Page 19 of It's In The Duke's Kiss
Five
Lucian caught Nathaniel by the elbow and pulled his brother away from the entrance that everyone else had already gone through. Lucian could feel his vein pulsing at his temple. “Unless you plan to marry Lady Emmaline, control yourself.”
“I haven’t a clue what you mean,” Nathaniel replied in an innocent voice, although his eyebrow rose in challenge.
Lucian had the sudden desire to literally knock some sense into his brother. Instead, he inhaled a long breath and uncurled his hands, which had tightened into fists. “The finger down her arm. Leaning so close you could smell her lavender scent. Your arm across the back of her chair, settled so it would rest on her shoulders.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. “Are you watching me orher?”
“You, of course. You’re my brother, and I’ve no wish to see you ruin her with your foolish behavior and then have to marry her.”
“Afraid I’ll ruin your plans to bind me to Lady Francine?” Nathaniel snarled.
Lucian clenched his teeth and had to force himself to relax. “No, Nathaniel. I’ve already said that if you don’t wish to marry Lady Francine, you can simply strike out on your own.”
“You want that, don’t you?” Nathaniel growled. “Then you’d not have to concern yourself with me anymore. Tired of playing my keeper?”
Lucian barely refrained from agreeing. Watching after Nathaniel had exhausted him years ago, but he’d continued both because of the promise he’d made their father and because Nathaniel was his brother. “I’m tired of watching you try to destroy yourself. You’re a better man than your actions show.”
“What if I’m not, Lucian?” Nathaniel demanded. “What if I’m exactly what you see? A selfish man who has no wish for anything beyond pleasure and fun?”
Lucian’s vein pulsed so rapidly he had to press a finger to his temple. “Then you most definitely need a wife like Lady Francine who’ll keep you from ruining yourself.”
“I don’t want to exchange one keeper for another, Luc, but since you’re forcing my hand, I plan to have fun first.”
Lucian had a sudden and very bad feeling. From within the parlor, a sweet singing voice floated out of the room. He glanced through the doorway. Lady Emmaline stood by Lady Francine, who was seated at the piano playing a tune.
“She’s beguiling, isn’t she?” Nathaniel murmured.
Lucian knew exactly who his brother was referring to, and it wasn’t Lady Francine. She was lovely enough, but she could have been any number of well-bred women of theton. There was nothing intriguing about her. But Lady Emmaline…
Lucian barely knew her, but he couldn’t deny that there was something about her that was quite fascinating. Perhaps it was the way her blue eyes had sparked with anger and then contempt when he’d reminded Nathaniel that he knew better than to be alone and unchaperoned with her. He’d wager she had a spine of steel hidden in that slight body. Or maybe it was the memory of her, so proud and defiant when she’d come to thank Nathaniel for saving her life.
“Ah,” Nathaniel said, drawing the word out. “She’s beguiled you, too, I see. Well, I met her first.”
Lucian grabbed his brother by his jacket lapels. “Don’t toy with Lady Emmaline. She is an innocent, not one of your doxies skilled in games of seduction.”
Nathaniel yanked himself free. “How do you know if she’s an innocent or not? You don’t really know her!”
It was true. He didn’t. But the way she held herself so proudly bespoke of honor, of a woman who would not easily give her charms or innocence.
“If she wants a liaison as much as I do, then no one will be harmed,” Nathaniel asserted.
“And if she doesn’t?” Lucian growled, “You could very well ruin her with your attempts to learn if she does.”
“Then I’ll marry the chit and we’ll happily live in poverty after you disown me. I think she’d suit me. I wager she detests the cumbersome rules of Society as much as I do. Do you remember her spinning a few weeks ago? She was a vision.”
Lucian swallowed hard. Of course he remembered it. He’d dubbed her the snow fairy, hadn’t he? For one brief moment, when she’d come to his Mayfair home, he’d thought she’d come to seek him out to thank him. He’d been oddly pleased she had foolishly risked her reputation to see him, but then he’d learned she was there to thank Nathaniel. Lucian hadn’t had the heart to break hers by revealing Nathaniel hadn’t been the one to save her. Instead, he’d sent her away, irritated with himself for how odd she had made him feela—almost vulnerable and unthinking. Dukes should never be either of those things.
Their mother suddenly popped out into the corridor. “Gentlemen,” she chided, “we have guests waiting. Come.”
With little choice, Lucian nodded, but as he followed his mother and Nathaniel into the room, he vowed to do whatever he had to in order to stop his brother from ruining Lady Emmaline.
“Emmaline,” her mother hissed in her ear as the Duke of Blackbourne and Nathan strolled into the room. “Go sit down and let your sister sing now that His Grace is here.”
Emma nodded, more than glad to oblige. She wanted a chance to speak more with Nathan, and the way he was staring at her, she decided perhaps she’d been wrong at supper and he did want the same. Yet, by the time she stepped away from the pianoforte and started toward him, the Duke of Danby had drawn Nathan into conversation. A quick glance around the room confirmed that everyone was thus engaged except for Blackbourne and herself.
Amusement filled his gaze, as if he knew she was wary of him. That would not do at all. One thing she’d never been able to abide was anyone thinking she was afraid to do something. She squared her shoulders and marched over to him. “Well, Your Grace, it appears we are the wallflowers in the room.”
