Of Dukes and Deceptions (7 page)

She tossed her head but in spite of her best efforts to appear disinterested, she couldn’t entirely disguise her fascination for the subject. She opened her mouth but he held up a hand to fend off the protest he could sense her formulating.

“No, don’t bother to deny it. You have an inquisitive nature. An open mind. An independent spirit. Your rejection of your cousin’s suit proves it. You didn’t reject him just because you don’t approve of him. You rejected him because he doesn’t agitate your passions.”

“Perhaps you’re right. Since I have no firsthand knowledge of the subject, I must defer to your opinion. But I don’t see what that is to you. You and I are strangers, from different walks of life altogether, and our paths ought never to have crossed. If we converse at all, it ought to be about trivialities.” She arranged her features into a neutrally polite expression. “Tell me, Your Grace, what do you make of the fine weather we’re having?”

Nick roared with laughter. “Alicia, it’s pouring with rain! However, it’s of no consequence since I don’t wish to discuss the blasted weather with you.”

“Then we have nothing to talk about. You’ll be gone in a few days and we’ll never see one another again.”

“Which makes me the perfect person to satisfy your curiosity.”

“What makes you suppose I’m curious about anything you’d be able to teach me?”

“Oh, you’re exceedingly curious. No matter how hard you try, you can’t rid your mind of the subject now.” His voice was velvety smooth, full of confidence in his ability to talk her round. “You want to know and I’m offering to teach you.”

“Even if that were true, which it emphatically is not, I’m not so lost to all sense of propriety that I’d admit to it, much less do anything about it.”

He grasped her chin and turned her head until she was compelled to look into his eyes. “Don’t try to be what you’re not, Alicia. Not with me. Just allow yourself to feel. Don’t you crave excitement? Don’t you want to feel truly alive just once in your life?” He met her gaze and held it. “I dare you!”

His words struck home. She moistened her lips, a whole range of emotions clearly visible in the depths of her remarkable eyes. She was on the brink of capitulation. It would be so easy. He dropped a gentle kiss on her lips, breaking it almost before it had begun.

“But I won’t force myself upon you,” he said, astounded to hear the words slipping from his lips. Not ten minutes ago that was precisely what he’d intended to do. “The decision is yours alone to make. You must come to me and ask me politely if I’d be good enough to further your erotic education.”

“Humph!” She elevated her chin and looked away from him. “If that’s what you expect you’ll have a long wait.”

“I don’t think so. You
will
come to me, and you will beg me to—”

“You are uncommonly sure of yourself.”

“I know what you want, even if you don’t. And, trust me, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better teacher.”

She stood up and glared at him, hands on hips. “You are without doubt the most arrogant, self-assured, insolent gentleman it’s ever been my misfortune to encounter. You’re full of pride and spare not a thought for the feelings and sensibilities of others. You’re supposed to be a leader of men. To set an example. And yet you’re making sport of me simply because you’re bored.” She dragged his coat from around her shoulders and threw it violently in his direction. “So tell me, Your Grace, what does that make you?” Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the door. “The rain has stopped. Thank you for your assistance with the gig. Good afternoon.”

Nick was too stunned by her outburst to follow her immediately. After several minutes he went in search of her, expecting to find her struggling with Matilda’s harness, once again in need of his assistance.

Instead she was already driving away and didn’t once look back.

Alicia slammed the door to her chamber, thoroughly out of sorts after her encounter with the duke. She climbed out of her sodden gown, blushing as she recalled the nature of their discourse. She really ought to have expressed greater outrage at his infamous suggestion and the insultingly offhand manner in which he’d delivered it. But she’d been stunned by his frankness and too excited by it for her protests to sound convincing. Her show of repugnance hadn’t fooled him for a second. She blamed that on the fact that she’d long been curious about the matters they’d discussed but had never before met a gentleman with whom she had the slightest inclination to experiment.

Until now.

