Page 16 of A Taste of Miss Honey

Clara swallowed, it was dreadful of her to have written to him at all, but to acknowledge her wrongdoing when she might pretend it had never happened was appalling. Yet she must apologise. It was absolutely not done for a single female to write to an unmarried man, but to have the temerity to write to a duke! Clara felt sick, but there was no escaping it. She knew right from wrong, or at least she did when she was sober.

“Yes?” he prompted, one dark eyebrow lifting.

Clara took a breath. She may as well get it over with. “I wish to apologise.”

His expression cleared, satisfaction smoothing the harsh lines of his too handsome face.

“Ah, at last. I wondered how long it would take before you realised you had been dreadfully rude to me. Somehow you have convinced the world that you are shy and retiring, but I, for one, know otherwise.”

Clara gazed at him. “Rude?” Surely not. She knew the letter had been ill-advised, and she had the disquieting idea that she might have complained about her aunt; possibly the word nip-cheese had been mentioned. But rude to him?

“Well, I believe calling me an ‘ill-mannered creature’ in front of my family and several hundred guests, might be construed as rude, yes.”

“Oh, that. No, that’s not what I’m apologising for,” Clara said, waving this away.

The duke’s eyebrows went up. “It’s not?”

Clara shook her head. “No. You were an ill-mannered creature. The observation stands. Just because you have since redeemed yourself does not make it any less accurate.”

She thought perhaps a muscle in his jaw ticked, but she could not tell if he was holding back a biting comment because he was furious or trying not to laugh. Deciding she had better just get it over with, she ploughed on.

“I am apologising for… for the ill-judged letter I wrote you. It was most out of character and quite wrong of me, and I would never have done so only—”

“Only you had dipped rather deep,” the duke observed. “I might go so far as to say you were tap-hackled, Miss Halfpenny.”

Heat climbed up Clara’s neck, but she held his gaze, noting the amusement dancing in his blue eyes. He was enjoying her awkwardness she realised with exasperation.

“Certainly not,” she replied, putting up her chin. “Though I will agree I was perhaps a trifle….”

“Bosky?”

“Disguised,” Clara amended sternly.

“Ah. Yes. I see.” The duke folded his arms and Clara tried not to notice how muscular his biceps were.

Surely dukes ought to be old and bent, or at least young, frail and consumptive. The Duke of Hawkney seemed to enjoy the rude health of a blacksmith. He was altogether too large and… and ducal.

“I suppose that’s my fault for supplying you with the brandy.”

“Of course not.” Clara glared at him, irritated that he should imply she would blame him for her own foolish behaviour. “It was entirely my fault. I did not realise how strong the brandy was and how deeply it would affect me. It was just so delicious and… and it made me feel—”

She sighed and shook her head, the duke did not care how she felt, only that she did not cause him any further trouble.

“What did it make you feel?”

Shocked, Clara looked back at him. He certainly looked interested, though probably only because he wanted to confirm she was queer in her attic. Still, she shrugged. “I don’t know. It just felt like my troubles went away for a little while. It was…pleasant.”

“Your troubles?” His expression tightened, and she suspected he was about to give her a lecture on the evils of drink when Eustacia appeared.

“I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting, I—oh.” She stopped in her tracks upon seeing Clara conversing with a man.

Whatever the duke had been about to say, he changed his mind. Instead, he nodded coolly to Eustacia.

“If you will excuse me, Miss Halfpenny, Madam. I had best inform my grandmother that I am awaiting her. Good day to you.”

Without another word, he strode off into the hotel.

Eustacia turned to stare at Clara, her mouth open. “Was that—?”

“The Duke of Hawkney, yes.”

With a startled laugh, Eustacia gazed at Clara with fascination shining in her eyes. “I knew it. Hidden depths.”