He could be a rake if he refuses to let a lady win the argument gracefully and she has to take measures into her own hands.
MISS HONORA TRUTH’S WORDS OF WISDOM AND WARNING ABOUT RAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, AND LIBERTINES
Marlena suddenly felt so light she didn’t know if she was still standing on the floor or floating just above it.
The duke wanted to kiss her? What did she think about that?
Yes!
He pulled his hands from around his back and caressed her cheek with the tips of his fingers.
That startled Marlena but she didn’t back away. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. His touch was warm, tender. Neither Mr. Olingworth nor any other man had ever touched her in such a sensual way. Not her hand, not her cheek, and certainly not her heart, but …
No. She would not allow her thoughts to go there.
The duke wanted to kiss her!
And someone help her, instead of being affronted, she wanted him to.
This was wrong. Madness even. She was drawn to one of the Rakes of St. James in a wanton way. And worst of all, she was having difficulty controlling her desire for him.
It was her common sense that finally rallied to save her. She stepped back and her legs and buttocks hit the edge of her secretary. She could go no farther.
The duke smiled mischievously. He was enjoying this battle with her and it looked as if he was set to win. That roguish, victorious expression he gave her boosted her courage.
One of the many things her cousins had taught her was to never cower and she wouldn’t. She lifted her chin. Her breaths were shallow and fast. Her chest heaved as her gaze locked onto his. Yes, she had courage, but it was weak.
“That would be highly inappropriate, Your Grace,” she managed to say past her raging thoughts and her breathless feelings.
“I know.”
“Then why would you want to do it?”
He lowered his head, bringing his face very close to hers. “Human nature, Miss Fast. You are a young lady and I’m a man. But you are also beautiful, bold, and your wit is commendable and pleasing. I find all those traits desirable.”
“Mr. Olingworth was my guardian and he never said he found me desirable or that he wanted to kiss me.” Though there were times a hug or a pat on the top of her head would have been nice when she’d picked flowers and given them to him. “In fact, in all the years I was with him, he never touched me at all. And you touched me twice the first day we met.”
The duke lowered his head toward her upturned face. “I’m pleased to know Mr. Olingworth is a true gentleman, as was my father. I am not. I want to kiss you. I don’t mind telling you, and I think you want me to kiss you.”
Oh, yes, she did.
But she couldn’t. He couldn’t.
“You can’t kiss me,” she managed to whisper.
“I know,” he said, though his face kept coming closer to hers. “I’m not going to, but you can kiss me.”
“Me kiss you?”
He nodded and the scent of windswept shores and rugged cliffs suddenly filled the air around her, making her feel languid and dreamy. Her breaths became deep and heavy with wanting what he was suggesting. She wasn’t afraid to kiss him. It was just the thought that she shouldn’t want to that held her back.
Yet her desire to feel his lips on hers was great, and he was so close.
So maybe she could kiss him. Not a long kiss of course. Just a brief touch of her lips upon his. Just once.
Only to solve the mystery of what a kiss would be like. As when the boys had encouraged her to touch her first snake, climb her first tree, and wade in her first icy pond without her shoes and stockings. She could consider the kiss a learning experience that she very much wanted to accomplish. When she went to Mr. Olingworth’s house she’d been taught to dance, ride a horse, and manage a household. Shouldn’t she be familiar with a kiss as well?
Marlena’s lashes lowered over her eyes. She felt herself rising up on her toes to meet him. His breath lightly caressed her lips. She was only a second or two away from receiving her first kiss and it was a heady feeling.
Holding the tin tightly to her midriff with one hand, she splayed the other on the desk behind her to steady herself. Her palm landed on a piece of linen. She caught it up in her grasp and quickly shoved it between her face and the duke’s.
“I have your handkerchief,” she said breathlessly.
The duke slowly straightened again. He blew out a soft laugh and nodded. “So you do.”
Marlena didn’t know if she was relieved or if she would be forever regretful that she’d spoiled her chance for a kiss.
He took the handkerchief from her and slipped it into his coat pocket. “That was very clever.”
It was her escape but she still wasn’t sure she’d wanted to be set free.
“I know we shouldn’t kiss,” he said.
“That’s good to hear,” she agreed.
“It doesn’t keep me from wanting to.”
