Frances stood there, her heart pounding. She had never spoken to anyone like that before. Certainly not to a gentleman, and most certainly not to a duke. What had possessed her?
But even as she chastised herself, she could not help but feel a small thrill of satisfaction. He had been insufferably rude, and she had put him in his place.
She took a moment to compose herself before returning to the ballroom, where her cousins were waiting.
“Are you quite all right?” Marianne asked, noticing her flushed cheeks. “You look rather flustered.”
“I am fine,” Frances replied, forcing a smile. “Just a bit warm, that is all.”
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. She danced a few more times, made polite conversation with various members of the ton, and tried to put the encounter in the gallery out of her mind. But she could not quite shake the memory of those dark eyes and that infuriating smirk.
When they finally returned home well past midnight, she was exhausted. Her feet ached, her head throbbed, and all she wanted was to collapse into bed.
But she had to admit, despite everything, there had been something exhilarating about the evening. And her strangeencounter with the arrogant Duke had left her feeling oddly rattled and, if she were honest with herself, intrigued.
The next morning, Frances woke up late, her body protesting the late night. She dressed slowly, still thinking about the ball, about her cousins, about the dancing, and yes, about the insufferable man in the gallery.
She made her way downstairs to the breakfast room, where Aunt Eugenia was already seated, looking quite pleased with herself.
“Good morning, my dear,” she said brightly. “I trust you enjoyed yourself last night?”
“I did,” Frances admitted, taking her seat. “My cousins were very kind.”
“Capital!” Aunt Eugenia clapped her hands together. “Simply capital! Now, I have some news. My godson has arrived. In fact, he arrived yesterday just after you left. Then, business called him away again, and he did not return until after you had retired. Come, allow me to introduce you.”
Frances’s stomach fluttered nervously. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to be around any more dukes for a while.
Alas, her aunt walked her across the room to where the parlor door sat closed and knocked. “James, come. I want to make introductions.”
The door opened, and a tall figure entered.
“Frances, my dear, allow me to introduce my godson, James Ellery, the Duke of Somerset. James, this is my niece, Miss Frances Langley.”
Frances looked up, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis.
Standing before her, with that same infuriating smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, was the man from the gallery.
Her lips parted, and she staggered back, knocking her hip into the side table. Aunt Eugenia raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing.
The Duke’s dark eyes met hers, and she saw the exact moment recognition dawned on him. His smirk widened ever so slightly.
“Miss Langley,” he greeted, his voice smooth as silk. “What a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Your Grace,” she managed, curtsying on shaky legs.
Aunt Eugenia looked between them, oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. “Wonderful! I do hope you two will be good friends during James’s stay. . ”
The Duke took closed the parlor door behind him and walked into the breakfast room, taking his seat across from her, and judging by the glint in his eyes, he remembered their exchange all too well.
A fortnight, Frances thought desperately. A fortnight under the same roof as this odious, vexing man.
It was going to be the longest fortnight of her life.
