Page 23 of The Duke of Aces
Charlotte nodded in agreement. She had been eyeing the group of gentlemen posted by the corner since she had joined Isadora and her sister.
Minerva leaned closer and whispered, “There is no avoiding His Grace all night. You promised him a waltz.”
She remembered Tom’s words from earlier regarding Charlotte’s hearing ability. “Exactly, one dance. No more.”
Minerva sighed. “Very well, mayhap a glass of ratafia would be good. Lead the way.”
Isadora took a step forward, leaving Charlotte and Minerva to follow.
Gloved fingers brushed against the back of her arm. Isadora slowed her steps.
“Where are you going?” Tom asked from behind her.
She didn’t dare turn. Her anger was still bubbling to the surface. “To the refreshments table.”
“I shall accompany you.”
The fission of heat intensified along her neck and spine. She glanced over her shoulder to find both Minerva and Charlotte walking away from them. “I see I’ve been abandoned.”
“Don’t be angry with your sister, I asked Minerva to grant me the opportunity to speak with you in private.” Tom’s silky tones caused more havoc with her thoughts.
“Whatever for?”
He stepped up close. “Please, ten minutes, no more.”
It would take less than that to be caught and bound into a lifelong commitment if anyone about inferred impropriety. “Go on. What do you wish to tell me? No one is listening.”
“No, but they are observing. Come, follow my lead.”
He placed his hand on her elbow, and with light pressure, he guided her back into the throng of guests. She frowned, observing Tom ignore the nods and smiles of acquaintances as they walked by. Caught off guard, Tom drew her into an alcove she hadn’t noticed. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness that enveloped them. The thick, heavy curtains not only blocked out the candlelight but also muted the music on the other side.
Isadora snapped her arm away. “Is this where you conduct all your clandestine meetings?”
“Beg pardon?”
Bottling her frustration, she asked again, “Is this where you take all the ladies you wish a private moment with?”
Isadora froze as Tom’s hand fell upon her hips. “Since I spotted the alcove mere moments ago, and there is only one woman I would want to lure here, the answer to your question is yes.”
“Aha! You admit you were with another earlier.”
“You’re accusing me of being with another woman.” Tom’s hands fell away. “I was in the gardens, dealing with Drake.”
“Drake?” Isadora dropped her head and came into contact with Tom’s chest. “Oh… Minerva was right.”
He shifted closer, close enough for her to see his handsome features. Tom wrapped his arm around her waist. “Let’s forget about this for now. Have you given any consideration to the advantages of becoming the Duchess of Avondale?”
Duchess of Avondale. The title, the role, preoccupied her every thought all afternoon. The question of how things would be if she were a duchess repeated in her head. Regardless of her illogical response to His Grace, Isadora wasn’t ready to consider the full implications of having lost their earlier wager. “Your Grace, you won a courtship, not my hand. And as we both know, not all courtships end in matrimony. Many a lady’s heart is broken when gentlemen fail to utter the four words they had hoped to hear all Season.”
“Shall I utter them to you now?” A very beguiling twinkle appeared in Tom’s warm brown eyes. That had Isadora considering saying yes…but only for a moment.
“The Season hasn’t even officially begun. You know nothing of me. Why not wait?”
Tom placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face until their gazes locked. “I’m not looking for a love match, and if you are amicable to a marriage of convenience…” Tom leaned in to whisper against her ear. “I would be forever grateful, for it would save my toes from being trodden upon by debutants.”
Her lips curved unwillingly into a smile and then his words registered, and she tried to take a step back. “A marriage of convenience? With you?”
He released his hold on her, giving her the space she silently requested, but his gaze remained on her. “Shall I recite the advantages I’ve surmised go along with the title you would assume?”
