Page 30 of Her Wolf of a Duke

“I should. I simply do not know how.”

“The way you have just told me would work quite well. They are intelligent ladies, they will understand.”

She seemed to have some confidence instilled in her once more at that. Whether she believed him or not, he was uncertain, but she trusted him enough to be vulnerable and so he hoped his words had sparked some hope for her.

They reached the fountain, and Miss Kendall made a sound of understanding before taking the next clue and handing it to him.

“For years I have stood and for years I will last. I turn bare and then green as the seasons pass.”

“The tree!” Miss Kendall said triumphantly. “There is the large oak tree nearby. That has to be it.”

Her moment of vulnerability had passed, and Levi was almost grateful for that. He liked that she was willing to speak her mind, but he preferred to see her happy. Her hair, which had been pinned, had started to come undone from her spirited movements, and she did not care to fix them. He also, he noted, preferred her that way.

She was always so perfect, so uptight, that the sight of her acting so playfully made him think of her in a completely different manner. She was beautiful, and no amount of forcing himself not to think as such could change that.

They reached the tree, and the final clue was tied to a branch that was rather high. It would be an easy climb, if one knew what they were doing, but before he could discuss a plan with her she had already begun her ascent.

“Miss Kendall,” he said, trying to hide his concern, “do you think this is the best idea?”

“I have hands and feet, do I not? I am more than capable of this, thank you.”

Granted, she seemed to do it with ease, but then as she reached out for the clue they realized it was just out of her reach. She stretched out as far as she could without letting go of the trunk, but it lay a fingertip distance out of her grasp. With one last try, she leaned out even further and at last closed her hand around it.

And then fell.

Instinctively, Levi ran beneath her, and she tumbled into his arms. He staggered as he caught her, though she was feather-light she was in his arms. She had her eyes closed, as if preparing for the impact, and they flew wide as she realized that she was safe.

Her face was dangerously close to his, and his body screamed at him to close the distance altogether in spite of the fact that he had never done such a thing before. He had to remain frozen to fight the urge, and given that she also had not moved he wondered if she somehow felt the same.

They remained still for a moment, her eyes locked on his. He waited for a sign, something,anything, that told him what she was thinking.

She cleared her throat, looking at the ground.

“You may put me down now.”

He obliged, and she unfolded the clue she had retrieved without saying it aloud.

“The ballroom,” she said bluntly. “Let us go.”

CHAPTER 10

You are such a fool,Emma scolded herself,the greatest fool to ever live, even.

She hadn’t thought of the risks as she climbed the tree, only that she might redeem herself after being unable to reach the one in the orangery. Her judgment was also clouded, she considered, because she had only just told the Duke something that she had been concerned about without hesitation. She couldn’t trust him.

And yet she wanted to, and when he caught her and held her in his arms she felt safe for the first time in her life. He had set her ablaze, and it was very dangerous indeed. Then again, he did not take liberties with her the way she had expected, and as soon as she asked him to put her down he did so, leaving for the ballroom with her in a most honorable fashion.

Which was, she decided, the real reason why she was such a fool.

“Congratulations!” the Duke of Pridefield announced as they entered. “You are the first to finish. It appears that you make an excellent team.”

“Is there a prize?” Levi asked.

“Indeed. I had this locket made for the winner. I thought if two gentlemen won, one could give it to a lady as a gift. Fortunately, Miss Kendall may have it for herself.”

“Oh!” she gasped. “Thank you. It is lovely.”

It was a delicate gold chain with a perfectly sized locket on it. It was large enough to fit a small miniature in, or a dried petal as Dorothy preferred to do. Despite its dainty size, the craftsmanship must have cost a fortune, and it led her to wonder just how wealthy dukes were.

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