Page 31 of His Duchess' Wicked List

Daniel paused, reaching out to rumple her hair affectionately, dislodging one of her jeweled hair combs in the process. She ducked, laughing.

“You know, it is good spending time with you again, Selina,” he said, feeling another wave of affection. “You have grown into a charming, beautiful young lady. It makes my heart glad to see it.”

Selina looked surprised, then gratified. “It is good spending time with you again as well, Brother. It has been too long.”

They gazed at each other, a bit awkwardly. Daniel ruffled her hair again. Then, they headed out of the study, going in different directions.

Daniel felt suddenly alert and almost thrilled. The evening had progressed in an unexpected way. And if he managed to stumble upon Maddie alone during the search for the missing puppy… well, it might end up much, much better than he had ever anticipated.

Maddie held the flaming torch higher as she scoured the banks of the lake, searching for Lady Darnley’s missing puppy. It was cold and very dark. She shivered. She hoped and prayed the poor poodle would be found cowering beneath a bush or something, safe and well.

She looked into the distance. Another flaming torch was bobbing in the darkness, getting closer by the minute. She knew it was probably Lord Christopher, as they had headed out together. He was probably checking on her to see whether she was all right. But suddenly, Maddie didn’t want to be near him at all. She just wanted to keep searching by herself.

Quickly, she headed off, away from the other torch. It was oddly exhilarating being out here in the darkness alone. It made her feel as if she reallywasan adventuress, exploring the world. As if she might be in the Americas, or India, or even far-flung New Holland, on the other side of the world.

Suddenly, she heard the Duke’s mocking voice in her head.

You want to be an adventuress, My Lady, remember?

Maddie gritted her teeth. She would show him. She would find the missing puppy and be a heroine. She would be lauded with praise, while he slept away oblivious to it all. He wasn’t even out searching for the pup, as he had retired early, missing all the drama.

Stop thinking about him.Forget him, as he will surely forget you. You are just a pawn in his game. Nothing more.

She realized she was close to the quarters where she had met him that day. Her heart flipped over in her chest. His secret lair, where he brought his conquests, just like he did when he was staying at his London house.

He probably does have a harem somewhere.

It probably wasn’t a lie at all. He was a rake, through and through.

Still, she couldn’t resist going to the lair, feeling as if she were being pulled by a string towards it. It was shrouded in darkness. And when she turned the doorknob, finding it unlocked, she couldn’t resist slipping inside.

Her heart was beating hard as she raised the torch, staring around. There was a candlestick in the corner. Quickly, she lit it, before returning outside, placing the torch in the sconce—a mounted bracket—at the front of the quarters.

Back inside, she raised the candlestick, walking slowly around. She didn’t know what she was looking for, only that the same impulse that had made her walk around his chambers in the main house today had possessed her once again. Perhaps she was searching for a clue to understand him.

She shivered. It was dark and cold. The fire wasn’t even lit. Abruptly, she felt a tingle of fear. She was all alone here in the dark. No one knew where she was. What if this place was haunted by ghosts?

You will have to do better than this if you ever become a true adventuress.An adventuress would never get scared in a dark house. She would think it a challenge.

There was a sharp, sudden movement behind her. She started, her heart pounding, and she whipped around. She felt an icy breeze. The wick of the candle flared dangerously, before dimming, threatening to burn out. Maddie almost dropped the candlestick, gripping it just in time.

Oh, dear Lord.There really is a ghost in this place!

She started stumbling towards the door, ready to flee, her heart pounding harder. But just at that moment, the door flew open. Her jaw dropped. In the dim candlelight, she could just make out the figure and face of the Duke of Everly.

“What… what are you doing?” she stammered.

“I could ask you the same thing, My Lady,” he said dryly. “What areyoudoing here?”

Maddie raised the candlestick higher. “I was searching for the lost puppy,” she replied, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. “And then, I stumbled here, and thought I might take a look around.”

He laughed softly. “I see. So, the lure of my lair proved too strong to resist?”

Maddie flushed. “It wasn’t like that! Oh, you are impossible!” She hesitated, then the words came tumbling out of her mouth. “I was just curious… but then, I thought I heard a ghost… It scared me witless!”

He laughed again, taking a step closer to her. “I have never encountered a ghost here,” he said, his mouth twitching in amusement. “But that is not to say that there isn’t one. Perhaps it waits for unaccompanied ladies to haunt them. Perhaps it likes a particular lady as much as I do.”

Maddie’s mouth went dry. He was playing with her again. How did he even know she was here? Was it coincidence, or had he sought her out?

---