His Grace had changed all of that. His words had filled her with a strange sense of longing. An almost overwhelming urge to agree with his suggestion. She’d needed to get away from him before she gave way to temptation. As she relived the moment, a churning sensation started in the pit of her stomach and seeped through her limbs, taunting her by pooling in her most intimate places and refusing to go away. It was truly scandalous!

She stepped out of her petticoats and threw them aside. Ye gods, what was he doing to her? One brief kiss, a few salacious comments, and she was behaving little better than Maria.

She sat on the edge of her bed, reviewing the remarkable events of the afternoon. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything else. Dare she do as he’d suggested? Just for a moment she was tempted, and only the thought of his disgusting conviction that she’d succumb held her back. She would never beg him for his favours. Never! She didn’t mind that he had no feelings for her. She had no feelings for him either, so they were equals in that respect. The only thing holding her back was her disinclination to become the latest in a long series of conquests.

Alicia squared her shoulders. If he considered her to be that desperate, then he’d severely miscalculated.

Janet bustled into the room. “There you are, lamb. I thought I heard you coming back. You’re late, as always.”

“I got caught in the storm.”

“So I see.” Janet eyed Alicia’s sodden garments and pulled a disapproving face. “You really must take more care, my love. You could easily catch a chill.”

“I’m never ill, Janet, you know that.”

“Was that the duke I heard coming in directly behind you?”

Alicia rolled her eyes. Was there nothing that went on in this house that the servants didn’t know about? “Yes, the gig got stuck in the mud on the back road. His Grace helped me to get it free.”

“And sheltered with you until the rain abated, I don’t doubt.”

Alicia was furious when she blushed beneath her maid’s close scrutiny. “Yes, but fortunately the storm soon passed.”

Janet beamed at her mistress. “I’ve prepared your cream muslin for tonight, my love. I know it’s a favourite of yours.”

“I think I’ll excuse myself from dinner tonight, Janet. I believe I might have caught a chill after all.”

“Oh, no! You just said yourself that you’re never ill. You can’t keep claiming an indisposition. It will look odd. Besides, it’s not like you to lack spirit. I know you’ll feel awkward facing your cousin again but the longer you leave it, the harder it’ll be.” Janet had made her pleasure at Alicia’s decision to refuse Frederick plain. “I dare say he’s as embarrassed as you are and wishes to put the whole incident behind him.”

It wasn’t Frederick who Alicia wished to avoid but she refrained from saying so. “Perhaps you’re right, Janet. My aunt has been quite short with me all day and I ought to try and make her understand.” She sighed. “I hate to disappoint her when she’d been so kind to me.”

“Your aunt adores her son so her reaction is only to be expected. Just treat him naturally, as though the whole thing never occurred, and you’ll soon be comfortable again. But the longer you avoid him, the harder it’ll be to repair the relationship.”

“I just don’t understand it.” Alicia frowned. “Why he wishes to marry me, I mean. And why his father’s so keen to promote the match.” She nibbled the end of her index finger, barely aware of Janet dressing her hair. “It’s kind of him to be concerned about me, which I suppose accounts for it. But surely they ought to be relieved that I rejected him.”

Janet laughed. “You really do underestimate yourself. Sometimes, my love, I could shake you.”

But it was Alicia’s knees that were doing the shaking as she entered the drawing room. As her presence was noticed, conversations ceased. All eyes turned toward her and she was sure she could read condemnation in her relations’ expressions. The atmosphere was tense but she pretended not to notice the hostility in her aunt’s eyes. As the hubbub resumed, she relaxed a little. Only one pair of eyes remained focused on her, and she instinctively knew who they belonged to. She didn’t require the ripple of excitement curling its way down her spine to tell her His Grace was observing her closely. She felt her cheeks colouring as she bore his scrutiny but kept her eyes straight ahead. Not once did she glance in his direction.

Before Alicia had time to wonder what fault in her appearance was engaging the duke’s displeasure, Frederick bore down on her. He wore a charming smile and set about being agreeable. Perhaps his regard for her was genuine after all. The possibility made her feel wretched so she smiled and asked him how he’d occupied his day.

