Page 48 of The Duke Says I Do
Since she was a little girl saving the village’s mistreated animals, she’d kicked against the restrictions placed on females. Never had the rules struck her as so suffocating as they did now. Why couldn’t she dance with Alaric all night? Why couldn’t she kiss him when she wanted? She was an adult woman, yet society treated her like an incapable child.
For a charged moment, they stood staring at each other, before he looked away and took her arm. He led her through thethrong to the far end of the room, where the Shelburns waited. Portia braced for parting from Alaric.
“Thank you, Lady Portia. May I fetch you some refreshment? Champagne? Orgeat? Lemonade?”
Under Leighton and Kate’s inquisitive gazes, it was more circumspect to refuse. “That’s very kind, but no, thank you, Your Grace.”
“In that case, I wish you well.”
“Good evening.” She dipped into a curtsy.
He bowed and left her side. She was stupid to feel bereft. But she did. It took the greatest effort not to follow his progress through the crowd with covetous eyes.
“Portia?” Kate’s tone brought her back to earth with an unpleasant thump.
Unwillingly, she met her friend’s searching regard. “Yes?”
“I thought you didn’t like Granville.”
Oh, no. She’d done her best to hide her attraction to Alaric, but it hadn’t been enough. “I don’t.”
She hated feeling like that assertion betrayed both Alaric and herself. She hated lying to Kate, especially when it was clear that her friend didn’t believe her. “Then why did you dance with him?”
“He asked me.” At least that was true.
Despite rejecting Alaric’s offer, she seized a glass of champagne from a tray carried by a passing footman. She gulped some wine, hoping it would help her through the next few minutes. “He wants to play down the gossip about a feud with my family after that mess with Juliet. As Juliet’s on the Continent and Viola’s in Hampshire, I’m the only Frain available.”
There. That almost sounded convincing. And not a bad excuse, given she’d come up with it on the spot.
“I see.” Kate’s noncommittal response didn’t sound as if she saw at all.
Portia’s self-satisfaction faded, especially when Leighton joined the conversation. “I saw His Grace in the park yesterday with a dog any self-respecting poacher would turn his nose up at owning.”
Oh, dear. Portia bit back the urge to defend Jupiter, who she liked more every time she saw him. He mightn’t be pretty, but he made up for that with character. “Did you? How nice that Granville has found a pet.”
She struggled to sound like none of this mattered. Even in her own ears, she didn’t succeed.
The Shelburns watched her as if awaiting a confession. Plague take them, they weren’t going to get one.
“I imagine the duke’s felt rather friendless since last year’s scandal,” Kate said, still in that careful tone.
“The funny thing is I immediately thought of the dogs you foisted on us. Not an ounce of pedigree in any of them,” Leighton said.
“I thought you liked your dogs,” Portia said with some heat to divert them from Granville’s new canine companion. Her annoyed tone would explain the color surging into her cheeks.
“We do,” Kate said. “They’re part of the family.”
“That’s good, then.” Portia decided to lead with her chin. “If the duke has adopted a stray, I applaud him.”
“So you had nothing to do with the acquisition?” Leighton asked.
“On my morning ride, I’ve seen the duke and his dog. I didn’t think to question his choice of pet. Clearly it’s a major issue that a man should walk his dog in Hyde Park. I’m surprised it’s not in theMorning Post.”
“There’s no need for sarcasm,” Kate said.
“Isn’t there?” Portia said in a thorny tone. “Even if I gave His Grace a dog, it’s not a hanging offense.”
“No, but it’s…out of character. For you. And for him. I’d have said, at best, you barely tolerated each other.”
