He handed Lucien the cue stick. “I must return to my party.”
“I’ll go with you,” Cynthia said. “I need to make certain Gertie is following orders.”
“Take him out back to meet Chef,” said Désirée.
Sébastien smirked. “Don’t let him fall in.”
“What...?” Alexander asked.
Once they were cloaked and hatted, Cynthia led him out of the house and around the side, rather than down the front walk to the street.
“They have a pet hog,” she explained. “Named Chef.”
That raised more questions than it answered.
“I don’t care about Chef,” he said.
“Oh, all right.” She pivoted back toward the smithy.
He stopped her. For the moment, they were hidden from view.
She lifted her questioning gaze to his.
“Thank you,” he said. “For letting me stay even though you didn’t invite me. For making me feel welcome, and for... attempting... to teach me carom billiards.”
“You do know,” she said, “you can do this whenever you like.”
“Drink too much champagne and cause you to lose your tournament?”
“Enjoy yourself,” she corrected. “What’s the point of being a duke if you never do anything you like?”
He was starting to wonder.
“There is one thing I’d like to do...” He lifted his hand to her cheek.
She arched a brow. “Then stop talking and do it.”
He pulled his hat from his head and dipped under the brim of her bonnet to kiss her.
The wind disappeared, the icy temperature, the snow. There was only her lips. Her heat. Her tongue.
He couldn’t have her, no matter how much he liked her. Heknewthat.
But they could have this kiss.
It would have to be enough.
He lifted his head.
“Let me guess,” she said wryly. “You have to go and choose a bride?”
He winced. This was not well done of him.
“They’re all perfect,” he admitted. “How does one decide between perfection?”
“Are they perfect foryou?” She tilted her head. “What if you lowered your standards to someonealmostperfect? Close enough so that you’re not mortified to be married to her, but imperfect enough to be interesting and amusing and unafraid to put life first.”
He frowned. “I thought you wanted me to marry your cousin.”