“Been working my fingers to the bone in the stud in the hope of impressing you, coz.”

“You would impress me a great deal more if you worked there because it’s what you genuinely wish to do.”

He spread his hands and adopted the helpless expression which so captivated his mother. “Ah, well, give a man his due, Alicia. It’s a start.”

She couldn’t help laughing. Frederick was Frederick still and would never change.

His Grace was trapped beside Maria and her aunt. She was conscious of his eyes drifting over Maria’s head and coming to rest on her face with disconcerting regularity, testing her. Never one to back down from a challenge, she turned fractionally in his direction, met his gaze and boldly held it. For a sublime moment the activity in the room faded away, and nothing else existed except the force of his captivating smile. Her mind returned to the substance of their conversation that afternoon. This attractive sophisticate actually wanted her.

And she was sorely tempted.

“How were things at the school today, coz?”

Frederick’s voice recalled her and she considered that to be just as well. This visitor of theirs was playing havoc with her level-headedness. Alicia redirected her attention to Frederick, her breath shaking as she answered his question. She was unable to remember what she’d said the moment the words left her lips.

No one joined them. It was as though a tacit agreement had been reached to leave them to themselves. Her relations clearly thought she’d suffered a temporary aberration and that, given time, she’d see the advantages in the match. Alicia sighed at the obviousness of the ploy. She didn’t wish to encourage Frederick’s ambitions but didn’t have it in her to treat him unkindly either. He was older than her but in so many respects it was the other way round. She wished their relationship could return to normal but supposed that must be impossible, especially when she quickly ran out of things to say to him that didn’t impinge upon yesterday’s embarrassing scene. If she’d entertained any momentary doubts, they evaporated at that moment.

Casting about for a new subject, Alicia became aware of a looming presence at her side. Why did she always instinctively know when the duke was within her sphere without the need to actually see him?

“Good evening, Miss Woodley.”

“Your Grace.” She curtsied, stifling a smile at such formality. Only that afternoon her name had slipped from his lips as naturally as though he’d been addressing her with familiarity all her life. But now he was behaving perfectly correctly, and she couldn’t find anything to criticise in his behaviour.

“I trust you’re fully recovered from the affliction that deprived us of your company yesterday evening?”

“Completely recovered, I thank you.”

“Oh, my cousin’s been traipsing all over the countryside in the pouring rain this afternoon on some rescue mission or other,” Frederick said carelessly.

“I trust you came to no harm in the storm, Miss Woodley.” His lips were perfectly straight, his expression fastidiously correct.

But Alicia still blushed beneath his scrutiny. Even if she’d not known precisely what he was thinking, the wicked glint in his eye would have given him away.

“None, I thank you, sir. I’m not such a delicate creature that I can’t survive the occasional soaking.”

“Just so long as it was only a soaking you were obliged to withstand. I shouldn’t like to think of your wrestling with anything more tempestuous.”

“Why, Your Grace,” she said, opening her eyes very wide. “Whatever temptation could possibly befall me on the road to Ravenswing Manor?”

He chuckled. “What indeed.”

Alicia was enjoying bandying words with the duke but regretted the impulse when the smile he directed her way pointedly excluded Frederick. Once again her body was invaded with a whole raft of pleasurable sensations. It was impossible for her to interpret the message he was sending her with his eyes. She forced herself to look away, aware that her resolve, such as it was, wouldn’t withstand such a blatant charm offensive for long.

“I assure you that nothing out of the ordinary has occurred today to give me cause for concern,” she said breezily.

“I say,” said Frederick, frowning, “what do you—”

“I believe your mother’s looking for you, Woodley.”

Oh.” A shadow of annoyance passed across Frederick’s features. “Excuse me for just one moment, if you please, Alicia. I’ll be right back,” he added with a significant glance in the duke’s direction.

“I was hoping for a private word with you, Miss Woodley,” he said as soon as Frederick was out of earshot.

