Page 25 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“It was tolerable, Your Grace,” Lady Ollerton replied, sighing heavily. “A trifle bumpy, but here we are, in one piece.” She gazed around the foyer, blinking owlishly. “Your home is spectacular. We aresohonored to be here.”

Maddie’s heart did a cartwheel. Two gentlemen were striding into the foyer. One was Selina’s older cousin, Lord Christopher Huxley, whom she had only met on one occasion, shortly after becoming friends with Selina. And the other gentleman was the Duke of Everly himself.

Maddie could barely breathe. It had been four days since she had last laid eyes on him, when he had sent her off in his carriage, after playing with her in his private garden pad. She had hoped that the irresistible attraction she felt towards him might have dimmed in that time.

It seemed she may as well have wished for the moon to crash down on Earth. For the attractionhadn’tdimmed during the time they had spent apart. If anything, it felt stronger than ever. God help her.

Their eyes locked. Maddie felt a tingle all the way down her spine.

As the others talked, the Duke managed to sidle up to her, standing by her side in a seemingly perfectly correct manner. The Dowager Duchess and Lady Ollerton were walking away,talking animatedly, with Augusta trailing behind them, looking painfully bored already.

“It has been a while since we last saw each other, My Lady,” the Duke whispered. “I confess that while I have been pining for you, it seems I had forgotten how beautiful you actually are.”

Maddie’s cheeks turned pink. “You are a shameless flirt, Your Grace. But you must stop, for I am immune to it.”

“You lie,” he whispered, his eyes flickering towards her. “You know that you do.”

Her color deepened. But before she could respond, Lord Christopher and Selina approached them.

“You remember my cousin, do you not, Maddie?” Selina asked, smiling widely. “Christopher, this is my very best friend in the world, Lady Madeline Cole.”

Christopher bowed slightly. “I remember Lady Madeline, Selina. We were introduced at your last birthday party.” His eyes lingered on Maddie. “Do you like croquet, My Lady?”

“I do, Lord Christopher,” Maddie replied, feeling enormously relieved by the interruption. She tried not to look at the Duke.

Christopher smiled at her. “Well, you are very lucky, then, as a game has just started in the gardens.” He held out his arm to her. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me there?”

“Certainly, My Lord,” Maddie murmured, taking his arm.

She was highly conscious that Selina and her brother were just behind them, following them out to the gardens. Firmly, she tried to suppress her feelings. But her heart was still racing from her brief encounter with the Duke, and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that ignoring him entirely was going to be far harder than she had even anticipated.

And this was only the beginning of the party. She had days to endure.

How on earth was she going to manage it?

Daniel took a glass of champagne from a passing footman, trying not to make it obvious that he couldn’t stop looking at Maddie. But it was hard. Very hard.

She was looking particularly lovely today in a salmon pink muslin dress with cream lace embellishment on the bodice and short sleeves. But it wasn’t the gown. Lady Madeline Cole could be wearing a potato sack, and he would still think her the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

He took a long sip of champagne. He had spoken the utter truth to her—hehadforgotten how beautiful she was in the few short days since he had last seen her. It was as if the force of her beauty hit him anew, square in the face.

A game of croquet was underway, just as Christopher said. The Coles were the last of the guests to arrive. At least a dozen or more people were milling around the gardens, some of them playing croquet, some chatting, sipping champagne, or nibbling on the mille-feuilles that his mother had specially ordered for the garden party.

Daniel watched the game. Maddie was playing alongside her sister. She hit the ball with her croquet stick, managing to send it cleanly through the hoop. She laughed at her victory, her honey-brown eyes sparkling with joy, her cheeks flushed. Daniel felt an arrow of desire shoot straight through him, making him tingle all over.

“Well done, Lady Madeline!” Christopher called, clapping. “You are quite the skilled croquet player.” He raised a glass of champagne in the air towards her. “A short break to crow over your triumph, perhaps?”

Maddie laughed again, handing her mallet to her sister, then made her way to Christopher. Daniel edged closer to them. His cousin was paying a lot of attention to Maddie, and he had noticed him staring at her in a speculative manner.

Hound’s teeth.Is Chris interested in her?

He watched as his cousin handed Maddie a glass of champagne, raising his own and clinking it against hers. She took a long sip, gazing around the grounds. Daniel edged a little closer so he could hear their conversation.

“It is quite delightful here,” she said, smiling. “The gardens are magnificent.”

Christopher laughed. “Indeed they are, My Lady. That is thanks to an enormous army of gardeners. I would wager that Stansgate employs more servants than even St. James’s Palace.”

Maddie laughed, raising her eyebrows. “Surely you exaggerate, My Lord?”

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