“I seriously doubt that.” She let out a nervous chuckle.
“Esther, please. I need my foil. Not to mention, tomorrow’s competition will be my last one. Where is it?”
She drew her eyebrows together. “I’m serious, and I’m not playing any games. I don’t know what you’re talking about. The last thing I remember about last night is Minnie and me at The New Club. That’s all.” She sounded honest.
“So you don’t remember having come here and stolen my foil?”
“No. Why would I ever do that?”
He shrugged. “Maybe for the same reason you came here and kissed me?”
“No, no. Enough. This is a joke.”
He folded his arms over his chest, still hurt about what she’d told him. “You said I was a boring duke who didn’t know how to enjoy himself. Then you hugged me and asked me to dance with you, but in your enthusiasm, you scratched me with your sharp nails.” He lowered his collar to show her the marks left by her quick fingers. “When I stopped you, you started laughing. Do you remember that? I certainly won’t forget it.”
Also because he’d wanted to kiss her. Hell, he had. She was a temptress with her large blue eyes and plush lips, and she’d been rather aggressive in the way she’d pursued him. But she hadn’t been herself. He would rather be rejected by her when she was sober than kiss her when she wasn’t.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “I have no recollection of last night. But I sincerely apologise for everything I did.”
He cradled his chin, wondering if she was acting. She seemed honest, but then again, she’d seemed honest last night when she’d flung herself to him and started to unbutton his waistcoat. It’d taken a while for him to convince her to stop.
His frustration diminished. She sounded so dejected and humiliated he couldn’t be angry with her. Still, his precious foil was missing.
She lowered the cover, revealing his nightshirt. She covered herself again. “Where are my clothes, and what am I doing here?”
“I don’t know where your clothes are,” he said. “After you came here, kissed me?—”
“I’m not sure what to think of that.”
“—and stole my foil, you ran away. I chased you, and after a few hours, I found you in your…” He cleared his throat; visions of Esther in her chemise would haunt him forever. “…undergarments. A worn, tattered gown, a bit on the large size for you, lay a few feet from you. I was seriously concerned about you. You were lying on the ground, pale and cold and motionless. So I took you here and asked Mrs. Wilson to take care of you. The moment she finished tucking you into bed, you fell asleep. I sent for the physician, who said you were intoxicated, which I could have guessed myself. He gave us a few bottles for you, and here you are. Without my foil, which I desperately need.”
She groaned in frustration and fell back onto the pillow. “I don’t remember anything. I promise. Where’s Minnie?”
“I sent a footman to her house, and apparently she’s there, perfectly fine, sleeping in her bed.”
“How can I explain this to my mother?” She spread out her arms.
“Perhaps you should have thought about that before going to The New Club with Minnie.”
“I don’t need to hear that.”
“And what do you need to hear?” He edged closer. “I warned you about Minnie and The New Club. You get distracted, and terrible things happen to you.”
“I know,” she said in a low voice. “Let’s start by talking with Minnie. She must know everything about last night.”
“How do you feel?”
“Better. That potion helps.”
“Are you strong enough to leave the bed?”
“I want to return the foil to you, and I’m sure talking with Minnie will solve everything. Perhaps she has it.”
He stood up. “Let’s go, then.”
She pressed her lips in a thin line, and even though her expression was one of annoyance, he couldn’t help but notice how her baby blue eyes stood out. Her golden curls, wild and loose, added a charming touch to her look. He wouldn’t mind waking up to such a stunning view of her every morning. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and see if it was as silky as it looked.
“Is something the matter?” he asked, returning to the present.
