Page 20 of My Dangerous Duke

“No doubt taking care of something very important, my dear,” the Dowager Duchess answered, announcing her presence.

Eleanor paled as she looked toward Xander’s grandmother, fearing what she might have heard, but relaxed when she saw that the doors to the room had only just opened. Collecting herself, Eleanor and her friends rose to their feet to curtsey. As she rose, she noticed that the Dowager Duchess was looking more at the room than them.

“What has happened in here?” Margaret asked, her brow furrowing as she seemed to study every inch of space.

Eleanor felt worried as her friends all looked at her timidly.

“Well…” she began, nearly stuttering. It had been a week since she had seen Xander’s grandmother and her curt tone caught her off guard. “I have been left to my own whims this week,” Eleanor explained, “so I thought I would rearrange some things. A little here and there to brighten up the space.”

“Hmm.” The Dowager hummed, “My grandson is very particular about his things, child. I am not sure he will be too happy with this new… ‘lighter’ look of things.”

“Well then, he can certainly come to speak to me about it,” Eleanor replied, gathering her courage, “But this is my home now, too, not just his. We shall have to find a compromise.”

The Dowager’s eyes snapped back at Eleanor as she still wore a rigid frown. Then, the old woman smirked, grinned, and then laughed rather loudly.

“Oh, I knew it,” the Dowager laughed. “I just knew you would do very well here.”

Surprised, Eleanor stood still and met her friends’ questioning glances as Margaret came to hug her tightly. They all looked back at her, shocked at first, then all of them began to giggle. It was clear now that Eleanor had just passed some sort of test, and the Dowager was quite happy about it.

“Would you join us for some tea?” Eleanor asked, happy that the Dowager had arrived.

Just as the woman was saying yes, the double doors to the sitting room suddenly flew open. It startled them all, but when Eleanor saw her husband’s silver gaze coming straight toward her, she felt anger instead of fear. She straightened her shoulders, raised her chin, and walked up to him with the same purposeful stride.

“What have you done?” He barked, coming so close she could have brushed her nose against his chest. “What is the meaning of all this?”

“Since I was left alone by my husband? Whatever I wanted. I am the lady of this house byyourdecree,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Her honey eyes remained locked on his glaring molten stare, not giving him an ounce of intimidation. However… as they stood this close, she could see the handsome lines on his face; smell his masculine scent, she felt something…else.

A sound, something more beast than man, left Xander’s chest.

“I can see you have had the time of it,” he scoffed, stepping back to wave his hand toward the colorful flower-patterned tapestries. “Where are the pieces from before?”

“In the armory,” she replied coolly, crossing her arms.

Xander’s eyes flew to the motion and he glowered as if taking the stance as a hostile move. He moved close again, this time, putting his hands on her arms and sending a shock through both of them so intense they both silently gasped.

“Uncross them,” he commanded after seemingly struggling to find his voice. He brought his burning gaze slowly up to hers once more and suddenly Eleanor felt a rush of warmth spread over her inner thighs.

“Alexander James Harrison, you stop this ungentlemanly display this instant!” The Dowager Duchess ordered, her voice full of venom.

Against her will, Eleanor’s cheeks filled with flames as Xander kept her gaze and let her go. She felt her body tremble as she was released, her knees suddenly weak and her breath unsteady. Eventually, Xander dragged his eyes from hers and took a few more steps back before turning his full attention to his grandmother.

“Eleanor,” the Dowager sighed, turning an apologetic look toward her granddaughter-in-law. “Would you and your friends please give us some privacy? The west tulip gardens are particularly lovely this time of day. Perhaps a walk in the air would be the just the thing.”

Eleanor nodded as she felt her three friends gather around her. Her body was still reacting to Xander’s small touch, and it was it was taking an annoyingly long time to refocus. Withwhispered farewells, the four of them quickly left Xander and his grandmother to talk.

“What did you do with him?” His grandmother demanded as soon as Eleanor and her friends had left.

“Him who?” Xander asked bitterly, walking off to the drink cart.

“Do not be coy with me, boy,” Margaret scolded, hobbling right behind him. “Your bride might not know why you have been gone but I do. Richard is not here. I checked in every house we own and he is nowhere to be found. What have you done with him?”

“Richard,” Xander stated in a hard tone as he poured some whiskey, “Is now a proud member of His Majesty’s Navy. I had to take a few days to make sure he could not run away before his first deployment. Then I had some other matters to attend to.”

“You didwhat?”His grandmother hissed, coming at him with her cane.

Xander caught it before it could land on the bruise he still sported from Rhys’s cheap shot, and gently put the tip of the cane back to the ground. He did not want to hurt his grandmother, but he was not going to put up with her antics either.

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