Page 33 of My Dangerous Duke

“Well to start, yes. My parents have been pressuring me to host another soiree,” she replied, taking a seat, “Then there is the fact that all of our friends are here and how little time you have made for them.”

“You meanyour friends.”

She glared at him and Xander grunted, casting his eyes away from her.

“And, most importantly, because your cousin Richard is back home. He shall be most thankful that you have held a little welcome party for him.”

“He is going to know right away it was notmy idea,”Xander retorted.

“He will be thankful for your company all the same,” she chirped back cheerfully.

“And your parents?” He asked next.

Xander looked back over at her, but now it was Eleanor who was avoidinghisgaze.

“You have given my father the help he needs to gain access to White’s,” she replied matter-of-factly, grabbing the book on the nearby table with lightning speed and opening it.

“Oh, look, Shakespeare,” she noted, throwing him a quick smile. “I never knew you were a romantic, darling.”

“He can be quite bloody with his battles when he is not writing love sonnets,” Xander quipped defensively as he plucked the book out of her hands and snapped it shut, “And what do you mean I have gained him access to White’s? Certainly, I would remember pulling such strings.”

“Well,” Eleanor sighed, crossing her arms and staring down at the carpet as Xander hunkered down before her. “Perhaps you do not remember because it was your wife who actually wrote the missive to the club. It just happened to be on your letterhead. Either way, the effects of such cause remain the same.”

Xander suddenly rose to his feet, not sure whether to be mad, offended, or impressed.

“You did what?” He asked.Oh,he realized, feeling the first emotion take over. It was going to be anger. Eleanor shot to her feet quickly, glaring up at him.

“It was a solution to a problem,” she argued. “We do not want him here and the only reason he wants to be here is to get access to White’s. This way we only have to put up with him and my family through dinner. They already have plans to sleep somewhere else, Mother’s cousins’ house in Bath, I assured it. This gives us as limited time with them as possible while still fulfilling obligations.”

“You should have talked to me about it first,” he argued, still angry despite her logic. “My word, unlike your father’s, means something to this society and if I vouch for a man like him so willingly, it brings a lot into question!”

“It is done,” Eleanor stated with a shrug, clearly unruffled by his outburst. “You will thank me for it later.”

Unable to help it, Xander actually felt his jaw drop.

“You are insane,” he breathed.

“You mispronounced clever,” she tossed back sarcastically, walking away. “Come, our guests are arriving any moment.”

“Say it,” Eleanor purred, sending a dangerous carnal shiver down Xander’s spine. He looked down at her sideways, a smile threatening to break the frown on his lips.

“You were right,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“I beg your pardon?” Eleanor asked, her beautiful smile growing bigger. She looked radiant tonight in her mint green satin gown with her hair only half up. And if her actions that evening did not deserve praise, her beauty certainly did. Either way, he had to admit the truth.

“You were right,” he stated louder, feeling downright wrong for verbalizing such a confession. “About everything.”

Indeed, she had. Eleanor’s deviant plan of sending her father off to the club had worked like a charm, and her family had barely been able to make it through dessert before they were bidding everyone goodbye. As for the rest of the guest list, Eleanor had done extremely well. Keeping the soiree simple and classy, the list consisted of her parents, his grandmother, Richard, Rhys, and Penelope.

Even Richard, to his surprise, had been a joy to have home so far. The only annoying part of the evening was Penelope’s uninvited brother, Patrick, showing up. Not liking strangers in his home, Xander was put off by this immediately. Patrick also did not help himself when he kept putting his hands on Xander’s wife.

Not much. A hand to her elbow, at her back. But Xander was ready to break the man’s hand if he pushed his luck.

“That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me,” Eleanor sighed dramatically, making him give in and chuckle.

“That is enough gloating,” Xander tried to chastise. It only made them both laugh, though, and Xander felt warmth fill his chest as he looked down at his wife.

“Very well,” she agreed, waving her hands in surrender. “On a serious note, your grandmother has sent me to fetch you, gentlemen. She declares that you have been out here smoking cigars long enough and that it is time to play cards. Also, she shall be taking everyone’s money.”

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