She wanted it, too, though she wasn’t as courageous as he. She would keep silent with her answer.
He took a step away from her. “I know well my responsibility to you. I will abide by it with all the honor it requires of me. I’m your guardian, your provider, and your protector as surely as Mr. Olingworth and your other guardians before him have been.”
“Thank you.”
He glanced at the box in her hands. “Tell me, Miss Fast, would you have accepted that if Mr. Olingworth had given it to you?”
She looked down at the strong-smelling items in her hands. She wouldn’t have blinked an eye if Mr. Olingworth had brought her the smelling salts in such beautiful packaging. But somehow with them coming from this man who from the moment she first saw him made her feel so feminine and desirable, she thought it must be inappropriate.
Being truthful, she answered, “I would have.”
“Then I don’t know what more I can say about what I brought today,” he said calmly.
After taking in a long deep breath and then expelling it slowly, Marlena said, “I’ll accept them as you intended them. A household necessity.”
Since her secretary was right behind her she turned and opened the top drawer, wanting to hide the tin from Justine for, at least, the time being. There in plain sight for the duke to see as clearly as she could was her writing draft of Miss Honora Truth’s Scandal Sheet. Marlena thought she might stop breathing, and for a moment she couldn’t seem to move. Seconds ticked by before she slammed the drawer shut. She turned and leaned against the desk again, praying the duke hadn’t had time to read many of the words on the page.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, I realized that the drawer is full and the tin won’t fit,” she fibbed, but with no small amount of guilt.
That was too close.
How could it have not dawned on her that her scandal sheet was in there? Because the duke had somehow bewitched her. He had her feeling strange sensations, wanting even stranger things like kisses and being held against that wide, strong chest. She’d have to be more careful. Justine might not care what she wrote, but the man she wrote about certainly would.
“I can help you rearrange the things in there so it will fit, if you like.” He put his hand on the drawer to open it again.
“No, thank you, no.” Without thinking, Marlena laid her hand on top of his to stop him. A shudder of awareness shivered through her. His skin was warm and she had the urge to give his fingers a gentle squeeze but instead she lifted her hand and said, “I believe it will work nicely in the second drawer.” Nervously, she opened the next one down and tried to place the tin inside but the depth was too shallow.
Marlena couldn’t believe the bad luck she was suddenly having.
Trying to stay calm, she softly closed it and opened the bottom one. Thankfully the tin settled in perfectly. She closed the drawer. Facing the duke again, she realized he was still scandalously near her. She backed up against the desk again.
“You’re flushed,” he said.
“Yes, I am,” she answered, thinking quickly. “I’m not used to a gentleman telling me he wants to kiss me.” Or me wanting him to do it.
“I agree, most of them wouldn’t tell you, but believe me when I say they’d all be thinking it.”
Marlena heard the back door open and she jumped. Tut barked. She heard his nails clicking on the wood floor as he ran down the corridor. Marlena silently sighed, knowing Justine was right behind him. Tut came running into the room and straight over to the duke to bark up at him. Marlena grabbed up the lace wrapping and ribbon from the tin box. She shoved them on top of the scandal sheet while the duke bent down to greet Tut with a pat on the head and a few rubs down his back.
Justine swept into the drawing room with her feathered headpiece all askew and completely out of breath. She must have run the entire way from the Portingtons’ house.
She curtsied as if she were bowing before a king instead of a duke. When she rose there was a smile like none Marlena had ever seen on her face. She held her hand out as she walked toward him.
Yet by the duke’s reaction and expression, Marlena believed he had no recollection of ever having met Justine. Showing he was a gentleman, though, he took her proffered hand and lightly kissed the back of it.
“Mrs. Abernathy,” he said as politely as the finest of gentlemen. “It’s good to see you—again.”
“Your Grace, I’m so glad you remembered me and our dance.” Justine splayed her other hand across her bosom. “It wasn’t that long ago, was it? Seems like just yesterday. I must say, I’m quite flattered and more than pleased. Honored, too, that you sought me out in order to help my dear cousin during her time of need. Thank you. Please, please sit down. Marlena, dear, did you order tea for us? Or would you prefer something stronger?”
There was no doubt, Justine was smitten by the duke.
