Page 19 of A Virgin for the Duke of Thorns

“It is we who must be forgiven.” Colin schooled his features into a contrite look. “It is just that…” he trailed off as his gaze found Alice once more. “It is just that I could not possibly wait. Ever since I saw Lady Alice promenading in the Park, I was utterly entranced by her radiance and could not contain myself. I was hoping I could speak to the Marquess as soon as possible.”

“A-Alice?” Lady Brandon squeaked. “Y-you meant to say, my daughter, Alice, Your Grace?”

Colin could barely contain his irritation at her reaction. Did she think so little of her daughter as to surmise that she would not be able to attract the attention of a duke?

“Yes,” he said icily. “That daughter.”

To her credit, Lady Brandon immediately looked contrite. She shot her daughter a look of confusion, but Alice only shook her head subtly at her mother.

“I see.” She smiled, quickly regaining her composure. “My… husband has not been well as of late, but Alice has always been dear to him. He will be happy to come and speak with you, Your Grace.”

He saw how Alice shared a look with her sister at the mention of their father and saw the depth of sadness in her vivid green eyes. It would seem that it was not only the Marquess who cared for her. Both sisters clearly loved their father dearly, and his present condition was something that caused them great pain.

Lady Brandon politely excused herself so that she could go fetch her husband, leaving her daughters in the parlor with the maid. Even if one was entertaining dukes in one’s household, propriety must still be observed at all times, particularly when there were two marriageable young ladies present.

For a moment, a tense silence reigned in the sunlit parlor. Ethan squirmed a little in his cushioned seat while Alice continued to glare at Colin. Her younger sister, Phoebe, took great care not to look both him and his friend in the eye.

Finally, he saw the younger girl manage to sneak a glance at Ethan, her eyes wide in curiosity.

“Are you a Wolf, too, Your Grace?” she blurted out.

Ethan burst into laughter at the innocent query, his dark eyes dancing with merriment as he regarded the younger girl.

Colin merely stretched his lips over his teeth in a feral smile directed at her older sister. “We promise not to bite, fair ladies.”

Alice met his gaze with her own steely one. Her back was ramrod straight as she sat on the stool, like a queen gazing upon peasants. Her lips were pressed into a line that hinted at her displeasure.

“Might I have a word with you, Your Grace?” she asked him coolly.

“Most happy to oblige.” Colin stood up from his seat and held his hand out to Alice, who only regarded it fleetingly before standing up on her own.

“Thank you for indulging me, Your Grace. Shall we?”

He followed her to a quiet corner of the parlor where they would not be so easily overheard by Ethan and her sister.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed at him. “What did you think to accomplish by coming here unannounced? I have not even told my family yet!”

Colin merely smiled at her. “But I was under the impression that young ladies would like such romantic surprises.”

She shot him a withering glare instead. “This is not a game, Your Grace. You might not know much about me, but I despise lying. Absolutely loathe it.”

“So do I, my dear.”

“Then you will understand why I needed more time,” she insisted. “We need to make it more realistic?—”

“Why should we?” he scoffed. “This is not real, Alice—none of it is.”

She balked at the coolness of his tone, and Colin almost felt apologetic, if not for the fact that she needed to hear the truth. A young lady who despised lying—it was going to pose problems down the road, he was sure. It was better to nip things in the bud to prevent a great deal of misunderstanding in the future.

“I am aware that this is nothing more than a farce,” she acknowledged softly.

“Good,” he retorted. “Thirty days, Alice. You and me. Do not forget that.”

“I cannot imagine how I am supposed to forget any of this so easily,” she scoffed. “Not when you keep flinging it in my face every single chance you get.”

“Just so you do not get any other ideas, little lamb.”

She gaped at him in shock. And then, her lips pressed into a grim line, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. Up close, he could almost see her vibrating with anger.

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