Page 20 of The Scarred Duchess Deal
Anna Windrop subtly nudged her niece on the shoulder, and Tessa dipped into a polite curtsy. “Of course, Your Grace. It would be my honor.”
Leo held his hand out to Tessa, and she gracefully accepted. The eyes of thetonwere upon them. He could feel them watching his every move as he lifted her gloved knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. “You have made me the happiest duke in the room.”
It was a touch performative, he knew. Yet he was rewarded with a subtle smirk from Tessa. “You are the only duke in the room, Your Grace.”
“Ah, she does speak!” Leo breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief as he walked them to the dance floor and into their positions.
“Why yes, I am still in control of my faculties. I can speak when I choose to,” Tessa answered dryly.
“Are you cross with me? I am struggling to come up with a reason for you to be so angry with me that you would feel the need to ignore me so.” Leo meant to phrase it as a joke but could not manage it.
“I do not wish to cancel our bargain, if that is what you mean to ask.”
“Certainly. Of course, I want to know that – but the nature of our relationship is more than that. I genuinely enjoy your company and I would like to see you and speak with you on occasion. I find your company very stimulating.”
“I find your company rather dangerous, if I am to be perfectly honest with you, Your Grace,” Tessa whispered as they moved in and out of their dance.
“Dangerous? Me?” Leo laughed.
“Yes. I find you dangerous. You wield gentle words and affection like weapons – charm yielded as a blade. I fear that you might strike me with it. An action that would leave only me injured as an outcome. I merely wish to spare myself harm,” Tessa explained.
“First, you said there was no way that I could be interested in you – and now you are worried that I am interested in you?” Leo laughed.
“It would distract us from our mission,” Tessa reasoned logically.
“I am very capable of doing many things at once. I would be more than happy to show you just the extent of my talents… should you need convincing,” Leo offered with a sly smile. Even then she did not crack. “Are my offenses so great that you no longer feel comfortable speaking with me?”
“I feel entirely too comfortable speaking with you, Your Grace, that is the entirety of my issue. I am too free when I ought to be more careful of myself. I must maintain my composure and stay focused on our original mission–” Tessa’s voice cut off as her breath hitched when he stepped in closer to complete the dance with a pose.
It was exactly what she had been referring to. She was too comfortable. They were surrounded by people and she needed to be mindful of her reputation. She ought to be thinking only of her brother and yet… she wished to kiss him.
Tessa pushed him away forcefully and struggled to regain her composure. “Thank you for the dance, Your Grace, but I must… I must–” She could not even formulate a proper excuse before turning and fleeing from the dance floor.
Leo glanced around him, aware that there would be whispers as to what he could have done to make her leave so quickly, but he could not be bothered with gossip at that moment. He needed to follow her; she was so skillful at avoiding attention that it took him a moment to find the flash of her purple gown before following her.
. No floral scent lingered on the air this evening. It did not take long to locate the woman of his desires as she stood with her hands pressed to her ribs attempting to steady her breathing.
The chill of the evening air bit lightly at his face. A soft breeze ruffled the loose hairs that had come undone from Tessa’s flight and now hung prettily about her face in soft waves. She turned the moment she heard him approaching; she must have known that he would follow. He wondered if this was perhaps a ploy to get him on his own – to be alone with him. If so, she could have just asked; he would happily take her anywhere she wished to go.
“Are you all right?” Leo ventured, keeping distance between them.
“Yes,” Tessa answered a touch too quickly and then reconsidered. “No.”
“What is the matter? Why have you run from me?”
Tessa paused and shook her head softly. “I must. I cannot trust myself around you – come no closer!”
Leo did not obey her and instead took a step toward her.
“I was content with my life’s path, Leo,” Tessa started to explain. “It seems impossible to fathom how things could change so quickly, and I am not entirely certain that I like it. I was resigned to the direction that my life would go. I had no delusions that any gentleman would come and sweep me off of my feet. I was happy to allow Sophie her way. I resolved that I would bide my time until my dowry would become my inheritance and I would live in my country home eating figs and jam and whatever else I pleased with a great number of animals.” Tessa knew that she was rambling but she could not seem to force her mouth to stop. She could not block the words coming from her. “Then you came along and offered me a deal. It was only supposed to be a farce, you know. You were there, you agreed, but now it feels different… oh, stop looking at me like that!”
Leo grinned. “I cannot.”
“You must! You will fill me with false hope and I will be heartbroken because of it. Please, Leo – you must not do this to me,” Tessa implored as Leo drew closer. He could touch her now, and he desperately wished to.
“Is that the life that you want? The house in the country with jam and cats? If that is truly what you desire, then I shall leave you to it – I promise.” Leo nervously reached out and placed a hand on her waist to gently urge her closer. “Or, perhaps, is it me that you desire?”
She could not answer. Words and all rational thought slipped from her mind as she was pulled toward Leo’s strong, broad chest, her hands placing themselves delicately on the muscles there as she tried to remember reason.
