Page 11 of My Blind Duke
“Your Grace, I was merely–”
“I do not care for your pointless opinions. Get out. Now,” he snapped, his tone stating clearly that this was no debate.
A look of utter astonishment came over her face as Clementina’s mouth fell open. “Well, I will do as you say then, Your Grace. I know that you must still be exhausted from your long journey.” She pushed her chair back and gestured for Henrietta to follow, scolding the poor woman under her breath as they left.
It did not take long after they left for the butler to reappear in the doorway with a small girl at his side.
“You wanted to see me, Papa?” Her bright blue eyes shone mischievously as she tilted her head to the side with a sweet smile. The dark ringlets framing her face added to the cherub innocence of her round face despite her misleading smile.
“Would you care to tell me what is in my soup?” The duke’s voice was dangerously low as he turned to his daughter.
Placing her hands behind her back and pursing her lips, Lady Melanie stood on her toes and attempted to peer into the bowl. “Well, it seems to be fish scales,” she said with the same sweet tone that claimed innocence.
Slamming his fists on the table, the duke made them all jump. “You deliberately disobey me. Did I not tell you that I would not be tolerating any more of your rude pranks?”
Prudence watched as the little girl’s smile broadened into a grin, yet her eyes seemed sad. A look the duchess not only recognized but was intimately familiar with.
She had heard from the servants that the duke had lost his wife and was therefore a widower. She could only imagine how Melanie felt, knowing only loss in place of what was meant to be warm, maternal care. And from the look of it, the duke was not the gentle, tolerant sort, so her expression explained quite a bit of the relationship between them.
“Go to your room at once, I will deal with you in the morning.” The duke thrust his napkin aside and shook his head in disgust while the butler came forward to remove the offending soup.
Melanie turned on her heels, but not before shooting Prudence a strange look with an even stranger smile.
Heavens, I know that look as well. I am up next, Prudence thought with a tired sigh.
Prudence watched closely as the little girl sauntered from the room. Her attention was drawn back to the duke when he muttered something under his breath. “Forgive my intrusion, Your Grace but… I do not think you should have been so harsh with her. She is in a new home, after all, and is bound to be confused and scared–”
“And I will remind you to keep your opinions to yourself while you are living under my roof,” he barked at her with a dark glare that made the pit of her stomach flutter with nerves.
“This is my home as much as it is yours, Your Grace. I will voice my opinions when and where I see fit.”
Clenching his fingers into fists on the table, the duke continued to glare in her direction. “Do not cross me, Duchess. You do not want to end up on the wrong end of my wrath.”
The dark look that bore into her soul sent a shiver of uncertainty down her spine. She could not understand this man, one bit. Why would he go through the trouble of reproaching the servants for mistreating her if he intended to remain hostile toward her?
Her throat suddenly fell too dry as she decided to remove herself from the strange and unpredictable situation. She had only known him for a few hours, yet he seemed to blow hot and cold whenever he liked.
“Since dinner seems to be over, I shall be leaving, Your Grace. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.” She used the back of her knees to push the chair back, causing the legs to scrape over the floor before she made her way toward the door.
A hand shot out and gripped her wrist, holding her back as she gasped in shock.
“You have not been dismissed.” The look in the duke’s eyes almost took her breath away as she gulped. “Or, do you, perhaps, plan to invoke my wrath?” He stood towering above her and took her chin with his fingers. “You tease me with your attitude but I warn you again, I am not to be trifled with.”
Every inch of her body began to tremble as his eyes locked on hers. Whether the sensations stemmed from fear or something else entirely, Prudence was not sure. All she knew was that her body reacted as if it possessed a mind of its own. Her legs almost buckled when he lifted his hand to her face.
Running his thumb along her jawline and lower lip, the duke smirked before tilting her head slightly to the side. “If you are wise, you will run now while you still have the chance…” His voice dropped to a deathly low growl that rumbled in his chest.
“Why… Why would you say that?” Prudence could hardly recognize her own voice as her heart pounded in her ears.
“Why must you feel the need to counter my every statement? Would it not be safer and wiser to listen and obey?” he questioned darkly.
It was strange, how stuck she felt within his grasp. Was he even aware of the power he held over her with his presence? She felt like putty in his hands whenever he was more than a few inches away from her. He had to be aware of what he was doing. Why else would he wear such an expression?
Once more, she was confused by his intentions. Was this his end goal? To keep her around for his amusement?
Perhaps her lack of response served as a sign of defiance, because the duke tightened his grip on her, pulling her flush against him as he said,
“Because if you do not, I do not know what I might do to you. I may not be a dirty pirate, little vixen, but I am just as dangerous…”
