Page 51 of In Need of a Duke
When she looked up at him with a small grin, something in his chest squeezed.
“Are you teasing me, Lottie?”
“I know you prefer to think females are the weaker sex, but that’s not the case with bees.”
“I don’t prefer that at all…” his voice cracked as her brow arched at his rebuff. “Very well. I am accustomed to having everything go my way.”
But it wasn’t as if he considered women weaker. Is that what she thought?
“You do,” she said, returning to her work. “Naturally, of course.”
“Is that why you burned my wardrobe? Do you want to kick me out of the hive?”
The veil threw shadows across her face, but still, he could see the blush on her cheeks, and damn if it didn’t encourage him more to push what was and was not considered polite conversation with her.
“Oh, that’s right, the males need to mate first.”
She coughed, clearing her throat. “The praying mantis female beheads the male after mating.”
“I suppose I should consider myself lucky my suits were the only casualty.”
Charlotte replaced the lid and moved on to the second hive. Smoke swirled around them, and the bees buzzed, flying around her and Ian. “First, I need to remind you to stay back. And two, I would apologize about the suits but…”
She shrugged.
“Fair enough,” he said, ignoring the nagging feeling that he knew she would retreat soon, knew she only allowed him into her life in slivers. He didn’t want slivers anymore, he wanted everything.
“You seem…” she struggled for a moment with the tool in her hand. He reached to help as the skep suddenly flew up. Ian felt a sharp prick on his arm, then another, and another as the bees swarmed.
“Stay calm,” she cautioned, grabbing the smoke can.
But it was too late.
Ian snapped his hand away and smacked his arm, his heart racing as another stung him.
“Back away slowly,” she said.
But Ian was swatting them away, then turned and ran as his arm burned and suddenly felt heavy.
“Ian!” Charlotte shouted after him.
He didn’t know where he was running, only knew he had to put distance between himself and those damn bees.
He raced up the hill toward the house, his eye swelling shut as he heard the carriage on the drive. They weren’t expecting guests; he had worked hard to finally have Charlotte to himself.
He swung his head to the carriage that rolled to a stop before the door opened, and a giant beast bounded from inside and galloped directly at him at an alarming rate.
Ian braced himself, his feet refusing to budge as the dog leaped at him and knocked him to the ground. The dog licked his face as his body burned from the bee stings, and then his least favorite person came into view.
“If you hurt her, Your Grace, I’ve brought help. You will pay.”
With a sigh, he cleared his throat. “Hello, Miss Bancroft.”
“It’s Mrs. MacInnes now,” a deep Scottish burr answered.
Kate stood her arms akimbo, her boot tapping out a fast rhythm against the drive. “Now, the truth of it, Your Grace. Did you hurt my Lottie?”
CHAPTER 14
