Page 3 of The Duke of My Desire

“Are you all right?” he said in a quiet voice, watching the woman as she rubbed her arms, her gaze fixed on the pavement at her feet.

“I–I’m fine.” She offered him a tentative smile. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

He stepped back and motioned to his carriage. “May I take you home?”

She shook her head. “I would rather not go home tonight. He…he knows where I live.”

Gregory nodded. “Is there someplace else I can take you?”

She shook her head again, but this time she did not speak, and Gregory realized with dawning discomfort that tears had begun to well in her eyes.

Bollocks. She was crying. He never knew what to do with a crying woman.

“Please don’t cry,” he said. “All will be well. Come, let’s get you out of the cold and we’ll figure out what to do from there.”

She drew in a deep breath as if steadying herself, and then she gave a single nod and headed for the carriage.

“Drive on, John,” Gregory instructed the driver as he handed the lady up into the carriage. “I’ll let you know our destination as soon as I know it myself.”

He climbed into the carriage and sat down across from his unexpected guest, careful not to crowd her. A moment later with a jostling start, the wheels began to roll and they were off, moving up the cobbled street at an unhurried pace.

The silence felt heavy, filling every corner of the carriage, and Gregory stole a glance at his companion, who was gazing out the window. Uncertainty assailed him, tying his tongue in a knot. These were uncharted waters for him, rescuing a woman in trouble, and he wasn’t entirely certain what to do from here. He had never been all that adept with the ladies even under the best of circumstances.

Perhaps learning her name was a good place to start.

“I’m Gregory, the Duke of Paxton,” he said, speaking in a low, unobtrusive tone.

She turned from the window to look at him, a small smile turning her lips. “A duke for a savior…” She shook her head. “This evening has been one surprise after another. I am Lady Justina Dunne, Your Grace.”

Gregory had heard of Lady Dunne, though he’d never met her until tonight. To say she was not what he’d pictured was an understatement.

Lady Dunne was a widow, slightly scandalous and highly sought-after, but the woman sitting across from him bore no resemblance to the depiction of a merry widow.

She seemed...shaken. Vulnerable.

A wave of protectiveness washed over him, urging him to comfort her, to hold her, but he pushed it away. His mother was always telling him he couldn’t save everybody, no matter how hard he tried, and she was right.

Besides, Lady Dunne was hardly likely to appreciate a stranger’s coddling.

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said, then immediately wished he hadn’t. This was a carriage, not a drawing room, and the circumstances of their meeting had not been pleasant.

“And I you, Your Grace,” she replied, a smile curving her lips, and he knew she was laughing at him, amused by his show of manners.

He didn’t mind, though, and as he gazed at her in the darkness, a jolt of awareness ran through him. Her smile was sensual, playful, her mouth a tad top-heavy and dimpled at the corners.

She was not beautiful, but she was striking with high cheekbones, a tip-tilted nose and frank, intelligent eyes framed with thick lashes.

The darkness suited her. Still, he couldn’t help but wish for just a little more light so he could see the color of her eyes.

Gregory cleared his throat, wrestling his thoughts back where they belonged. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Are you certain you’re all right?”

The amusement faded from her eyes and gave way to worry, but she gave a brisk nod. “I am unharmed.”

It was a non-answer—a half-answer at best—but he didn’t pressure her to elaborate. She might be unharmed, but she was not unscathed and they both knew it. He was a stranger to her, though, and he had no right to ask her to share her feelings with him, much as he might like to.

“I’m relieved to hear it,” he said softly, then settled back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other.

He had no idea where they were going or where the night would lead them, but he’d be damned if he would pressure her to make a decision before she was ready. Not after the treatment she’d suffered tonight at the hands of that brute.