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“I am certain you did,” she replied gently.
She stood and placed her hand on his arm. Ignoring the sensation of touching him, she added, “But now you are in London and no matter how much you might not want to be, you are the duke. Even if you only stay a few months, Lucy and Ellie need proper clothing so they are not confined to the house all the time. They all need to learn better table manners, especially the boys. They were chewing with their mouths open at the dinner table.”
“I suppose they could use some assistance.” He stared down at her hand on his forearm.
Elizabeth knew she should remove her hand, but remembering Sophie’s advice, she squeezed his arm instead. With what she hoped was a flirtatious smile, she said, “I can help you.”
His brown eyes darkened. “Oh?”
“I can assist you so you are ready to face Society, too. You need a valet to cut your hair.” Slowly, she reached up and touched the dark strands. His hair felt coarse to her fingertips but she loved the sensation. She’d never felt so bold in her life.
He reached for her wrist and held it tight. “Elizabeth, I am practically engaged.”
Oh, God, he must think she was nothing but a strumpet. “I’m sorry,” she said, pulling both her hands away. “I didn’t mean anything by…”
He turned to face her fully, and gently clasped her shoulders. “Perhaps if I wasn’t almost engaged…”
“No, I truly meant nothing,” she said, disconcerted at being caught flirting with him, and more disturbed by the feelings of his hands on her shoulders. Her heart pounded in her chest as she fought for some semblance of sanity.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t look away from him. Why did she have to be attracted to him?
He shook his head slightly and removed his hands from her. “Elizabeth, what do you think I should do about the children?” he asked in a strangely hoarse voice.
Elizabeth moved back to her seat and sipped her sherry. “I can assist you so they get the proper clothing and education they need while here. But…”
“But what?”
She stared down at her hands and said, “I would need to stay here to show them a proper example.”
Will sat down in his seat with a smile. Now he understood exactly what she had been up to with her contagious flirting. She wanted to stay in the house. An idea that made him cringe, and yet warmed him at the same time. The though
t of her sleeping across the hall from him was a worry. The woman was pure temptation.
But she was right. The children needed a better example, and proper clothing and manners. He would resist her flirtations by thinking of Abigail.
Elizabeth pressed her pink lips together and looked down at her hands. “I guess I have my answer. I shall pack my things tomorrow.”
“Elizabeth, you don’t need to leave.” But she did. Every move she made tempted him in a way he hadn’t felt for a long time. He tried to imagine Abigail’s face, but the only image in his mind was of Elizabeth lying naked in a bed.
“I believe you say that purely to ease your conscience. It is not necessary. I shall leave tomorrow.”
“No,” he said firmly. “You are right about the children. They need guidance in a way I can’t give them.”
“Lucy and Ellie really should make their bow before they enter Society. It’s a rather large undertaking.”
“Their bow?”
Elizabeth smiled at him. “They must be presented to the queen.”
That was a terrible idea. A presentation to the queen would only make both girls want to stay here. They would see only the advantages of being wealthy and titled.
“William?” Elizabeth quizzed softly. “Should I make the arrangements?”
“Yes.” That was not what he was supposed to tell her. He should tell her to leave right now and not to involve his sisters in anything to do with Society.
She rose gracefully from her seat and smiled down at him. “Thank you, William. Good night.”
He watched the gentle sway of her hips in the pale green silk. What was it about her that made him say the exact opposite of what he should?
