Page 19 of Distracting the Duke

“Oh, yes, of course. Forgive me, I’ve not visited this house for years. That was a very sudden downpour, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t bother making small talk at a time like this, sir. It really isn’t necessary.”

“What? You wish us to be at daggers drawn again, Lady Clara, even when I’ve just rescued you from certain drowning?”

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. His hand flexed against her ribs. What would it be like, he wondered, to doff all one’s clothes and make love beneath the warm summer rain?

“Sir, that’s the way to the stables. Are you really such a poor navigator, even when your goal is right before you?”

Of course it was. What was he thinking? And what would Miss Soper be thinking if she could see the pair of them right now? He was making a real mull of things, allowing himself to be distracted by Clara. It must stop immediately.

He had made his grand gesture to the family, and it was time to start courting Eleanora in earnest.

Chapter Twelve

Since the rain continued to pelt at the windows like grapeshot, Clara just had to accept that Ulvercombe and his groom, Batchford, would have to stay the night. Lawton Court was a far cry from the comforts of Kessington House but, to his credit, the duke made every effort to appreciate their hospitality.

Ellie looked as daunted as ever by his presence, and Sarah was only just shy of obsequiousness. Philip was polite, but Clara knew him well enough to recognize he still didn’t fully trust Ulvercombe or his motives.

She was still smarting from the drubbing her brother had given her. He’d taken her aside before supper and scolded her for getting soaked to the skin and making a spectacle of herself. The fact that she’d allowed His Grace to practically carry her in was also laid to her account, with the additional complaint that they’d lurched and swayed their way toward the house like a drunken soldier and his doxy. She naturally replied that none of it had been her fault. He should blame Ulvercombe for so precipitously running back for her when she was perfectly able to get indoors by herself. She didn’t mind a little rain—it was a big fuss over nothing.

Her brother just sighed and led her in to dinner.

Domestic felicity restored, they all sat companionably around the dining table and enjoyed a clove-stuck ham with all the trimmings.

“There’s nothing more delicious than a freshly harvested pea,” pronounced the duke. “They complement the ham perfectly. Tell me, Miss Soper, are you fond of kitchen gardening?”

“Oh no, not at all. I couldn’t tell a lettuce from a cabbage until they were on my plate.”

Clara said, “Our ward is too self-effacing, sir. She’s perfectly capable of telling the difference, aren’t you Eleanora?”

“Well, actually, I—”

Laying a restraining hand on Ellie’s arm, Clara added, “She seeks to tease you by claiming ignorance. Then, when you least expect it, she will stun you with the depth of her knowledge on some particular subject. It gives one an enormous advantage to be able to put others off their stride by concealing brilliance with ignorance.”

Ulvercombe raised an eyebrow. “You wish to have others at a disadvantage, Lady Clara, by using humility to cover hubris? How very singular.”

Clara felt a spike of annoyance. “That’s not at all what I meant. I just think it’s fun to surprise people by being cleverer than they expect.”

“Sounds manipulative to me. And dishonest.” He gave her a mocking smile.

She glared back at him. “One should always keep a bit of one’s character hidden. If you’re too open, people are apt to take advantage.”

As she’d known, the mention of taking advantage removed the smile. He knew immediately to what she was referring.

But why had she felt the need to strike out at him? Especially when he’d already made good the sins of his grandfather… The Pajou Venus was even now glistening gently in the candlelight from the center of the sideboard.

Bother. She really mustn’t let him provoke her.

The room had become uncomfortably quiet. Clara looked around and discovered that everyone’s gaze was shuttling between her and the duke, waiting for the next crossing of swords.

This was a fine way to recommend Eleanora’s charms to her prospective suitor! His attention was now focused solely on herself, drat it all.

She cleared her throat. “What I meant was, I think it important always to cultivate a slight air of mystery. If you continue to surprise people, they will never tire of you.”

His long fingers stroked the stem of his glass. “You make it all sound so complicated, Lady Clara. Why can’t people just be themselves? Others will either like you or they won’t, and if not, they can leave you alone.”

“Aren’t you forgetting, sir, that if Society doesn’t like you, it has a tendency not just to ignore you, but to make its displeasure known?”