Page 24 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“Are you on edge about the house party, which starts tomorrow?” Christopher asked. “The horde that shall soon descend upon the house?”

Daniel glanced at his cousin. He couldn’t tell Chris what was really bothering him. For starters, Selina was in the room, and he couldn’t speak of his unconsummated lust foranylady, never mind her best friend.

But even if Selina wasn’t here, he probably wouldn’t mention it, anyway. Chris would probably be highly uncomfortable with the topic. His cousin wasn’t a ladies’ man. Daniel didn’t know if he had ever experienced high lust in his life. Christopher never talked about such things, anyway. He was a cold fish in that way.

“Yes, that is it, exactly,” Daniel replied dryly. “You have hit the nail on the head, Cousin.” He paused. “It would appear I have been away from the delights of the English ton for far too long.”

“Are you a trifle worried that the ladies will not flock around you like they used to?” Chris teased, grinning widely.

Daniel laughed shortly. “Hardly. Besides, I do not believe there are any ladies of particular interest attending.”

He tried to keep a straight face as he uttered the bald-faced lie. For, of course, there would beonelady of particular interest attending the house party. At least, he prayed that she was still going to attend.

She had rushed off the other night after the luscious kiss they had shared, fleeing into the night, claiming it was all a mistake. He was starting to get worried that she might make an excuse and stay behind in London.

“The ladies had better not flock around him,” Selina said, looking impish, as she threaded her embroidery needle. She turned to Christopher. “Did you not know, Cousin, that our mother is planning to marry him off to my best friend’s sister? I will not tolerate him embarrassing Maddie’s family like that at all.”

Christopher raised his eyebrows. “Really? You mean the formidable Lady Augusta, the bluestocking, who eats gentlemen for breakfast?”

Selina giggled. “You are awful, Chris! Lady Augusta may be a bluestocking, but she is also kind and clever. She just does not suffer fools—particularly when those fools are men—gladly.”

Daniel was silent, trying to digest what Selina had just said. He knew his sister’s instinct was probably correct. Their mother had fawned over Lady Augusta when they had called on the Coles, practically pushing him towards the lady in an embarrassingly obvious manner. And what was worse, Lady Ollerton, the lady’s mother, had been doing the same thing.

He had dismissed it from his mind, being so occupied with Maddie, but now, he contemplated it seriously. Lady Augusta was attending the house party, along with her sister.

It was going to be tedious, fending off his mother’s efforts to push him towards the lady. For while Lady Augusta was beautiful, in her own way, he didn’t think of her like that at all.

Madeline was the one he wanted. Madeline was the one who set his blood on fire. He couldn’t eventhinkabout any other woman at the moment, and certainly not her rather frightening sister.

Selina put down her embroidery patch, standing up. “Well, it is probably time to start getting dressed for dinner. Mama will be furious with me if I am not ready when the gong sounds.” She left the room.

“Is Selina right?” Christopher asked, sipping his brandy. “Is the Dowager Duchess set on the fearsome bluestocking as a potential bride for you?”

“How should I know?” Daniel huffed irritably. “You know my mother. She is determined to find me a bride, no matter how much I protest. But I shan’t let her push me. I am just as determined as she is.”

Christopher sighed heavily. “Why do you fight your destiny so much, Cousin? Why can’t you just marry someone, secure your heir, and be done with it? You can lead separate lives if you must. It happens all the time in the ton. Marriages of convenience are a dime a dozen. It would get your mother off your back, you know that.”

Daniel turned away, staring into the fire again. He couldn’t be bothered arguing with his cousin about it. When he turned back,he started. Chris was staring at him, an inscrutable look on his face that, if he didn’t know any better, could be construed as disdain. But then it was quickly gone. Perhaps his imagination was getting the better of him.

He turned his mind back to the distasteful subject of marriage. His mother wasn’t going to succeed, no matter how much she tried. He wasn’t going to be pushed into a marriage with Lady Augusta—or any other lady, for that matter.

But it was dawning on him now that his mother’s machinations might affect his chances with Maddie. He didn’t want her to think he was seriously pursuing her sister. That would not do at all.

How was he going to handle it?

CHAPTER 11

“Welcome to Stansgate,” the Dowager Duchess of Everly intoned, smiling imperiously.

Maddie glanced around anxiously as her family stepped into the large, ornate foyer of Stansgate Manor, the seat of the great Huxley family. She couldn’t even take in the splendor of the grand, sprawling manor. All she could think about was the Duke and whether he might suddenly spring from some corner.

But, to her relief, the only people in the foyer standing to greet them were the Dowager Duchess and Selina.

Maddie exhaled slowly. She was safe, for now. But she knew there was no possible way she could avoid him for the entirety of this house party.

I will just have to find a way.I cannot let him take advantage of this situation any longer. I simply must find a way to get the list back before this progresses any further.

“I trust you had a smooth journey from London, Lady Ollerton?” the Dowager Duchess asked.

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