Page 29 of His Scarred Duchess
Surely he would say something, reveal their clandestine encounter to her grandmother…
“Your Grace,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
To her surprise, the Duke merely inclined his head, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Lady Adeline,” he returned, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine. “The pleasure is mine.”
Adeline waited, tense, for him to say more. To make some reference to their moonlit encounter, some sly comment that would expose her reckless behavior. But he remained silent, his expression inscrutable.
“Well!” Lady Alderton gushed, seemingly oblivious to the tension crackling between her grandson and Adeline. “Now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps you two might take a turn about the garden? Edmund, do show Lady Adeline the new rose varieties we’ve cultivated. I’m sure she’d find them fascinating. Lady Gillingham and I shall chaperone you, of course.”
Adeline opened her mouth to protest, but her grandmother spoke first. “What a marvelous idea! Adeline is quite an enthusiast when it comes to horticulture. Aren’t you, my dear?”
Caught between her grandmother’s expectant gaze and the Duke’s unreadable one, Adeline found herself nodding. “I… yes, of course. That would be lovely.”
As the two grandmothers exchanged knowing looks, Adeline felt a flicker of annoyance. Their matchmaking attempts were painfully obvious, and judging by the slight tightening of the Duke’s jaw, he was no more pleased by the situation than she was.
Nonetheless, Edmund offered her his arm, ever the gentleman. “Shall we, Lady Adeline?”
Adeline placed her hand lightly on his arm, acutely aware of the hard muscle beneath the fine fabric of his coat. As they moved away from their grandmothers, she couldn’t help but notice the interested glances and whispers that followed them.
For several moments, they walked in silence, the tension between them almost palpable. Adeline fumbled for something to say, some way to address the elephant in the room without causing herself further embarrassment.
Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, she spoke. “Your grandmother’s gardens are truly spectacular, Your Grace. You must be very proud.”
Edmund’s response was curt. “My grandmother takes great pride in her horticultural endeavors. I’m afraid I have little to do with it.”
Adeline bit her lip, stung by his cool tone. “I see. Well, perhaps you might point out these new rose varieties she mentioned? I wouldn’t want to disappoint our grandmothers by returning without having seen them.”
The Duke’s eyebrow rose slightly. “Indeed. We wouldn’t want that, would we? Heaven forbid we fail to perform our roles in their little matchmaking scheme to their satisfaction.”
The bitterness in his voice took Adeline aback. “I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but I hardly think that’s fair. Our grandmothers mean well, even if their methods are… somewhat not so subtle.”
Edmund snorted, a most ungentlemanly sound. “Mean well? Tell me, my lady, do you enjoy being paraded about like prized cattle at a country fair?”
Adeline felt her temper flare. “I assure you, Your Grace, I have no more desire to be ‘paraded about’ than you do. But unlike some, I am capable of basic courtesy, even in trying circumstances.”
“Ah yes, your impeccable manners,” Edmund drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Tell me, is it customary in polite society to attempt scaling garden walls in the middle of soirées?”
Adeline gasped, heat flooding her cheeks. So he did remember! And he had the gall to throw it in her face now, after maintaining his silence in front of their grandmothers?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said stiffly. “Perhaps the sun has addled your wits, Your Grace.”
Edmund’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Has it? How strange, then, that I have such a vivid recollection of a certain young lady attempting to pick a lock with her hairpin. Unless, of course, such behavior is commonplace among thetonthese days?”
Adeline felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart racing with indignation and… something else she dared not name. The Duke’s words had struck a nerve, bringing back vivid memories of that night in Lady Windhurst’s garden.
The thrill of danger, the exhilaration of being seen—trulyseen—for the first time in years. For a moment, she allowed herself to remember the intensity in his gray eyes as he’d looked at her.
But that was then, and this was now. The man before her bore little resemblance to the intriguing stranger she’d met that night. This Duke was cold, distant, his words sharp enough to cut. And yet… there was something in the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, that spoke of a deeper turmoil. Could it be that he was as affected by their encounter as she was?
Adeline shook her head slightly, banishing the foolish thought. It didn’t matter what the Duke felt or didn’t feel. She was Lady Adeline Follett, scarred and soon to be exiled. Any connectionbetween them was impossible, a fleeting fantasy born of moonlight and desperation. She had to remember her place, her duty to her family.
No matter how her traitorous heart might flutter at his nearness.
Adeline opened her mouth to deliver a scathing retort, but before she could speak, they were interrupted by a shrill voice.
“Your Grace! How wonderful to see you!”
Adeline turned to see a group of young ladies approaching, led by none other than Miss Amelia Carstairs and close by her side was Lady Margaret —the same woman who had so cruelly snubbed her at Lady Windhurst’s soirée.
