Page 14 of His Duchess' Wicked List

Maddie stared hard at her mother. It was a bare-faced lie, and her mother knew it. Augusta knew a smattering of French and not much more German. Languages hadneverbeen her sister’s forte at all. But then, it wasn’t as if learning foreign languages had been pushed upon either of the Ollerton daughters. They had received a traditional lady’s education, which wasn’t much at all.

It wasn’t a lie that Augusta was well-read. She devoured books as if they were her lifeblood. But Maddie wasn’t certain that theDuke would appreciate her sister’s choice of topics. She couldn’t imagine that he had ever read Mary Wollstonecraft’s radical treatise,A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,which was practically Augusta’s bible.

On the other hand, being a rake himself, he might just be familiar with his fellow rake Byron’s poetry tomes, which Augusta had read from front to back cover many times over.

Suddenly, the tinkling sounds of the pianoforte filled the air. It was Beethoven’sMoonlight Sonata, one of Augusta’s favorite pieces. Maddie glanced over at the pianoforte. Augusta may have been forced to perform by their mother, but she was clearly engrossed in her playing now, looking as if she were a thousand miles away, in a deep trance.

As always, when Augusta played, an air of slight melancholy enveloped her, even when she was playing the jauntiest of tunes. It always made Maddie a bit sad to watch her.

“How perfectly lovely,” the Dowager Duchess praised. “I am so very fond of Beethoven! What do you think, Daniel? Are you as mesmerized by this sublime talent as I am?”

“The lady is gifted, indeed,” the Duke agreed smoothly. He turned to Maddie, gazing at her intently. “And what about you, Lady Madeline? Are you as proficient on the pianoforte?”

“I play a little, Your Grace,” Maddie replied, her heart skipping a beat. “But alas, I am not as dedicated in my practice as my sister.”

Lady Ollerton rolled her eyes. “No, indeed, you are not, Madeline!” She looked at the Duke. “Why, only yesterday, she was rebuked by her pianoforte tutor for inattention, Your Grace. Unfortunately, my youngest daughter’s mind is often away with the fairies.”

“Perhaps the lady’s mind is simply preoccupied with other matters,” the Duke said, a wicked smile on his lips. “We all have talents in different directions, after all, Lady Ollerton.”

Maddie blushed fiercely. He hadn’t said anything improper at all—it was just the way he had said it. She just knew he was referring to her scandalous list. Not that anyone else would be aware of that fact. But still, she couldn’t help wriggling with discomfort. And she was very conscious that he was still watching her and was aware of her embarrassment as well.

Maddie squirmed. Oh, how long must she endure this? When were they going to leave?

“Perhaps you might like to turn the pages as Lady Augusta plays, Daniel,” the Dowager Duchess suggested a bit imperiously. “I am certain it would be a help for her.”

The Duke looked uncomfortable. “I am equally certain the lady is quite capable of doing so herself. I do not wish to distract her from her performance.” He gave his mother a sharp look, almost a rebuke.

It was all starting to make sense to Maddie now. Somehow, the two older ladies were conspiring to force Augusta and the Duketo become better acquainted. Her mama had warned Augusta that she was about to take matters into her own hands and find her a suitable husband. And what better husband than a duke? Even one with the shadow of scandal in his past.

A duke was one of the highest ranks in the land, after all, just below royalty. And the Dowager Duchess was clearly supporting the match, for her own reasons. Perhaps the lady was as eager to marry her son off as Lady Ollerton was to marry her oldest daughter off.

An odd feeling gripped Maddie’s heart. She didn’t like it, not one little bit. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much. She should be grateful—it might mean that the Duke would turn his interest to Augusta and leave her alone.

As long as she retrieved her list safely, why should she care?

But shedidcare. Evidently, she cared very much, indeed.

Suddenly, she couldn’t bear to be in the room for a second longer. She could barely breathe. She stood up abruptly. “I need some air,” she declared. “I am going to take a walk in the gardens.”

Selina stood up like a shot. “What a glorious idea! I will accompany you, dearest.”

Maddie breathed a sigh of gratitude, linking arms with her best friend, and exiting the room. She could feel the Duke’s eyesboring a hole into her back, but she didn’t turn around. Not once.

Somehow, she felt like she trulywasmaking a great escape.

CHAPTER 7

“Thank the Lord for your quick thinking, Maddie,” Selina declared, squinting up at the sky. “I do not know how much more I could have endured in there.” She sighed heavily. “Was it my imagination, or are our mothers trying to match my brother with your sister?”

Maddie’s heart dropped into her shoes. So, she hadn’t imagined it either. “I think you are correct,” she said slowly. “Although how they have conspired so quickly, I cannot imagine!” She hesitated. “I did not even know that your brother had returned from abroad, Selina. You never told me.”

Selina sighed heavily again. “He has only been back a week. I suppose I simply forgot to mention it.” She bit her lip. “Daniel is an enigma. I am still getting to know him again—it has been so long since I last saw him. I was merely a child, back then. Five years is a long time.”

“Why has he returned now?” Maddie asked, her heart clenching a little.

“Mama forced him.” Selina rolled her eyes. “He has been gallivanting around the Continent for years, you see, avoiding his duties. Our cousin Christopher stepped into his shoes during his absence, but it has dragged on long enough. Mama wants to marry him off, and quickly. She is desperate to see him settle down and produce a longed-for heir to the duchy.”

“And is your brother in agreement?” Maddie held her breath. “Is he eager to find his Duchess?”

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