Page 29 of Her Ruse with the Rakish Duke
“Ah…I think so.”
He kissed her again, this time softly. His mouth moved over hers, while his hand crawled up her back. She leaned into him, with her hands around his neck. Her delicate figure fit right into his arms.
If only things were a little different, Victor thought, his heart giving a pained squeeze. He could have enjoyed being with her.
“I think I will enjoy this charade.”
Daphne beat off his hands. “That will be the last time. There cannot be touching or…or such kisses. We cannot have these dalliances in secret.”
Victor crossed his arms to prevent him from reaching out to her again. “That is tough.”
“Well, those are the terms. I understand if you are uninterested now.”
The woman was an enigma. Clearly, she enjoyed thedalliances.Was his touch that repulsing?
Victor smiled and turned away. He started toward the door. “The first performance is at dinner. I will see you there.”
Victor strolled out of his friend’s study and headed directly to the stables. His stallion snorted his welcome, leaning his great head out of the stall.
The stable master met up with Victor just as he began to arrange the saddle.
“Good day, Your Grace,” the older man greeted. “Surely a fine day for a ride. But there might be something you are forgetting.”
Victor looked down at his attire, “I am fine.”
“Perhaps I can have your man deliver the change of clothes here. We have a smaller room where you can change.”
Victor snagged the riding crop from the wall and glared at the man, “I said I am fine.”
He led the horse from the stall. “If you must do something, get some apples for him.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” He scampered out of sight and Victor held back a sigh. It was not the man’s fault that his life had become something out of a story book. Her eager face and conviction were the reasons he was willing to attempt this harebrained scheme.
Liar.
He was a tiny bit excited to show the peacock how a woman should be courted. This scheme also confirmed that she harbored no feelings for the man. He was an idiot for considering anything like this. Kissing her was an undeniable perk though. It was his intention to get more kisses before they had to part.
“Your Grace, do your lips itch? There might be a salve for it,” the stable master asked. He was feeding one of the green apples to a loudly chomping horse.
Victor blinked back to the present, where he found that his hand had crawled to his lips, rubbing them back and forth. Victor slapped his own leg with the riding crop.
“No, that will not be necessary. Thank you.”
He climbed up and with a gentle kick, urged the horse into the grounds before he was done chewing. At this rate, he would embarrass his ancestors out of their graves.
Victor leaned forward, about to urge his horse to go faster, when he spotted a bright purple coat. It emerged from behind a large oak tree. Farton stood in front of him, with a determined expression.
Good. This was a great place to pour out his frustration. Victor slowed, dangerously close to Farton’s arrogant boyish face. He would have trampled the man too, if it weren’t for the fact that Daphne would have his head on a pyre.
“What do you want, Farton?”
“Your Grace, I have heard about your ways, your exploits, so to speak. I have also seen how you prowl around Daphne. I have been her friend since childhood and I know what is best for her. It is not you. It will be in your best interest not to disturb her peace ever again.”
Victor chuckled, even as he burned with anger inside. “Really?”
Percy Farton held himself straight as he glared up at Victor. “As a matter of fact, yes. She is a naïve girl, who may not know her right from left. Or be able to tell a lamb from a wolf.”
“This is disheartening.”
