Page 48 of Her Infuriating Duke

He whirled around to face her, an intense look on his face. “Because, Felicity, this is important.”

She shrugged.

“I mean it. Promise me you won’t say anything suggesting she should expect any kind of courtship or proposal from me.”

“Do you really think I would do something like that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“That’s rather insulting.”

“Only if it isn’t true.”

“But it isn’t. I would never do something like that to you.”

Christopher leveled her with a look.

“I would never say something nearly as direct as what you claim!”

“No doubt you would try to be discrete, but you lack even the most basic forms of subtlety.”

She pouted. “Must you always be so cruel to me?”

“Only when you deserve it.”

“Then why does it happen so often?”

“Because you frequently deserve it.”

“I wonder what Amber would think if she knew that?”

“So the two of you have been spending a lot of time together?”

“Oh yes. She has been helping me improve my embroidery.”

“Has she?” he snorted. “Poor girl must have her work cut out for her.”

“She said it isn’t that bad and all I need to do is learn to be more patient.”

“So you can never expect to improve then. Good to know.”

She pouted again, but Christopher’s focus was pulled away when he heard the man beside Amber let out an obnoxious laugh.

His eyes darted over to them, and Felicity grinned.

“There’s nothing there, is there?”

“I thought you agreed to drop it?”

“You did ask me to, but I had yet to agree.”

He glared, but she just laughed.

Meanwhile, Amber was in misery. She wanted nothing more than to tell Thomas to leave her alone.

But, of course, she was a proper lady. Even if Simon wasn’t forcing her to entertain his advances, she wouldn’t be allowed to be that blunt.

So all she could do was sit there and listen as he went on and on.

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