Page 43 of The Duke and the Hellion Bride

He glared at her as he did so and she held that glare, letting him know she was not going to back down. Not with this.

Again, she moved onto the two girls. Their questions were geography based, and both answered correctly. That brought her to Magnus, once more.

“Magnus...” She clicked her tongue and tapped her chin. “What is your earliest memory?”

Magnus’ glare was fury. Jaw clenched, leg shaking, Diana was quite sure it was only the presence of his daughters that kept his temper in check. “I am not sure.”

“You are not sure?’ Diana pretended to act confused. “Come now, surely you have an answer.”

“I do not,” he said stiffly.

She shook her head and went back to the girls. Again, they both answered their questions correctly. Only three in and Josephine was already nearing the edges of the grassy patch, having taken larger steps than her sister could.

“Husband.” Diana was back on her husband. She met his steeled gaze, her stomach fluttering because that stare didn’t so much as frighten her as it did excite her. She knew she was walking on thin ice, but she also knew she had little choice but to do so. “What is the last thing you remember saying to your mother?”

His eyes lit up and he very nearly turned and walked away. He did not, again because his two nieces were watching him. She could see him sweating visibly, still glaring at her, temper rising...

“Uncle!” Josephine cried. “Answer her!”

He took a breath, jaw still clenched as he spoke. “I told her...” Another deep breath. “I told her that... that... that I wanted to play outside. She would not let me.”

It was such a simple answer, but it struck Diana in a way she had not expected. His mother had died when he was a boy, clearly. Her death must have also been sudden. And from the pained looked in Magnus’ eyes, the memory of her still stung.

Suddenly, this little idea of Diana’s didn’t seem nearly so clever.

“Diana!” Josephine cried. “My turn!”

“Wh -- oh. Yes. Sorry.” She tried for an apologetic look at Magnus, but there was none returned, such was his annoyance. Quickly, she asked the two girls a new question, one to do with history. Josephine got her question right and the moment that she did, she stepped behind a tree and was off. Adeline was correct also, but she was still one step away from cover.

“Uncle’s turn!” Adeline said excitedly, wishing to get to her own turn so she could hide. “Look how far back he is!” she giggled.

Diana hesitated, not sure at all what to ask now. Not wanting to push too hard. Not wanting to upset the duke. Learning more about him was all well and good but in her eagerness to do so, she had not consideredwhyhe was so closed off. One question answered and she was beginning to understand that reason.

“Ah... what is your favorite fruit?” she asked him lamely.

“Apples,” he said stiffly and took a step forward. This one brought him closer to her, less than a foot away. She felt the sudden need to step back and create some distance, but his eyes locked onto her own and she could not break free.

“Adeline... who is the King?”

“George!” she cried out and then darted behind the nearest hedges, giggling hysterically, the sound fading as she rushed through the garden and found someplace better to hide.

The moment she was gone, Magnus turned and stormed away.

“Magnus!” Diana cried out and ran after him. “Wait! I’m sorry --”

“Are you?” he spun back around, still furious. Diana came to a grinding halt, as if the wrath that spewed from him created an invisible wall. “Or are you just worried that your little game didn’t go quite as planned?”

“I...” The words caught in her throat. “I... I did not think about... I did not realize that... that... I just wanted to learn more about you. That is all.”

“I am aware of what you were trying to do, Diana,” he snarled. “I am not an idiot. But did you stop to think that maybe there is a reason I do not like talking about it? Did that even occur to you?”

She winced. “No... I did not consider that.”

He shook his head. “And to make things worse, you used the girls against me. You knew with them present, I would have no choice but to answer. It was a dirty trick.”

That stung as if he had driven a knife through her chest. She leaned back, turning away from shame and embarrassment. “I was only trying to get to know you better. That is all I want.”

“Why? Why is it so important that you ask me these questions?”

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