Page 90 of The Insufferable Duke
He waited and folded his arms.
“May I speak freely?” she asked.
“I’m waiting for you to go on.”
“You deserve an apology.” She lowered her hands from her hips and fidgeted with the skirt of her fine gown. It was a distraction to him, and he had to force his eyes on her face and not her figure. His attraction to her only grew these days. “I am sorry for what I said yesterday and for just how quick I was to judge you and the rest of the Moores. I have no good excuse. It was wrong of me.”
“Hmm.” He forgave her at once. He could hardly blame her for it, bearing to mind her tears and how afraid she was for her sister, but there was something tempting about the idea of teasing her for a little while. “You were rather quick to accuse me.”
“There was an M signed on the letter. What else was I supposed to think?”
“You fell for a lie,” he reminded her.
“Well, it would not be the first one I fell for.” She sighed heavily. “As you pointed out before, I seem to be quite gullible at times and believe what I am told. Just as I believed what others said of your business practices and what the scandal sheets said of your rakish ways… Though maybe I should second think that as I now know what you are willing to get up to with ladies in gardens at night —”
“Oh! Shall I remind you that I was not the only one there in that kiss?” he asked and stepped toward her. She matched his movement and came nearer to him too. At once, there was tension in the air between them, something he found intoxicating.
“Well, perhaps I was easily persuaded. Maybe I’d had one too many glasses of champagne.”
“Or maybe something else influenced you that night,” he said with a smile and placed his hands on his own chest.
“Proud man. I’m here trying to apologize to you for being so foul to you yesterday, and you tease me!”
“Indeed, I do. It’s quite hard not to tease you.” His smile faltered, and he folded his arms across his chest. “That is your apology then?”
“I’m sorry,” she said again, speaking hurriedly now. “I was wrong to misjudge you and your whole family as I did. It’s just I…” She broke off and moved her hands to her hips again. “I was afraid for Julia.”
“I understand that, but to accuse me…” He gestured to his own chest once again. “It seems you do not trust me, Helena.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Isn’t it? Then pray, explain how you feel to me. Without a proper explanation,” he turned and stepped away, “I don’t quite know what to make of your apology.”
“Oh, good God! Goodness knows why I even like you at all.” She followed him across the room. He turned sharply back to her so suddenly that she stumbled, coming to that same halt.
“You like me, Helena?”
“I love you, you fool.” Her words shocked him so much, he stared at her, slack jawed. “God knows why. You’re insufferable, infuriating too. When I try to give you a serious apology, you tease me. You barely looked at me at all yesterday afternoon —”
“Well, a lot happened yesterday.”
“And I swear most conversations you and I have, we hardly see eye to eye. I do not understand why I love you, but I do.” She seemed to realize what she had said and took a step back, looking down at his chest rather than staring him in the eye. “I’m sorry.” She backed away further and rounded a chair.
She loves me. Oh Lord, she loves me!
“Where are you going?”
“Running away from you.” She waved a hand at him and reached toward the door. He ran after her, barely managing to cut her off in time.
“No, you don’t. You can’t run from me after making a declaration like that.”
“You think I can stay after saying what I just said? My heart is already hurting. Let me leave, please.” She reached past him again, but he took her waist and spun her around. She gasped in his hold, her hands reaching for his biceps, but she didn’t push him away. “You’re not accepting my apology, are you?”
“Perhaps I could,” he said playfully, his smile clearly letting her in on the fact that he was teasing her now. “On one condition.”
“What is that”
“I will forgive you for your accusation yesterday if you do something for me in return.”
