn’t want to pry too much. I, in turn, didn’t want to have to confess anything other than the truth, which was that I had first kissed you. Never having had a kiss herself, she understood my inquisitiveness.”
“Your capability of amazing me amazes me. Inquisitiveness, was it?”
“Yes. I’m sure there’ll come a time when she and I will talk about it in more depth. When she’s a little older. Maybe after she’s had her first kiss. My answer for what she’d seen between us seemed to satisfy her for the time being. Now I hope it satisfies you and we don’t have to mention it again, either.”
“No, Marlena. We will talk about kissing again.”
She was afraid of that.
No, she couldn’t fool herself. She wasn’t afraid they’d talk about it again. She was hoping they would.
Feminine voices drifted in from the corridor.
“But not today,” he added. “However, there is something you can do for me.”
“If I can,” she said, feeling a little wary at having no idea what he might ask of her.
“Could you arrange it so I can visit Mr. Portington and inquire about his collection at a time Miss Everard isn’t home? I would hate to arrive at her door and distress her in her own home.”
“Yes, of course,” Marlena said, thinking Eugenia and Veronica needed to be away from the house and not see the duke. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“I’m only keeping my promise to see if I can persuade him to relinquish some of his fossils and artifacts so that money might be returned and Miss Everard can have her Season as planned.”
“I’m grateful—as you know.” She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together before she did something foolish like hug him as she had in the garden a few days ago. Though this time she wasn’t fearful the hug would end in a kiss. But she could very well be caught in his arms. “Let’s plan it for tomorrow afternoon. I’ll prepare a picnic and take Veronica and Eugenia to the park at half past two. Would that work for you?”
He nodded. “And then, since you are right next door, I’ll come to your house and wait for your return so I can fill you in on what I find out.”
“Yes, yes, thank you.” Excitement that she might be able to help Eugenia make the Season bubbled inside Marlena. “I’d like that very much if we can find a way to get Justine to give us a few minutes alone.”
He smiled. “I’ll think of something.”
“I have no doubt you will,” Marlena said, and looked up to see two beautiful ladies walk into the drawing room. What startled her for a moment was that both were so young. She expected one of them, the one who would be assisting her with the Season, to be much older than the duchess and even older than Justine. Both these ladies were younger than her cousin.
The duke greeted them: the Duchess of Griffin and Lady Vera. After she heard that name the rest of the introductions were like a reverberating echo in her ears. Lady Vera was one of the Duke of Griffin’s twin sisters. She was another young lady Marlena had written about.
Heaven help her! What was Lady Vera doing here? Maybe the duke knew she was Miss Honora Truth after all, and he was proving it by bringing these two ladies to taunt her. Marlena went through the motions of following the introductions even though she was once again swamped with guilt.
Coming face-to-face with the duchess and her sister-in-law was even worse than meeting the duke for the first time. He deserved being written about in the scandal sheets after the secret admirer letters. The two ladies standing in front of her were completely innocent of any wrongdoing, yet she’d splashed their names all across London and beyond with her quill.
Marlena’s thoughts scrambled again as she tried to remember what she’d written about Lady Vera. She couldn’t remember it word for word but something about: It was Lady Vera and Lady Sara’s misfortune that it was up to their brother, the Duke of Griffin, to see they married. And it may be his twin sisters who pay the price of his misdeeds.
Oh, my. Marlena wanted to sink through the floor. The fear the sisters must have felt, thinking someone might want to do them harm or ruin their Season. There was no doubt that the worst thing she and Eugenia had done was to talk Mr. Bramwell into going to White’s with Mr. Portington to start that rumor.
She remembered clearly what she’d told Mr. Bramwell to say because she’d taken such pains with the wording: The Rakes of St. James never had to pay a price for their scandalous behavior of sending the secret admirer letters. Maybe it is time they did. Would it be fitting if something happened to ruin the Duke of Griffin’s sisters’ first Season?
Why had Marlena ever thought that was a good idea? Was it because she was a young, rash seventeen-year-old who thought to do something good and punish someone who’d done something bad? Was it because she was in London with nothing to do but wait for her debut into Society? Was it because at heart she was a horrible person?
No. She didn’t want to believe she was a horrible person. Maybe it was only that she’d been too zealous in her approach to help her neighbors. She really didn’t know, but she had to remain calm. And remembering that her parents were watching over her was always a good way to settle conflicting emotions.
“Miss Fast,” the duchess said.
“Yes, Your Grace.” Marlena answered the duchess with what she hoped wasn’t a hint of the turmoil leaping in her thoughts.
“I was telling Lady Vera about you. How the Duke of Rathburne was now your guardian and I mentioned you needed someone who could help you with your Season. Lady Vera offered to do that for you.”
Marlena looked at the lovely young lady with light-brown hair and eyes as blue as the sky. “You’re to be my finishing governess?”
“Heaven’s gates, Marlena,” Justine exclaimed. “Lady Vera is not a governess of any kind for anyone.”
“Indeed I am not,” Lady Vera answered pertly. “I can understand why you thought I might be since I offered to help you with the particulars.”
