Page 44 of To Dare a Duke

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Robert greeted both young ladies, too aware he appeared stiff and awkward. He felt stiff and awkward, and completely off balance. It did not improve his already erratic mood. There had been a large part of him that wanted to damn the blasted title and forget the whole idea. There would be a distant cousin somewhere who would be dug up in the event of his demise, no doubt, and the name would lurch forward again. Christ knew they couldn’t sully it any further than he had already.

Yet there had been another emotion, one he’d not been able to bury, even though he’d tried.

Excitement.

He wanted to see Prue again. It had been disturbing to realise how disappointed he’d been not to find her at the last event he’d attended. Her aunt and cousin had been there, and he’d left before they could bear down on him. If Prue wasn’t there, he had no interest in staying.

Robert watched her now, watched her expression as she looked around and saw him approaching. Well, that wasn’t encouraging.

Mrs Butler prattled on, extolling the beauties of the garden and making far too many obvious allusions and comparisons to her own daughter. Feeling belligerent, he refused to act the gentleman and make the obvious replies she set him up for. Miss Butler looked increasingly mortified and he felt like an arse, but he was tired of being manipulated, even in such a minor way.

“Oh, I do beg your pardon.”

Robert looked up, returning his attention to Prue, who had just interrupted her aunt’s endless monologue. Unlike Mrs Butler, Prue hadn’t spoken a word to him past her initial greeting. Now, she was looking at them all with an apologetic smile.

“I’ve seen someone I must say hello to,” she said, far too brightly. “If you would excuse me.”

His jaw tightened as she all but ran away from him. What the devil was going on? She was the one who had sought him out and dared him to dance. She was the one who had come alive in his arms, returning his kisses with such passion he’d not been able to sleep a wink since for thinking of it.

As quickly as he could without being too obvious about it, he divested himself of Mrs and Miss Butler. He passed a dull hour speaking to acquaintances and making small talk, all the while looking out for Prue, who seemed to have disappeared.

Disgruntled and annoyed—mostly by how much her evasion bothered him—he took himself off for a walk along the river at the far reaches of the garden. Most of the guests lingered close to the house, and so he hoped he might get a few moments peace to gather his thoughts.

A long alley of close-cropped yew hedging blocked out the spring sunshine, plunging him into gloom as he followed the path towards the shimmering water he’d seen off in the distance. Halfway along the path, he paused as voices reached him.

“What happened next? Did the hero come and rescue her?” came a little girl’s voice, all high-pitched wonder and excitement.

“Of course he did,” said a rather gruffer, indignant tone: that of a boy who was evidently far from impressed.

Robert smiled and was about to move away when he was arrested by the next person who spoke.

“No, he didn’t.”

“Oh!” said the little girl, rather deflated.

“What?” demanded the first boy, echoed by several other voices Robert had not heard speak before.

“The princess would not sit about waiting to be rescued by some half-witted prince,” returned the familiar voice.

Robert felt a smile curve over his mouth as he imagined the revolted expression on Prue’s face as she spoke.

“She paced the dark confines of the dungeon, looking around for things she could use to make her escape.”

“Ooooh,” said the little girl.

“Pffft,” said several of the boys. “It’s a locked dungeon. She can’t get out.”

“Well, that shows what you know,” Prue retorted. “The princess, finding nothing of use, knew she’d have to rely on her own quick thinking, and began to talk to herself in a rather loud voice, exclaiming that ‘no, she really didn’t wish to be rescued and would the handsome stranger please go away.’”

“But you said she was all alone?” the girl pointed out.

“And so she is,” Prue said, and he could hear the smile in the words. “But the guard did not know that and demanded, ‘who are you talking to in there?’”

Robert chuckled at her attempt to convey a deep, masculine voice.

“Oh, it was a trick!” the girl exclaimed, delighted.