Page 48 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke
Oh another scholar. She would never have guessed, with that mischievous smile that could only belong to rake.
"In Edinburgh, I presume?"
" Yes, my lady."
"I presume you are done with your studies, hence the reason why you have returned to London."
"Yes I have. It has been nigh on three years since I left the hallowed walls of school," he said in a theatrical whisper that brought a smile of amusement to her lips. He smiled back obviously happy to have amused her. Then switching back to his normal volume, he continued, "I have been traveling ever since then. I only returned to England since I received a missive that my father has died."
"Please accept my condolences," she offered in a somber tone.
"Thank you, my lady," he said with a rueful smile. "Unfortunately his death means that I have to take on the dreary duty of continuing the family name, something I had never thought that I would have to do."
"Why?" she asked, tilting her head inquisitively. "You are his heir, are you not?"
"That might be true, but that does not mean that my old man - God rest his soul - approved of me as his heir. You see I am a bit of a wild one. While I might be scholarly, I do enjoy the outdoors, traveling and sampling all that life has to offer. Not good traits for an heir, I reckon. He preferred my cousin. I always planned to take the name solely when required, but allow my cousin to manage the estate and responsibilities that came with it and allow the title to pass to him, or his heirs, on my death. That's no longer possible. I heard he died of gout last year,"
That explained it, the rakish aura. He definitely did not fit into the box of the normal English nobility heir. Somehow that touch of eccentricity was attractive to her.
"I became friends with your brother when I returned. He invited me to his town house to meet his young sister. Of course there is nothing childish about you now, my lady. You are an exquisite beauty."
Despite herself, Cecilia could feel herself blushing. This gentleman was certainly charming.
"Why, thank you, my lord," she replied graciously.
"The pleasure is all mine, my lady. I am happy that I took His Grace up on his invitation to come visit him."
For the next few hours, Cecilia conversed with the charming Viscount Hickling as he told her tad bits of lore from all the places he had visited. He flirted with her, while sharing ideas on the books she might like when he heard her reading preference. The man was a conundrum, such that Cecilia had never seen before. By the time he stood up to take his leave, Cecilia was reluctant to let him go. Their meeting felt like a reunion with an old friend even though she had never met him before.
By the time she saw him off to the door and turned, it was to find her brother leaning on the stairs railing, a smug smile on his face.
"So what do you think about that gentleman?" he asked eagerly.
"You know how I feel about you finding a suitor for me."
"Trust me Cee, I am aware. I ran into the viscount on one of my trips to the gentlemen's club. I thought it would not hurt to have him come visit and see if you might suit. He might be a little wild but he is a decent gentleman. "
"All right. I understand. Thank you," she replied reluctantly.
"From your time discussing, do you like him?"
"He is an interesting character. I would require a few more meetings to decide if he would make a good suitor."
"I hope this establishes the fact that I have your best interests at heart, Cee." His eyes softened, turning almost apologetic. "I do not ever want to hurt you. I am sorry for making you feel trapped in the last decade. It was the only way I knew to protect you."
"I understand your intentions, brother. I just wanted you to become aware of the fact that I am now a woman, Magnus. I need to make my own decisions and you have to give me the freedom to. I truly appreciate your protection. It is of utmost importance to me and I do not take it for granted, but love is meant to protect, not cage."
"Believe me, I understand that. You are an intelligent young woman, I should have known that caging you in was a waste of your natural talents, but Cee, I have lived through the worst parts of society and I swore on the blood they ran through my body that I would not sit back and allow anyone I love, suffer through that. I am sorry that keeping to that vow has hurt you in ways I had not envisioned."
"Do not worry brother, you did not do much damage," Cecilia said with a teasing smile. "I was also wrong as well." She waited for his confused look before she continued, "You are definitely a good judge of character."
With that, she exited their townhouse, his quiet chuckle trailing after her.
She took the family coach to visit Lily. Between her nightly assignations with a certain rakish duke and Magnus's order that kept her indoors, she had not had the time to visit her friend andshe badly needed the opinion of a trusted female on the chaos that have become her life. After all her friend was the expert on rakes. She needed her insights if she had any hope of coming out at the end of these series unscathed.
"Nude? You posed for the Duke naked?" Lily whisper yelled, her eyes glittering with unholy excitement.
"For the last time Lily, I was definitely not completely naked. I had my chemise on," she said defensively, her face burning with her embarrassment.
