Page 3 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
It wouldn’t budge and the door stayed closed. Just as Anna raised a fist to bang against it, a sigh cut through the air.
“The door is broken. Don’t bother trying to open it – it can only be opened from the outside. Banging against it won’t help either – the party is still ongoing, so not many people are likely to hear us over Beethoven. Especially with the conservatory so far from the other parts of the manor where people are gathered.” A voice informed blatantly, the tone almost bored.
Anna’s body stiffened immediately.
Not only was she in the company of another, but the voice that had spoken unmistakably belonged to a man.
She was trapped in a dark room, with a man.
Thankfully, some rays of moonlight were streaming into the room through the windows and soon, her eyes adjusted to the dark room well enough for her to note the shape of a person standing by the window.
“G-Good evening, sir. I’m sorry if I interrupted your… quest for solitude. It’s just –”
“Oh, yes. Because it is quite common for men to seek out solitude in dim rooms with faulty doors.” He snorted, his tone mocking.
Anna ignored the ridicule and asked,
“Might I ask how long you’ve been here? Surely, someone is searching for you, by now.”
“I am sure you would know that better than I, Miss. After all, it would seem you thought it wise to wait for a moment before coming in here, in hopes I wouldn’t suspect a thing.”
He took a few steps in her direction and for a moment, she was distracted by his sharp features; a dark gaze that seemed to bore into her soul, a face many women would trip over themselves to get a closer look at. He was tall, his body framed by strong-looking shoulders that only added to her curiosity about who this man could be.
“I’ve only just arrived, sir. I do not know what you mean but I think we ought to work together to resolve this issue.” She proposed, resuming her search for a source of light.
“Funny how you should say that, as though this predicament was not your doing.” His voice was clearly telling her to focus on herself, the unfriendly tone grating at her already frayed nerves.
But she was far too worried about all that had transpired not to lean on the company she found herself with.
“I do not understand what you mean. How could I have trapped you in here, when I’ve only just arrived myself?” she reasoned, facing him fully.
The man scoffed and it annoyed her immensely, how easily he dismissed and undermined her, as though she was beneath him. Although his expression was blank, it did nothing to conceal his looks and she might have found him handsome if he wasn’t so vexing.
“Do not play coy. This was a plot you envisioned, was it not? To make yourself up to be the maiden in trouble who just so happened to find herself alone with a gentleman in a locked room? I suppose you expect that I would take responsibility for what follows if we are found together like this?”
Anna stared at him, confused.
A plot? What could he possibly mean –
“Wait… you don’t think I somehow lured you here to trap you in a scandal. Do you?” she questioned, horrified.
“Are you saying that was not what you hoped to accomplish?” he challenged.
“It was not. And how dare you to think I would stoop so low! You do not know me, sir. Making such assumptions about a stranger could lead to dangerous consequences.” She stated, unable to keep herself from snapping.
“Only if I am wrong – which is unlikely. This is not the first time I have been put in a situation such as this. Ladies are quite desperate these days, and more often than not, desperation leads to trouble when steps like this are taken. While it might seem like a smart plan, it is nothing more than the pathetic struggle of an undesirable woman destined to live out the rest of her days alone.” He told her in a low voice, leaning slightly towards her.
Anger flooded her veins and before she realized what was happening, she had raised her hand to strike him.
Before her palm could land on its target, his hand closed around her wrist. Anna had barely managed to gather her bearings before she was pulled closer towards him, a gasp leaving her lips as she noticed just how close they had gotten.
His gaze bore down heavily on her, as though he was trying to read each detail of her expression. The heat of his grip sent flames spreading through her insides, filling her with a strange discomfort.
“Or,” he began in a low murmur. “Perhaps you intend to take a different route. Perhaps you thought you had better chances trying to seduce me instead.”
Anna’s cheeks grew hot and she pulled against him, flustered and panicked when she realized she couldn’t get out of his grip.
“That is not true —”
