Page 15 of His Duchess' Wicked List

Selina gave a bark of laughter. “Oh, no! Not at all! He does noteverwant to marry. Mama is going to have a hard time convincing him on the matter. But she is determined. They are like two old rams butting horns.”

Maddie’s heart flipped over. She didn’t know why she cared one way or the other what the devilish Duke’s views on matrimony were. She bit her lip, trying to drop the subject. But it seemed she couldn’t resist going back to it—much like pressing a sore thumb.

“I recall you telling me that he was quite a rake,” she said, her heart hammering. “Is that the reason he disdains matrimony?”

“Daniel is still a rake.” Selina shook her head. “A leopard does not change its spots that quickly!” She hesitated. “He has his own reasons as to why he does not wish to marry. It is all tied up with our late father…” She stopped abruptly, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I am sorry.” Maddie quickly squeezed her friend’s arm. “You do not need to speak of it if it makes you uncomfortable, dearest.”

Selina nodded, looking grateful.

The subject was dropped, but Maddie was still burning with curiosity. She wanted to question her best friend further about her rakish brother and his reasons for disdaining matrimony. But she couldn’t. Selina had clammed up, and she simply couldn’t press her any further on the matter.

“So,” Selina asked, her voice dropping to a whisper, even though there was nobody around to hear them, “have you given any more thought as to how we are going to make sure you tick all the items off your scandalous list?”

Maddie stiffened. She had wanted to talk to Selina so badly about the list. It was what had spurred her to visit Everly House last night, after all. And she had thought that she wanted to confide in her best friend about what had happened in that study last evening… but something was holding her back.

I cannot do it.It has become so very complicated. The gentleman blackmailing me is her brother, after all. I simply do not know how Selina will react.

“I… I think that we should forget about the list,” she said, a little breathlessly. “It was a foolish thing to do. A dangerous thing. I do not know what I was thinking at all!”

Selina’s face dropped with disappointment. “Truly? But it was going to be such delicious fun!” She pouted. “How are we going to spend the boring Season now? Oh, say you will reconsider, dearest!”

“I will think about it.” Maddie bit her lip. “That is all I can promise you, Selina.”

They had reached the gazebo. They both sat down in it, side by side. Maddie could tell that her best friend was a bit frustrated with her, and she didn’t blame her. They had both been so wildly excited about the list only the day before. But so much had changed since then that it might have been a year that had passed, instead of a mere day.

“Why did you call last evening,” Selina asked suddenly, “and then rushed off like that, without even talking to me? It was odd.”

“Oh, it was just a whim,” Maddie replied, trying to keep her voice neutral. “I do not know what I was thinking!” She glanced at Selina, who was looking unconvinced. “I thought I would find you in the study, and then I discovered your brother, and time slipped away… I had to rush home, as Mama would have gotten worried about me.”

Selina raised her eyebrows. “Daniel told me that you barely exchanged two words.”

“He is correct,” Maddie confirmed, feeling a bit desperate. “By the time we had introduced ourselves, you had arrived.”

There was an awkward silence. Maddie knew that she was talking lamely and that she wasn’t convincing her friend at all. But she just couldn’t tell her the truth of the matter. Not yet, at any rate. And perhaps it wouldn’t ever be necessary. Hopefully, Selina’s brother would reconsider his dastardly plan and just give her back the list and be done with it. Selina would never be the wiser.

“There you are!” a deep voice said, filled with amusement. “You have led me up the garden path, trying to find you both, well and truly.”

They both jumped, swiveling their heads around.

The Duke was standing there, watching them, his grey eyes narrowed. Maddie felt a jolt of lightning course through her, and her heart started to beat erratically again. He had sought them and found them. She felt rather like a mouse being cornered by a large cat.

“Brother,” Selina uttered, looking surprised.

“Sister.” He grinned at them. “Lady Madeline.” His eyes bored into Maddie’s. “I was hoping to see the gardens while I am here. Would you both mind squiring me around?”

“Are you not needed in the drawing room, Your Grace?” Maddie asked, an edge to her voice.

She knew she probably sounded rude, but she didn’t care. It was imperative that she avoid him as much as possible, and besides that, it would be terribly awkward strolling with him around the gardens, after what had happened between them last night, with Selina by their side.

A flash of memory assailed her. His eyes, locked with her own as he bent down to kiss her hand. The sensations that had coursed through her body at the contact. Sensations that she had never felt before. Sensations that were clearly sinful and dangerous, especially as they had been evoked by him…

She realized that her entire body felt heavy in some way. And that her nipples had hardened, feeling like two small pebbles pressing against the bodice of her gown. To her horror, his gaze dropped to that area of her body, lingering. Her stomach tightened with arousal, as well as fear.

“Oh, I think they can do without me for a few moments,” he replied, his eyes still lingering on her bodice, in an almost insolent way. “Your sister seems preoccupied with the pianoforte. And it will give the two older ladies a chance to gossip.” He gave an impish smile.

Selina sighed, then jumped up. “Come along, then!”

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