And Marlena understood why. Heaven help her, she’d wanted the rake to kiss her.
“Nothing, thank you. I can’t stay. I only came by to drop off a—a message that I have a friend looking into finding someone who can help Miss Fast through the intricacies of the Season. I hope to return with a name soon.”
“So it is true,” she said clasping her hands together in front of her. “You are Marlena’s new guardian. Splendid!”
The duke gave Marlena a questioning glance so she said, “I was unable to convince Justine. She wanted to hear it from you.”
“Naturally I didn’t want to tell anyone until you confirmed Mr. Olingworth’s letter,” Justine defended. “I mean, the man’s been quite ill and I have no way of knowing if he is of sound mind or delusional. I had to make sure he knew what he was writing and not just assuming.” Justine stopped and smiled sweetly. “I mean one must not be too careful where an innocent young lady and a duke is concerned.”
“No explanation necessary, Mrs. Abernathy. I understand.”
“Well, then! This is superb, Your Grace. Of course I’ve taught Marlena everything I can, but entrance into Almack’s and invitations to the most important and sought-after parties of the Season can be very difficult to obtain.” She cleared her throat. “Even though I was the diamond of the Season my debut year, some in Society choose to ignore that honor.” She smiled and lifted her chin. “I’m sure you remember. Still, you know that the dear ladies who control tickets and invitations for those events protect them as if they were made from pure gold.”
“You need have no worry on that account. I’ll see Miss Fast is invited to whatever is most advantageous for her.”
“Excellent! And I assume you will still want me to be her companion and chaperone?” she asked in a softer voice.
“As long as you and Miss Fast are happy with the arrangement.”
“Oh, we are, we are. We get along quite well. And while you’re here, if I may make you aware that we really could do with a coach-and-four to be at our disposal as well as another servant or two.”
“Justine,” Marlena said. “We are perfectly fine without either.”
Her cousin ignored Marlena and continued. “Mrs. Doddle has been with me for years, and my lady’s maid, too. We have managed with just the two and no conveyance of our own, but now that Marlena will be entering Society, she will need more.” Justine fluttered her lashes.
Marlena wanted to say, What more? but, deciding not to embarrass her cousin further in front of the duke, she remained silent and steamed that Justine would say something that was so obviously untrue. They had no need of more servants. They had managed quite well for almost three years. And why have a coach when all the shopping one could do was an easy walk if Justine would just do it.
“I understand, Mrs. Abernathy. I’ll see that’s done, too.”
“Wonderful.” She smiled broadly and rolled her shoulders in a flirtatious way. “Mr. Olingworth has been kind but he had limitations as to what he could provide for us. I assume we’ll have no such limitations where you’re concerned, Your Grace.”
The duke glanced at Marlena but said nothing before turning his attention to Justine again and saying, “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” He turned to walk away.
“Ah, Your Grace, yes, there is one more thing I would like to mention before you go, if you don’t mind?”
He stopped and looked at her but remained quiet.
“Marlena said you had offered us the opportunity to live in your larger home in Mayfair, but she declined.”
“Justine.” Marlena spoke up without hesitation this time, knowing where her cousin was going with the comment. Rude or not, embarrassing to Justine or not, she would not let her control this. “You know I declined and I still do. It was kind of His Grace to offer but we will not accept. I like living near Eugenia. I made it clear to both of you I will acquiesce to a lot of things in order to attend the Season, however unwillingly, and become some man’s wife so the duke will not have to care for me indefinitely, but on this issue I will remain adamant.”
“Yes, yes, of course, dear girl. I know how close you and Eugenia are, and I do enjoy a visit with her and her sister from time to time myself. I only wanted to make sure you didn’t have second thoughts about the idea and apparently you haven’t so I’ll just thank the duke for his generous offer to allow us to live in his much larger home.” Justine smiled sweetly at the duke again. “Thank you, Your Grace. Now I’ll walk you to the door.”
Justine fluttered by Marlena.
The duke gave Marlena a touch of a grin and a nod before he followed her cousin out of the room.
All Marlena could think was that he had almost kissed her.
He could have read the start of her scandal sheet, but if he knew what he was reading he gave no indication.
Marlena suddenly felt as if she’d somehow just dodged the balls of two pistols that were fired at her chest.