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God’s wounds, why do I always react to him in such a way?
She had known him for years now. At her first debut, he had asked her to dance, where they had quickly discovered an equal interest in arguing and bickering with one another. Since then, they hardly missed an opportunity to land a jibe at each other, as if it were a well-aimed arrow. Yet, whenever she saw him, she felt that same clamminess down the middle of her spine that she felt now. He was truly handsome, but the problem was… he knew it.
Even as he walked now, he tossed the loose dark hair back from his forehead. It was wild and unkempt, as if a lady had just played with those locks. The stubble on his chin added a ruggedness to his countenance that was somehow very alluring against the stuffy formality of this room.
He hadn’t yet seen she was staring. It meant that Sophia could watch him at length as he talked animatedly with his friend at his side, watching those broad shoulders shake as he laughed.
“The Duke of Pemberton?” Lady Harrington murmured his title. “Goodness, what a man to begin your love affairs with!”
“God have mercy, we are jumping ahead here, are we not?” Sophia asked, shaking her head back and forth. “I have not agreed to take a lover yet,” she whispered hastily, looking back and forth to ensure no one overheard her words, “and I have also not agreed for that lover to be the Duke of Pemberton.”
“He is handsome enough, surely?” Lady Harrington said with a wry smile.
“If you say no, I will certainly offer my attentions,” Rachel said flirtatiously, earning another giggle from Sophia. She shook her head once again and turned her eyes on the Duke.
He is not a man to take as a lover.
Everything about the very notion felt wrong to Sophia. He was a Duke, for one thing, above her as she was now a Dowager Countess. He was also a known rake who never visited a lady twice, and they knew each other too well. Yet as Sophia let her mind wander, thinking what a kiss from such a man could be like, her breathing grew jittery.
“The pinkness of your cheeks suggests you are not so averse to the idea after all,” Rachel murmured.
“Rachel…” Sophia said warningly, but she got no further.
“You shall have to orchestrate an introduction for us.”
“What? I shall do no such thing.” Yet again, Sophia had no control. As the Duke and his friend passed closed by, Rachel stepped out, into his path. On cue, Lady Harrington scuttled off, but Sophia did not have time to make a similar escape.
“Sophia, you simply must introduce me to your friend here,” Rachel said loudly with due formality, though the smile on her face was a much warmer and informal thing. She offered the Duke and the gentleman at his side a deep curtsy. “Your Grace, she has been singing your praises for so long, I am afraid I have quite insisted on an introduction.”
I have done no such thing!
As Sophia stood tongue tied, the Duke of Pemberton turned his eyes on her. At once, those dark blue eyes were amused. He lifted a single eyebrow in her direction.
“Singing my praises, eh?” he said with humor.
“Well, now you have discovered my friend here tells the occasional fib,” Sophia said and sighed as she moved to Rachel’s side. “Rachel, the Duke knows I would never sing his praises.”
“Sing of my sins and my flaws though? Now,thatI would have believed.” He held Sophia’s gaze as he bowed, and she curtsied to him.
“This is my friend, the Dowager Marchioness of Rumpton.” Sophia gestured to Rachel.
“How do you do.” The Duke bowed another time then gestured to the gentleman beside him. “Viscount Thorne. You may have heard me mention Lady Elkins before?”
“Ah, yes, of course.” Lord Thorne bowed to Sophia, completing their introductions.
“I must ask, what comments have you been making, Lady Elkins,” the Duke asked, with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Something in Sophia jolted, a sensation deep down in her stomach.
Why does he have to be so handsome? It is infuriating!
At least if he were less handsome, she would be able to come up with quicker retorts to his mischief and her mind would not be so addled.
“I was warning my friend here to stay away from you,” Sophia said in challenge, lifting her chin higher.
“My guard dog, as ever.” He nodded, as if in approval. “Ignore your friend, Lady Rumpton.” He addressed Rachel directly. “She is hardly my biggest admirer. I have the power to exceed her expectations in my goodness of course, but she would not acknowledge such a thing.”
“Exceed expectations? How intriguing,” Rachel said with a touch of flirtation in her tone. “My expectations are growing higher by the second.”
“Good Lord, Rachel, you are as subtle as a bumble bee,” Sophia declared and looped their arms together, intending to pull her away from the Duke. Her wit brought laughter to the group, especially to the Duke whose eyes met hers, and didn’t move on very quickly.