“I meant no disrespect, my lady,” Marlena said.
“None taken. I am not shocked, offended, or embarrassed easily, Miss Fast.” And as if to prove it, she walked over and slid her arm around the duke’s elbow, and looked into his eyes. “I am doing this for Rath. He knows I adore him and I’ve wanted him to marry me for years. He won’t give me the pleasure of offering for my hand. Perhaps my helping him with you will entice him to favor me.”
“You have and always will have my favor,” the duke said to her.
Marlena watched Rath smile down at Lady Vera and felt her whole body stiffen. It was quite clear the duke and Lady Vera knew each other very well. The way she smiled at him, spoke so brazenly to him, and had touched him. Marlena was astounded by how forward Lady Vera was being, and that the duke had responded so honestly. That was when Marlena realized she was jealous!
Jealous of Justine.
Jealous of Lady Vera.
Jealous of any other lady who tried to lay claim to the duke.
That was maddening.
It was time for Marlena to get her feelings under control, and fast. The duke would have many ladies seeking his attention and favor and she shouldn’t be one of them.
Justine cleared her throat rather loudly. Obviously she’d hadn’t approved of Lady Vera’s open display of affection either.
The duke took hold of Lady Vera’s wrist and slid her arm from around his, placing it down by her side. “You know I can’t marry you because I think of you as my sister.”
“That has never bothered me,” she added with a smile most men would be more than happy to receive from a duke’s sister.
“But it would me,” he said affectionately.
“Well, I always like to try in case there is any chance you’ve changed your mind about me.” Lady Vera turned to Marlena. “I will be attending my third Season, Miss Fast, and if anyone knows gowns, parties, and gentlemen, and their way around them all, it’s me. I’ll be glad to guide you through and tell you all the gossip I know about everyone.”
Marlena was certain she must have gulped before she repeated the word, “Gossip?”
Good heavens! Did the duke, Lady Vera, and the duchess know she was Miss Truth or was she just feeling so guilty that everything they said made her feel that way?
She sought out the duke’s face. His gaze was on her, too. She took in a long, deep breath and felt better for it. The duke wasn’t one to hold his tongue. Of that she was sure. If he suspected her dual life, he wouldn’t be playing this game with her. He would just ask her about it. She was being overly suspicious for no reason. If they knew she was Miss Truth they wouldn’t be so polite to her. And right now she wished she wasn’t. It simply hadn’t been clear in her mind that she might one day meet the people she was writing about in her scandal sheet. And regret it.
“Why don’t I try explaining it a little better, Miss Fast,” the duchess said, glancing at her sister-in-law with an indulgent expression. “First, I’ll do my best to see Lady Vera doesn’t teach you anything you shouldn’t know. Since you really don’t need any lessons, nor do you have need of a chaperone because of Mrs. Abernathy, I thought having someone near your age would be best for you when deciding fabrics, patterns, and all the latest fashion of clothing. And Lady Vera will certainly know which parties you need to attend and how to get the invitations for you.”
“And I also know which gentlemen are really looking for a bride and which ones are merely looking,” Lady Vera then glanced at the duchess and added, “And there will be a few other things I will tell you along the way.”
“You’ll be just perfect for her,” Justine said, clasping her hands together at her waist. “We can’t thank you enough for offering to do this for her, Lady Vera.”
“Yes, Your Grace, Lady Vera, I’m delighted that both of you are so willing to help me.”
“Good,” Lady Vera answered. “We’ll start tomorrow. I’ll arrive for you and Mrs. Abernathy at half past twelve.”
“Could we please make that the day after, my lady? I’ve already made plans for tomorrow.”
“What?” Justine asked.
“I’m taking Eugenia and Veronica for a picnic in the park. I failed to mention that to you today.” Marlena turned to Lady Vera again. “Will the day after work for you?”
She smiled. “Of course. We will go to my modiste first so she can get started making your gowns. I have some wonderful colors in mind already that will go beautifully with your hair.”
Marlena reached deep and pulled up her courage. It appeared she and Lady Vera were going to be spending quite a bit of time together. She might as well get used to it. She’d brought this burden on herself by trying to help Veronica and now she’d have to find a way to accept the consequences.
Lady Vera turned her attention back to the duke, put her arm through his again, smiled, and said, “I take it we have no limits concerning your plump pockets, Your Grace.”
“I would never put those kinds of limitations on you, Lady Vera. It would do me no good anyway.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear, too,” Justine added with a broad smile. “Ah, the tea has arrived. Let’s all sit down and have some.”
Marlena looked over at the duke and saw that he was watching her. His brows drew together. Maybe he sensed her misgivings about Lady Vera. Maybe he sensed her jealousy. Maybe he felt she hadn’t been gracious enough for the help Lady Vera was going to give her.
And then for a moment or two as their gazes were locked together across the room, Marlena wondered what it would be like if he wasn’t her guardian and she wasn’t Miss Truth. Would they then be able to look at each other as they had when she’d rounded the corner of her house and looked up to see him standing on her front steps? The way they had looked at each other before she knew he was the Duke of Rathburne.