Page 34 of Distracting the Duke

Meaning what, exactly? Surely, Ulvercombe wasn’t going to ask for Ellie’s hand so soon? They needed more time to get to know each other.

“You had better show me the way,” the duke said smoothly. “I don’t know where the best walks are to be found.”

She gathered her wits. It was late afternoon, and the oppressive heat of the day was just beginning to disperse as a light breeze sprang up, but the air was still very humid.

“It will be cooler down by the river,” she said.

Cool was definitely needed now—a cool head, a cool heart, and a cool face. Oh Lord, why couldn’t she stop blushing? The blood was positively singing in her ears.

Well, let’s get this over with quickly.

She hurried off down the lane. Ulvercombe easily matched his stride to hers, and if he was surprised by her speed he gave no sign of it. Nor did he seem in the least bit out of breath when she finally came to a halt at their destination.

Over the centuries, the river had cut a shallow gorge through the sandstone bedrock, which, at this time of year, was handsomely draped with green ferns and foliage. There was a choice of ways—either along the riverbank beneath low cliffs hollowed out in places by the scouring of wind and water, or across an old packhorse bridge that spanned the river, and on down the lane.

“You seem well recovered from your chill, sir,” she ventured breathlessly, hoping he would attribute the flush in her cheeks to the brisk walk.

“I do?”

“Well, I mean to say, your chest must feel better.”

He gazed down at her for a moment, a gentle smile on his lips. “I am, indeed, well recovered. And I’m too much the gentleman to voice the memories that assail me at this particular moment. I wouldn’t wish to put you to the blush. Oh, but I see I have already done so.”

Clara sucked in a breath and dragged her gaze away from those mesmerizing blue-gray eyes. “Which route do you want to take? We’d best not be long, as the clouds are starting to build.”

“I suppose that would depend on how long you wish to berate me. Will a quarter hour’s tirade satisfy, do you think?”

He was mocking her. She was not used to being teased. Tormented, yes, but not teased. Naturally, the duke would be prone to lightheartedness. He probably had not a care in the world and had never needed to struggle for anything.

“I cannot quantify my tirade until I know what else you’ve done wrong,” she said.

“Then let me enlighten you. But you must promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone else.”

“You can certainly rely on my discretion.” She’d been hiding skeletons in the family closet for years.

“Your brother, concerned about the family coffers, took a financial gamble. Unfortunately, it went wrong.”

She stared at him as the information sank in.

This was news she could scarcely credit. Did Sarah know?

“Recently?” she cautiously asked.

“Yes. That, I imagine, is why he’s been so belligerent of late. He’s furious with himself. Instead of making the family’s economic situation better, he’s made it worse.”

Clara’s heart squeezed painfully. She didn’t know how their finances could get any more dire. Would they be forced to move again? Sell their belongings? The Pajou, so recently acquired, would have to go…

“If that’s true,” she ventured, “I can’t see why he’d risk making an enemy of a wealthy gentleman who’s interested in Ellie.”

He looked at her oddly for a moment, then said, “Quite. I may not be as wealthy as you imagine, but that is a tale for another day. To cut a long story short, your brother bought some shares in a venture that failed, which I have now taken off his hands. So, there will be no duel, and we are all friends again.”

She was about to ask why in the world he would bail out her brother by buying worthless shares, but stopped herself just in time. The answer was obvious.

She pushed aside a spurt of unbidden jealousy. No one had ever felt so strongly about her to make such a generous gesture.

She wanted more details. “What venture?”

“He joined forces with a consortium that purchased land in Somersetshire with a view to driving through a new branch of the canal. Unfortunately, the local bedrock came up much higher than anticipated, and they had not the capital to deal with it. The whole scheme had to be abandoned.”