Page 54 of The Duke's Daring Bride

Oh, Lord.

Understanding dawned, and Olivia rolled her eyes even as she smiled indulgently. Then, quite deliberately, she held her arm out from her side, opened her hand…and released the stack of folded papers.

“Whoops,” she deadpanned, staring at her sisters-in-law. “I dropped my newspapers.”

“That’s alright, Your Majesty,” rumbled Rocky. “I’ll get them for you.”

With that, he bent at the waist and began to collect the papers. His jacket rucked up to his waist, and both Amanda and Amelia leaned further from the door, twisting their necks to one side to get a better view of his backside.

From behind Olivia, she heard Hiro’s muttered, “God help us.”

Olivia twisted to shush him under her breath. “They’re just having fun.”

“Complete lack of dignity and decorum,” the butler murmured.

She noticed he was keeping his voice low enough so the sisters—and Rocky—couldn’t hear him. The man looked irritated, but apparently didn’t want to make anyone else aware of it.

“Speaking of decorum, Mr. Hiro, how’s your eye?”

The man blinked, clearly surprised by her question, and lifted his fingers to brush against the bruise surrounding his left eye. She didn’t know how he’d acquired it, but it was a gentle reminder that none of them were perfect.

Hiro’s lips curled up at one side. “A direct hit, Your Grace. I should know better than to spar with a woman with a smudge of ink across her nose.”

Alarmed, Olivia lifted her fingertips to her face, forgetting about the ink beneath her nails. “I have ink on my face?”

Hiro’s grin grew. “You do now.”

Olivia burst into chuckles. “You’ve made your point, Mr. Hiro. I shall gather my dignity and retreat with grace.”

The butler inclined his head, accepting the praise, as Rocky lurched upright once more.

“Here you go, Your Majesty. I dunno if they’re in order.”

“Unlikely,” murmured Hiro.

But Olivia just smiled. “Thank you so much, Rocky. It was my clumsiness which caused the disorder, so I’ll organize them.”

“Want me to show you where the Duke’s study is?” he rumbled.

Behind her, Hiro growled, “Once more, she is not the Queen, and she knows where his study is!”

Ignoring him, Olivia smiled kindly at the footman. “No, thank you, I think I’ll just…” She needed to deposit the papers somewhere, and check to see if there really was ink on her face, but her attention was caught by Amelia and Amanda, still peering around the corner from the parlor, looking guilty. “I think I’d like to visit with my new sisters.”

“You want some tea?” Rocky perked up, looking eager to please. Like a large puppy with perfectly sculpted…ears. “I can get some.”

“Yes, thank you.” She included Hiro in her little nod. “Thank you both,” she managed, before she clutched her papers to her chest and made her escape.

She was trying so hard not to laugh—mainly at how irritated the butler was at Rocky’s lack of decorum—that she tumbled into the arms of Amelia and Amanda. They grabbed her, pulled her into the parlor, and slammed the door. Then they collapsed, giggling, in a heap atop the sofa.

“I swear, that man has the finest arse in Creation!” Amelia managed.

“Hiro?” Olivia teased.

“No!” Somehow, Amanda was now covered with the newspapers. “Hiro is the biggest arse in Creation!”

That set them to giggling again, even as Olivia did her best to collect the papers.

Finally, Amelia sat up and grabbed one of the pages. “What is this? Rent control? Children’s workhouses? Did you write this, Olivia?”

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