Page 39 of His Duchess' Wicked List

She shook her head. “No. Everyone is abed, even the servants.”

“That is not surprising,” he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “They worked themselves to the bone all day and this evening for the ball. They should sleep like they are in their graves.”

Maddie gazed around. This was the first time she had seen his study at Stansgate. It was comfortably furnished, in the traditional way, with a large mahogany desk and bookshelves lining the walls. Two upholstered chairs sat by the fireplace. Over the mantelpiece hung an oil portrait of a severe-looking man with silver-threaded black hair and hard grey eyes.

Maddie felt a shock. She knew it was a portrait of the late Duke of Everly. There was a similar one hanging in the parlor at the Huxleys’ London residence. But it struck her forcibly now how much the late Duke looked like his son. The resemblance was quite striking.

“What are you looking at?” the Duke asked tersely, following her gaze.

“The portrait,” Maddie murmured, walking towards the fireplace to examine the painting more closely. “You look like your father. The resemblance is remarkable.”

He scoffed, picking up a glass of brandy. “I prefer not to be reminded of that fact.”

Maddie glanced at him curiously. “You did not like your father?”

He gazed at her steadily, sipping his drink. “I forget how young you are,” he said, his lip curling. “Do you knowanythingabout what happened five years ago?”

Maddie shook her head. “I know there was a scandal. I know that Selina does not like to talk about it. But as for the details…”

He walked up to her, leaning so close that the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “That is good,” he drawled, tucking a stray curl behind her ear in an absent-minded way. “That is the way it should stay. For I do not like to talk about it either, My Lady.”

“Maddie,” she whispered, her heart pounding. “My name is Maddie. I have told you to call me by my name before. Why do you insist on being so formal? Is it to keep me at a distance, so I am not even a person in your eyes?”

He didn’t like that. He took a step back, regarding her coolly. There was a strained silence.

“Iama person,” she continued, trying to ignore the tremble in her voice. “I am not a pawn in this game you insist on playing with me. And I demand that you return my list to me. As a man of honor.”

He gave a bark of laughter. “I am not an honorable man. Haven’t you worked that out yet?” He shook his head incredulously. “But I am on fire for you.Thatis real. And we agreed to the conditions on the return of your list. I will not give it to you until they are all satisfied.”

They were facing each other, both breathing heavily. Abruptly, Maddie turned away, staring into the fire, without seeing anything. This was hopeless. She was going to have to resort to snooping in here, and in his chambers, to steal her list back.

It isn’t theft if the item belongs to you, after all.

“I no longer agree to the conditions,” she said stiffly, turning back to him. “So I will bid you a good night.”

She went to brush past him, but he placed a firm hand on her arm. She gazed down at it suspiciously.

“You have not yet heard what I propose that we cross off the list tonight,” he whispered. “It is the first item. That is all.”

Maddie stared at him. The first item on the list was the most benign—Learn How to Play Chess. She didn’t even know whyshe had written it down. She supposed she had been warming up to the more scandalous items.

“Learn chess?” Her voice was full of doubt. “That is all?”

He nodded. “I swear.”

She hesitated. She knew she couldn’t trust him. However, if he just taught her chess, then there was no real harm. And it would cross off another item and give her a chance to strategize as to how to steal the list back before anything else on it could be enacted. Maybe she could even distract him and steal it out of his jacket pocket when he wasn’t looking.

She took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose that couldn’t hurt.” She smiled sweetly at him. “And Ihavealways wished to learn how to play chess. My papa didn’t think Augusta and I would need it, so he never bothered to teach us.”

“It is the game of kings,” the Duke said in an amused voice. “A game of strategy. It isn’t easy.”

“I am up for the challenge,” she declared, raising her chin imperiously. She sat down in one of the upholstered armchairs. “Set up the board.”

He laughed. “Yes, Madam.” He walked to a bookshelf and retrieved a board. “I am at your service. Always.”

He sat down opposite her, placing the board on the small table between them, taking out the pieces and lining them up.

“How pretty they are,” she commented, staring at the pieces. “They are beautifully carved.”

---