“Indeed.” She raised a brow. “I can’t imagine what you could possibly have to say to me in private.”

“Oh, I think you can, but that’s not why I sought you out.” He lowered his voice. “You’ll come to me when you’re ready and it won’t take you very long to make that decision. There’s nothing more to say about that particular matter.”

She tossed her head. “If that’s what you think, then you’re deluding yourself.”

“Have it your way.” He smiled as though he knew something she didn’t. “What I wished to discuss with you was your uncle’s desire to involve me in the stud.”

“I thought that might have been his reason for inviting you here. I did wonder—”

Their conversation was interrupted by the announcement that dinner was served.

“Ah, Your Grace.” Alicia’s uncle appeared at her side. “Perhaps you’d be good enough to escort Miss Woodley—”

“With the greatest of pleasure. Miss Woodley, may I have the honour?” He proffered his arm to Alicia, his expression one of exaggerated innocence.

“Ah, no, actually, I didn’t mean—”

Alicia bit her lip to prevent a laugh from escaping. She’d disappointed her family and didn’t wish to make the situation worse. But, even so, she couldn’t help seeing the amusing side of the situation.

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Avoiding looking at him, she placed her hand on his sleeve. A jolt of awareness rocked her body as she felt the muscles in his arm tighten beneath her touch. “But I believe I’m not the lady my uncle intended you to escort.”

“Are you not?” The surprise in his tone caused her to glance at his face. Did he really not understand? Then she saw the amusement glinting in his eye and knew he understood perfectly. “You are Miss Woodley, are you not?”

“Well, yes, I suppose technically, since I’m my cousins’ senior, but…oh, fiddlesticks.” She met his mocking gaze and felt her face flood with colour. “You’re making sport of me. I believe you know exactly what my uncle intended.”

They glanced in Maria’s direction. She was clinging to her brother’s arm and her lips were drawn tight in an angry grimace.

“But it’s you I especially wish to talk with, Miss Woodley.”

Alicia experienced an irrational stab of disappointment. He’d only singled her out because he required her opinion on the state of the stud. Perhaps she’d been cherishing a secret desire that he would woo her in a more romantic, less self-assured manner. But he clearly harboured no doubts about his ability to prevail and wouldn’t bother with further persuasion. This latest display of his arrogance bolstered her determination to hold out against him. She might lack experience but she could still play games just as competently as he.

With an arch smile she turned toward him, ready to give as good as she got.

“We can hardly discuss the workings of the stud over the dinner table.”

“Then perhaps I can engage you in conversation on the subject at a more appropriate juncture. We are, after all, both early risers.”

“Do you consider that I’ll be so easily won over?” She offered him a haughty smile. “I believe you’ve mistaken me for my cousin, Your Grace.”

“This is too important to worry about the proprieties. I
know
there’s little you wouldn’t do in order to protect your father’s life’s work. Am I right?”

“You’re beginning to sound rather desperate. Even an inexperienced provincial such as I can see through your obvious ruse to get me alone.” Alicia smiled, convinced that for the first time in their sparring she’d gained the upper hand.

“You’re quite wrong. I feel no desperation whatsoever regarding our previous conversation.” He spoke his next words is a husky undertone. “You want me, and the sooner you admit it, the sooner we’ll be able to do something about it.”

Alicia stifled an outraged protest and made do with glaring at him. She was discouraged by his unruffled expression. Her hectoring words didn’t appear to have made the slightest impression upon him.

“I merely require clarification of your uncle’s objectives in order to decide how to respond to his overtures.”

“I don’t know what involvement is required of you, so I can hardly advise you. If you’re so unsure about the venture that you require the opinion of a mere female who’s no longer trusted to play an active part in the operation, then my advice would be to turn my uncle’s offer down.” She lifted her chin, aware that she’d allowed her hurt feelings on the subject of the stud to be apparent. She was usually careful to keep them under closer guard. “I feel sure you must be anxious to be on your way.”