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The sight of her made his body go on alert and re-live their morning… activities. She never met his eyes, but his took all of her.
By his side, Charlotte looked at her with intense curiosity. “Well, well, looks like my nephew is hiding someone in his eerie fortress.” She smiled. “Do introduce this lovely creature, Romulus.”
“Lady Winchester, allow me to introduce my aunt the Marchioness of Darby.”
“My lady.” She curtsied and opened the most dazzling smile, one too dangerous for his poor self-control. “I have heard a lot about you in London.”
The marchioness smiled back, taking an immediate liking to the hellion. “You did? How lovely.” He was in danger of having a female front to fight off here.
The Duke felt proud of his aunt, as she led a group of intellectuals dedicated to science, arts and philosophy.
“Lady Winchester was travelling by when her carriage broke down in the vicinity.” He squinted at the impossible woman to convey he very much suspected of the artifice.
“That was unfortunate, my dear.” The older woman’s brows pleated for the barest moment, before she smiled again. “But fortunate for me to have a companion to talk to while this rogue of a nephew is busy.”
“I shall like that exceedingly, my lady.”
“Aunt, come. Your chambers are ready.” Romulus put her in the capable hands of his butler and the two of them headed for the upper floor.
The presence of his aunt would make her more careful with her plans for an escape, Annabel mused.
Romulus turned to her, a glacial expression on his fierce face. “You will not play your little schemes while my aunt is here. Understood?”
She surveyed the hall. Few servants remained here at that time of day, all busy with their tasks. Even the incompetent who followed her seemed to have vanished.
Anger surfaced on her stance. “Schemes?” She pointed a vehement finger to him. “You are keeping me prisoner here!” She said through her teeth. “With a lackey for a shadow on top of it.”
“You deny the schemes.” The grave tone a balm her ears, even if accusatory.
She confronted him head on and proud. She came here on a mission and he betrayed her country. “With conviction.”
His murky irises acquired a mixture of suspicion and scorn. “Not a word that comes from that delicious mouth of yours is true.”
Flushing with his mention of that part of her anatomy, she struggled to keep this morning… steam from her memory. She raised her head to fulminate him fully. “How dare you accuse me when you are in the wrong?”
“Wrong?” That irresistible disdainful smile of his came to those terribly sensuous lips. “Between us there is no right or wrong.” He towered over her, the soap on his skin affecting her nostrils. He must have bathed after the wrestling as she did. “Only this muddy thing that holds no definition.”
“For me everything is very clear.” She devolved hotly. “I discern the difference between the two, contrary to some.”
“You, a woman who cheated a man to marry another with a title?” He chuckled humourless. “This is rich!” He rumbled in his deep voice.
That hurt. Like a poison that went down burning and destroying every feeling in its way. With a gigantic effort, she tamped it down with forceful will. “If this is what you think of me, Your Grace, then I have nothing else to say.” With luck, she delivered it as a ball of snow, cold and smashing.
Turning, she walked away, chin up, straight back and tears burning in the back of her eyes.
* * *
Evident that Annabel would not be able to skip dinner with His Grace’s aunt visiting. So, she dressed a demure dress of a dark green shade and breathed deeply to brace herself for the evening.
As soon as she reached the great hall, his aunt turned to her. “Oh, my dear. There you are.” She stood alone in the immense room.
“My lady.” The curtsy respectful, she approached the older woman.
“I remember you now.” A pleasant smile on her face. “You are the widow of the Count of Winchester.”
“Indeed, I am, my lady.” She tilted her head. Not for a moment did she doubt of the cunningness of the woman before her. “You have a good memory.”
“And one of my nephew’s estates is neighbours to yours, if I remember well.”
